Let me start with a confession: I am not a baker or a cake decorator. But I am a mom with a wild imagination and a deep love for making birthdays magical - within my skill set.

This Candy Land cake was one of my all-time favorites! I had so much fun putting it together that I even recreated the concept a few years later as a gingerbread house for a neighborhood contest. (Yes, it was just as adorable.)

For this cake, I based the design on the 2004 version of the Candy Land game board (easily found in Google). I loved the bright colors, grassy layout, and whimsical details — perfect inspiration for a show-stopping dessert that doubled as party décor.

The Shortcut: A Publix Sheet Cake

No baking here! I ordered a plain white sheet cake from Publix and turned it into Candy Land magic.

The Path: Marshmallow Fondant

The rainbow path was made from homemade marshmallow fondant (surprisingly easy to make and way tastier than the store-bought kind). My mom and I made one batch, split it into six parts, and tinted each with a different color. We rolled it out like Play-Doh, cut it into squares, and placed them on the cake in true board game order: red, purple, yellow, blue, orange, green.

Before adding the fondant, I lightly traced the path onto the cake with a toothpick. For the grassy background, I used Wilton green Color Mist spray, and left a little white in the upper and lower corners for the ice and snow.

The Candy Details: Dollar Tree Finds

This was the most fun part. With Mallory’s birthday in late November, Dollar Tree was loaded with holiday candy. I walked through the aisles with a picture of the board and simply picked out sweets that matched the landmarks.

Game Pieces & Signs

I borrowed the player pieces straight from our Candy Land game (cleaned, of course) and placed them along the path. The little signs—Lollipop Woods, Peanut Acres, and the rest—were homemade printables glued to toothpicks and popped into the cake. I also printed a Candy Land logo and placed it at the back as a finishing touch.

Bonus Touch

To complete the illusion, I scattered actual Candy Land cards around the cake on the table, as if a game was mid-play, and added a Jenga tower made of vanilla wafers beside it.  It made the whole scene feel interactive and alive.

This cake was so simple, budget-friendly, and high impact. No baking, no sculpting, no stress—just creativity, fondant, and a whole lot of candy. One of my favorite cake projects ever!

Need more Toy Story inspo? Your next mission awaits:

➡️ Transforming our house into Andy’s Room
➡️ From black plastic to glowing arcade magic: Pizza Planet DIY
➡️ Take a peek at the five themed activity stations