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Lion King Simba Cupcakes

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Looking for adorable cupcakes for a Lion King birthday party? Check out our easy to make Lion King Simba Cupcakes here!

How many of you loved watching the Lion King as a kid? I will happily admit it was one of my favorite movies as a kid. Maybe not as much as my husband though. He and his little brother watched it constantly, back to back, and he happily tells stories of them sitting in the basement. They had the entire movie memorized at one point, and he can sometimes be quite entertaining with it now. As adults, we still have a love for this movie and I love when I get the opportunity to watch it (especially with children). Like many kids, my favorite characters were Simba, Timon, and Pumba (who doesn’t like Pumba?).

When one of my friends Krista, who is a very talented baker, said she made Simba cupcakes, I knew I had to see them for myself. As you can see from the pictures, these cupcakes are absolutely adorable and look a lot like a certain little lion cub. Best of all, she makes the entire process look extremely easy, allowing anyone to make these adorable cupcakes for kids or just as a fun way to remember one of your favorite childhood movies. To make these cupcakes, just check out the recipe below. If you make them, make sure to tell us what you think of the recipe and if you can think of any improvements!

Note: Special thanks to my friends Krista from Adventures of Country Divas for helping me with this recipe and pictures!

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Lion King Simba Cupcakes

Looking for adorable cupcakes for a Lion King birthday party? Check out our easy to make Lion King Simba Cupcakes here!
Print Recipe

4.8 from 61 reviews

Looking for adorable cupcakes for a Lion King birthday party? Check out our easy to make Lion King Simba Cupcakes here!

  • Author: Susan Bewley
  • Category: Cupcake
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Ingredients

Units Scale

Cupcake Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cups unsalted butter, soft
  • 1 2/3 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temp
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cups cocoa powder
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/3 cups whole milk

Frosting Ingredients:

  • 1 C unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 C powder sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 C heavy cream
  • 2 tsp Banana Flavoring

Royal Icing Ingredients:

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 C powder sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  • Add 1/4 C powder sugar until stiff peaks form
  • Orange, yellow, black and pink gel food coloring

Instructions

Cupcake Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
  3. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.
  4. Cream butter with sugar until light and creamy.
  5. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
  6. Alternate the addition of the dry ingredients and milk with the creamed mixture.
  7. Beat until smooth after each addition.
  8. Scoop batter into lined cupcake tins.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Cool in cupcake tin for 10 minutes.
  11. Remove from cupcake pan and cool on wire rack.

Frosting Directions:

  1. Beat the softened butter on its own until smooth.
  2. Add vanilla and banana extract.
  3. Add powdered sugar with heavy cream into the creamed butter until it becomes a smooth and thick texture.
  4. If the frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream, if the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
  5. Take a spoonful of the frosting and hold the spoon upside down
  6. if the frosting drops off the spoon add more powdered sugar …. if the frosting doesn’t fall off the spoon then it is ready.
  7. In a pastry bag with a large frosting tip ….Scoop the frosting into the bag.
  8. Twist the open end of the pastry bag to push the frosting to the tip… Test it out to make sure that the blue, red and white frostings all come out together.
  9. Frost the cupcakes.

Royal Icing Directions:

  1. Mix eggs, cream of tartar, and powder sugar on medium speed for 4 minutes. If the icing can’t form peaks Add 1/4 C powder sugar.
  2. Divide royal icing into 4 bowls and mix in gel food coloring.
  3. Simba Directions
  4. Locate the picture of Simba that you want on Google. Copy and paste several of the same pictures of Simba onto one page.
  5. Print this sheet out in color.
  6. Tape this sheet to a large cookie sheet.
  7. Tear a large sheet of wax paper and tape it over (to cover) the numerous pictures of Simba.
  8. Divide the icing into 3 bowls. Then divide the third bowl into 2 smaller bowls of icing.
  9. In the first(1/3) large bowl add several drops of orange gel food coloring. Stir to blend the color well.
  10. In the second (1/3) large bowl add several drop of yellow gel food coloring. Stir to blend the color well.
  11. In the last two smaller bowls…. in the first smaller bowl add several drops of black gel food coloring. Mix well.
  12. In the last smaller bowl add several drops of pink gel food coloring. Mix well.
  13. Spoon the orange icing into a pastry bag with a #2 tip….outline Simba and then fill in the face. Don’t color in the parts of Simbas face that have another color.
  14. Spoon in the yellow icing and outline and color in the inside of his eyes and mouth and chin area.
  15. Using the pink icing outline his nose and inner ear then color them in.
  16. Lastly with the black icing add his whiskers, color in his eyes and around the outside of his ear. Highlight with the black any other place the picture shows.
  17. Allow to dry for 5-10 hours.
  18. Ensure the faces are dry, gently touch one of the images.
  19. If they are dry then cut the wax paper holding the completed faces into squares surrounding the image.
  20. If the images are dry peel them off the wax paper and place on the frosted cupcake.
  21. (If your picture from Google doesn’t have the same colors just substitute the other colors and follow the directions. )

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About 

Susan Bewley is a professional writer who has been writing content online & in print format for over 10 years. As well, she is an alumni of the University of Louisville with a Masters Degree in Special Education. When not working as an online business consultant or ghost writing, she can be found writing on Budget Earth, on her own novel, or working with various entities in the pet industry.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Those certainly are cute. Not for the novice baker though. The instructions are well written, I’m just all thumbs in the kitchen!

