How to make kids birthday cakes fun and special
When you were a kid, do you remember the fun of anticipating being another year older? Unlike many adults, kids entertain lots of fantasies as they're about to put another year under their belt. Being eight is much better than being seven. Maybe you'll get that new bike. Being thirteen means you're now a teen. Then there's the birthday party - and birthday cake. A kids birthday cake is the centerpiece around which the entire occasion is planned.
Of course, the cake must be your kid's favorite flavors. Beyond the taste, there are lots of fun things you can do with kids birthday cakes to make them memorable and a big hit with all the kids. Here are a few creative ideas to make that milestone cake special.
One such idea takes its cue from the Mardi Gras celebration cake tradition. Inside each cake, a trinket prize is baked right into the cake. With the Mardi Gras cake, a small King or Queen's crown is placed into the batter. When the cake is cut, the lucky individual whose piece contains the prize is given some special favor or title. For kids birthday cakes, you can use a small action figure instead. The child who gets the trinket is awarded a prize. This adds suspense and giggles to the serving ritual.
As an alternative to ordering a decorated cake, try baking a cake embellished only with the frosting of the birthday kid's choice. Set the cake in the center of the table and surround it with little dishes of jam, sprinkles, small chocolate and assorted candies. When the kids sit down, let them decorate their own piece with the goodies they deem to make the perfect gooey concoction. A birthday is an occasion where you can let them go overboard. Although you may look askance at some of the individual creations, the kids will love it.
Another fun way to make the most of a kids birthday cake is to start with the plain, frosted cake as the kids sit down. Give each child a tube of colored frosting gel, sprinkles or whatever might enhance that plain Jane cake. Let the birthday child go first, applying his or her take on proper cake design. Each child gets a set amount of time to do their thing. Again, this may end up looking like a cake you never imagined, but the kids will be having fun. You'll see that adults may have forgotten how to really have a good time with a cake.
When the kids have done the deed with the cake, you can present each child with a small favor bag with their name on it as a reward for their decorating efforts. While they're checking out their prizes, you bring on the ice cream. Ah, to be a child again!
