Birthday Cake Design Idea

Birthday cakes can be mundane or spectacular, and the end result will likely depend on your skill. No matter how your cake turns out, it is the thought that counts. The person receiving your cake will appreciate the effort and time you put into making her birthday special.

Hobbies and Interests
The birthday girl will know you put a lot of thought into the cake if you represent her favorite hobby, pastime, or interest. If she likes to golf, make a cake into a golf course by shaping the cake and decorating it appropriately. If she plays the piano, turn a sheet cake into a keyboard. Other ideas include a flower garden for gardeners, food replicas for chefs and airplanes for pilots or travelers. The list is endless, so use your good judgment and creativity to design something extra special.

General Celebrations
If you aren't quite skilled enough to design a golf course or airplane, take it down a notch and design the cake using simple, but elegant or fun designs. Use prepackaged cake icing from the grocery store. Many icing tubes come with different tips for decorative cake designs. Put the icing around the cake or spell out a special message across the cake. Use candy and sprinkles from the store to give the cake a decorative look.

Age/Gender Specific
When designing a cake, keep the birthday person's age and gender in mind. Do not make a pink flowery cake for a little boy. Kids often like cakes based on their favorite cartoon or movie character. Other kid themes include dinosaurs, princesses, trains, bugs, and rubber duckies. Preteens and teens will appreciate slightly more grown-up looking cakes, but with touches of fun like bright frosting or dramatic designs. Adults probably will not appreciate a rainbow or teddy bear on their cakes. Keep in mind the person's style when decorating. Is her house traditionally decorated or modern? Does she wear classic style clothing or funky styles? Take a cue from her own style when decorating. You might decorate the cake in a plaid pattern or design a lace pattern using the icing.

Cake pans
The right cake pan can go a long way to help you design a cake. A clever cake pan for a child's birthday is the giant cupcake pan by Wilton. This makes the child feel extra special because her cupcake is huge. General shapes are easy to find like circles, squares and hearts. Seasonal cake pans are in stores around the holidays and include a bunny or egg shape at Easter or a snowman in the winter.

Considerations
If you have never designed a cake, work with several different frostings before your attempt so you can decide which will be the best for your design. Conisder the the temperature be during the party or if the party will be outside. You need to adequately protect your cake so your design does not get ruined in hot or humid temperatures. Also, think about the number of guests. Make sure your design allows for plenty of cake for everyone at the party.