  2. I loved the Lion King growing up and its still one of my favorites! These cupcakes are too adorable for words and I’d love to recreate this recipe. ?


  3. Thank you for sharing this recipe… I bookmarked it so I won’t lose it. <3 🙂

  4. These cupcakes are so cute! I think I will try them although they will not come out as nice as yours most likely haha 🙂

  5. These are so adorable and seem pretty simple to make. I always want to try to create things like this, but I always feel like I won’t be able to! Definitely want to try these, though 🙂

  8. These are so cute. I would like to make them next time my grandkids come over.

  10. Oh my goodness, these look adorable and they would be perfect for a Lion King themed party or maybe even a zoo party! I love this idea!

  11. I have got to make these for my sister. They would be so great for a Lion King viewing party, and she is their #1 fan! We’ve even watched the animated spin-off series for “Timon and Pumbaa”! I think I’ll vary the flavoring and do orange creamsicle instead. Next time,Zazu cupcakes-he’s MY favorite;)!

  17. These are too cute! I will have to try these with my granddaughter. Thanks for the recipe.

  18. These cupcakes are cute, perfect for a Lion King themed party. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

  20. These cupcakes are so adorable. I wish I was a little kid again I would want these for my birthday party lol.

  22. I love the Lion King. I still have my children’s toy collection. These cupcakes are so cute and fun and I am sure tasty!

  23. OMG…precious and such a terrific idea. My son has a bday next month…so in a couple weeks and I haven’t planned his cake yet…or party theme. YIKES>

  35. These cupcakes are amazingly cute. I love the flavorings and decorations you used. My granddaughter would love these and they wouldn’t last very long. 🙂

  38. Oh my gosh, these are so cute. My daughter loves Simba and she would love these! I don’t know I am creative enough though..lol

  45. Those are too cute!My niece would go crazy over these,she loves Lion King.I will have to make these for her

  46. They are so cute, my grandson has a Birthday coming up and we are big lion king fans as my kids grew up on the king too..

  48. These are so cute! My nephew loves the Lion King so I will make these for his birthday party in November!

  50. These are so cute. Would love to make some for my daughter. It would be good for girls for sure.

  51. These cupcakes are so adorable! I have a lot of admiration for people who can bake so beautifully! I’m a bit baking challenged myself!

  54. i loved that movie when i was young. my daughter is going to be reintroduced to it soon. i think she will just love it. we love to bake together so i will keep this recipe in mind. just in case.

  55. These are the cutest cupcakes ever. Reminds me of my daughters first Halloween costume as baby Simba 🙂

  59. These are so cute. My grandchildren would love these. We will have to give them a try

  62. My girls love the movie Lion King. They would love something like this for there next party. Great idea and they are so adorable.

  64. These cupcakes look great, yet they don’t seem to be too.hard to make. The figure of the LionKing on top looks professional.

  65. I finally found the perfect thing to pair with this recipe-news of a new Lion King movie! Disney Channel will air the next installment this fall, entitled “The Lion Guard-Return of the Roar”. It will even have returning cast members James Earl Jones as Mufasa, and Ernie Sabella as Pumbaa. I’m so excited-spread the word!

  66. These are so cute!!! I love the lion king and i know a lot of younger kids do as well!

  68. I WISH I HAD THE BAKING BUG LIKE THE ONLY TWO GRANDMA I KNEW MY SALAZAR GRANDMA COULD BAKE SOME MOUTHWATTERING DISHES FROM DINNER TO DESERT MYSTEPDADS MOM
    THEN THERE WAS MY MATRNAL GRANDPARENTS THE COOKMANS SHE COULD BAKE JUST AS GOOD FROM DINNER TO DESERT EVERYTHING FROM SCRATCH FROM BOTH GRANDMAS NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING CAME FROM A BOX. THESE LOOK FABULOUS AND VERY EDIBLE ? ?
    I BURN BISCUITS FOR PEETS SAKES THE ONLY THING I CAN BAKE IS LASAGNA FOR REALS!!

