Selecting the Perfect Birthday Cake

Every birthday is special, but some years are milestones. Even if you don’t light candles and sing happy birthday, a birthday cake is the special dessert that completes the festivities. Making a custom order ensures that the cake is fresh, delicious, and unique.

Where to Start?

So you have decided to order a special birthday cake. You may feel a bit overwhelmed. Perhaps you have just started or have done some looking--at cake displays, internet pictures, and magazines. Your first decision is how many servings are required. Second, are you aiming to entertain or celebrate a particular aspect of the birthday person; or are you striving for elegance, style, and beauty? Third, what flavors and textures interest you?

The two key icing choices are butter cream and fondant. Fondant is the smooth, firmer icing that blankets cakes and makes an excellent surface for decorating. Butter cream is moist and light and can be piped into many ornate designs.

Chocolate and white chocolate are very popular; however most fine bake shops offer a broad selection of flavors. For adult cakes, consider a liquor flavor, such as rum, a regal touch that will be a pleasant surprise. As taste is very personal, find out the tastes of key guests before choosing unique flavors.

Some people strive to select healthy birthday cakes by choosing reduced sugar recipes. Alternative icings include cream cheese and whipped cream. Allergy concerns can be addressed with egg-free and gluten-free cakes.

Original Birthday Cake Ideas

Choose fondant, butter cream or gum paste decorations. The only way to really appreciate the difference is to look at samples. Go for birthday cake decorations such as the following:

• Real or sugar ribbons, pearls, bows, and crystals;
• Abstract patterns and accents;
• Fresh or gum paste flowers; or
• Fun toppers—there are many birthday cake toppers available, reflecting any imaginable theme or element of pop culture.

A theme cake may reflect a special party theme--or celebrate a favorite interest, hobby, place, musical era, fantasy character, or movie star.  The cake can be a sculpture of an object, person, or animal--such as a fire truck, gardening tools, horse, dinosaur, castle, or treasure chest overflowing with jewels.  For a first birthday, popular designs include a baby animal or booties.

Molds are made for a wide range of shapes.   Consider these examples:

• bib for a baby,
• head of a Disney character such as Sleeping Beauty,
• pirate’s head,
• flower,
• butterfly,
• airplane,
• sports car,
• TV remote,
• high heels,
• mermaid.

A theme cake can be flat with an icing picture on its surface, enhanced by edible and non-edible decorations--for example, a beach scene with water, sand, and palm trees; a stage scene with Hannah Montana and her band; an underwater picture with sea creatures, fish, coral and seaweed; or a race track with running horses.

Kids birthday cakes can be elaborate depictions of action themes such as Star Wars or Spiderman scaling a building. They can feature popular books and movies, such as Harry Potter or Alice in Wonderland. These themes can also be tied into party decorations, games, and favors.

Children are fascinated by well-made sculptures of animals and vehicles, such as police cars, fire trucks, and bulldozers. As these special cakes can be more costly, planning for one on milestone birthdays, such as ages 3, 6, 10, 13, and 16, can make these birthdays stand out.

Adults have many landmark birthdays.  Theme sculptures, shapes and tableaus lend themselves to honoring these occasions in an infinite number of ways.  Age 21 can be marked with two cleverly decorated number cakes (a “two” and a “one”).  At age 25,   career symbols or travel themes provide interesting ideas.  The age 50 cake may consist of several stacked cakes with a humorous or elegant topper to mark the occasion.   At age 65, the cake can record achievements or dreams for upcoming years of retirement.  For any milestone, an edible photographic image can be transferred to the surface of a cake, creating a unique picture of the guest of honor.

Birthday parties are etched into our memories by the time shared with others, gifts, mementos, photographs, flowers, and visions of memorable birthday cakes.  Modern cake artists use traditional and modern techniques; a wide variety of cake molds; and cake toppers for every symbol imaginable.  Once you have gathered information about the celebrant’s tastes and life; and assembled color, theme, and flavor ideas, a skilled custom baker will help you design the perfect cake.