How to Draw a Cupcake (Easy Step by Step)
A cupcake is a fun thing to draw because it is built from a few simple shapes: a cup that gets narrower at the bottom, three puffy layers of frosting, and a little circle for the cherry. Add a smiling face and some sprinkles, and it looks ready for a party.
- Easy
- 12 minutes
- 9 steps
You need: paper, a pencil, an eraser, and crayons or markers for coloring.
Start drawingIn this article (7 sections)
How to draw a cupcake step by step
How to Draw a Cupcake · tinyhandscreate.com
Step 1: Guide shapes
Lightly sketch this oval. It only shows where the big parts go, so press softly. You will erase it at the end.
Step 2: The rim line
Draw one flat, straight line across the middle of the page. This will be the rim of the cupcake paper.
Step 3: Cup and bottom frosting
Start at the left end of the rim and draw a rounded bump that curves up and across to the right end of the rim. Then draw two slanted lines down from the ends, so the cup gets narrower, and join them with a flat bottom that has rounded corners.
Step 4: The middle frosting
Draw a smaller wavy bump on top of the bottom frosting. Start at the left edge, curve up and across, and come down on the right edge.
Step 5: The top swirl
On top, draw a smaller hill that rises to a point in the middle. Start at the left of the middle layer, curve up to the tip, and slide back down the other side.
Step 6: The cherry
Draw a small circle sitting on the tip of the frosting. Add a little curly line on top of the circle for the stem.
Step 7: Cup stripes
Draw four long straight lines inside the cup, two on the left side and two on the right side. Tilt them the same way as the sides of the cup.
Step 8: The happy face
Draw two small round dots for eyes in the middle of the cup. Between and below them, add a tiny curved smile.
Step 9: Sprinkles and swirl line
Add short little dashes on the frosting for sprinkles, and tilt each one a different way. Draw one curved smile-shaped line across the middle layer.
All done!
Erase the guide shapes, go over your lines, then color it in.
Finished your cupcake? Keep the pencils out and learn how to draw an ice cream cone or how to draw a donut next.
Tips for drawing a cupcake
- Draw the rim line first, then make the cup wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. If both sides slant the same amount, the cup will look balanced.
- The three frosting layers get smaller as they go up. Start the bottom one nearly as wide as the cup, then make each layer a bit narrower.
- Draw the cherry on the point of the frosting and keep the stem a small curl. Tilt the sprinkles in different directions so they look scattered.
Free cupcake coloring page
Want to go straight to coloring? Open this cupcake coloring page at full size and print it. It is the same drawing you just learned, with clean lines ready for crayons or markers.
How to color your cupcake drawing
Try pink frosting, a yellow or light brown cup, and a bright red cherry, with sprinkles in lots of different colors. For a twist, make a rainbow cupcake with every frosting layer in a different color.
Cupcake fun fact for kids
The word "cupcake" first appeared in print in 1796, in an American cookbook by Amelia Simmons. It described a cake baked in small cups.
Questions about drawing a cupcake
What shapes do I need to draw a cupcake?
You need a wide shape that narrows toward the bottom for the cup, three rounded bumps for the frosting, and a small circle for the cherry. Short lines make the stripes and sprinkles.
How do I make my cupcake look cuter?
Give it a face on the cup with two round dot eyes and a small smile. Keep the smile small and put it just below the eyes.
How do I draw frosting that looks swirly?
Draw each layer as a bump with a curved line along the bottom, and make each layer smaller than the one below. The top layer rises to a point.