  69. These are adorable! I hate how everything always looks easier to make than it really is. lol Of course, that is the fun with making dessert and baking treats….it’s fun to practice. It only gets stressful when you find out you have to make 1-2 dozen cupcakes or cookies for your child’s class…the night before they need them. lol

  70. These cupcakes are so cute ! I was just looking at ideas for my sons 2nd birthday… These may be on my list to make !

  71. These are amazing – I’m thinking they are so great they are the only cupcake I’ve ever seen a kid might be tempted to keep it rather than eat it because it is so cool!

  75. Oh How cute these are perfect for a party or anytime my granddaughter loves Lion King and she would have a fit if I made these for her

  77. This is the cutest recipe. However, I don’t think that I am skilled enough to do this.

  80. Oh my, these are perfect for my daughter’s b-day! One of her favorite movies & she also loves to bake so these are gonna be fun to make together! I don’t think they will look this good but as long as we have fun 🙂 Thanks for the awesome recipe!

  82. Omg these are so cute!! I’m not creative though, but my sister is great at decorating cup cakes, so I’m going to show this to her!

  84. I LOVE THESE DISNEY SIMBA CUPCAKES I WOULD LOVE TO TRY.to make THESE i bet there GREAT my I WOULD PUT ALL STARS BUT IT WILL NOT LET ME

  87. These are absolutely adorable! My nephews are big fans of the Lion King and I am too. Making these would be lots of fun. We could probably have a movie night and watch all the Lion King movies while we make these! Thanks for sharing <3

  89. These are too cute! I love that the icing kind of looks like fur! 😀 A little laminate to any printable makes this super easy, especially since the right icing tip does the work for you! Thanks for sharing!

  90. These are just gorgeous!! I just recently introduced my son to the lion king and he loves it!! I don’t think I could pull this off but you did it wonderfully!!

  94. These are cute cupcakes. I’m fairly artistic, just not when it comes to food prep. This is a bit over my skill level.

  95. they are so cute i have to try to make these myself the kids would love them i shared them on facebook to

  96. Wow, Theses Cupcakes Look Fantastic & You Really Make it Look and Sound So Easy to do! Lion King was Always One of My Favorite Disney Movies but at Some Point I Just Quit Watching Disney Movies because I Get Too Emotional & it Seems that Anything to do with Animals Getting Hurt Really Upsets Me (Even Though I Know it’s Just a Movie!) I Still Can’t Watch Bambie to this Day & I am 34 Years Old, Lol! I Do Love These Cupcakes & How Perfect Would it be for a Jungle Themed Party Too! You are Quite the Baker! Thanks for the Recipe & Have a Blessed Day! Thanks, Jana

  97. I don’t think that I have enough talent to pull these off.. sadly! I think that any child would love to have these at their birthday party!! Very impressive!

  104. How cute. The art work is beautiful and I love the colors you picked for the cupcake and icing. You did the movie proud.

  106. i love these cupcakes. Is simba made out of foundant? These look super cute for a birthday party or anytime of the year. You are too creative. 🙂

  109. These look very delicious. The grandkids would love it if I made these. Thank you for the recipe.

  111. These are fabulous. Recipe is missing one thing for me… Access to that totally awesome talent. 😉 Hahah j/k What a fabulous idea for a birthday party. LOVE IT!! My son’s birthday is coming up and he loves nature. I may steer him in the lion king direction and go with a safari theme. xD

  112. These cupcakes are adorable and they look very tasty too! My kids and I love the Lion King so I’d really like to try and make these.

  119. I just adore these cupcakes. My granddaughter would love them. I am wondering if you could cut down the 1 2\3 cup sugar in the cake recipe. To me that seems to be a great deal of sugar for a cake recipe. Then add the sugar in the frosting it just seems these might be too rich to eat!

  121. Goodness gracious my bbf loves lion king. Its her sons theme room decor and now that i will share this with her… Her sons 1yr birthday cupcakes!

  124. I loved watching the Lion King as a kid and now my little girl loves watching it. These cupcakes are adorable and look delicious. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe, I’ll have to try making them for my daughter & her friends one day soon.

  130. I would love to make these for my grandchildren but they look really hard to decorate and I am not sure I can do it… I am going to try.. thank you for the great recipe…

  134. Those are the cutest cupcakes I’ve ever seen. I could never make them look that good. Thanks for sharing!

  137. A little difficult for me to make, a 65 year old male, but if I do, I am glad to say that this is one lion king artifact I will not be sharing

  138. These would be a big hit because they’re so darn cute and tasty I bet. I feel like I want to eat one right now, actually.

  139. You really did a nice job with the decorations! It’s a lot of fun making your own, isn’t it?

  141. I do not know a kid that does not love The Lion King and
    these look very good! Ty for sharing