Really Simple Cakes For Kids

Good morning lovelies. It’s Mandy here today, talking birthday cakes for kids. While I could have compiled a gallery of jaw-dropping showstoppers, I wanted to select cakes that I would be able to make for my own kids’ birthday parties. Now I’m no baker, and I’m even more useless when it comes to decorating or creating elaborate shapes or characters. But I do think there is something meaningful about baking your child’s birthday cake instead of outsourcing to a professional baker. And to be honest, I’d rather spend the money (some of those professionally made cakes run into the 100s of Rands nowadays) on the gift or a special keepsake. So with that in mind, here’s a selection of lovely, simple cakes that just about anyone can pull off.

This stormy ship birthday cake is so whimsical. You could make the cake toppers easily enough yourself, and forego the chocolate surround and piping on top and just apply a thick buttercream icing in rough strokes to mimic the shapes of waves.

I love the idea of letting the birthday boy or girl decorate and personalise their own cake. Here, white fondant has been chilled overnight, then rolled out and applied to the cake. Edible markers were handed over to the birthday girl, who turned it into her canvas. Doesn’t it remind you of Angelina’s wedding dress, personalised with stitching based on doodles by her children? You can find edible ink markers on Yuppichef and I’m sure at many specialist baking supply shops.

Even if you have nary a creative or artistic bone in your body, 100s and 1000s are brilliant at saving the day and elevating something simple into an insanely cheerful showstopper. All you need to do is cover a cake with a buttercream icing, get sprinkling and voila. A sprinkle cake to end all sprinkle cakes.

Another simple idea that looks amazing, this Funfetti cake is really cheerful. The bunting flags are easy enough to create using fondant with a bit of edible glitter on top for pizzaz.

Another simple cake with buttercream icing, and the charming addition of a vintage tightrope walker cake topper to decorate it. Click on the link for the free printable and the how-to at Oh Happy Day!

Fact of Life #105: Glitter makes everything better. These chic glittery stripes couldn’t be simpler to apply to a simple iced cake. Find a wide selection of colours at Yuppiechef

Make a serious impression(ist) with this exquisite abstract watercolour cake. You can find fun toppers at Typo stores countrywide or make one yourself. Take a look at the beautiful Wilton food gel colours at Yuppiechef for your ‘paint’ effects; you’ll also find paint brushes online

Okay, the purple ombre effect requires some effort but that’s not why I picked this image: I love the home made flower bunting. All you need for this fairy fantasy cake is some brown string, edible flowers, a needle to string them onto it and twigs from the garden (make sure they’re not from a dodgy tree).

Don’t fear, I’ve read the recipe for this polka dot inside out cake and it’s dead easy but looks super impressive.

This sprinkle cake so makes me think of Willy Wonka and the moment in the Gene Widler movie when all the children enter the fantasy tasting room with its edible cups and lollipop trees and chocolate river. You could easily use real lollipops to decorate it – Woolies has those beautiful handmade candy ones…

So there you have it. Easy to achieve cakes that your kids will love the look of and will score you admiration points from the other parents