I make all of our kids birthday cakes. It is such a fun tradition we have, and something we all look forward to. I’ve found there isn’t much variation, once they decide what they want it’s pretty much set in stone. I’m going to share our process with you, so you too can learn how to decorate a birthday cake of your kids dreams!
This is a cute Minnie Mouse Cake I made for a client’s daughter’s first birthday. It was so sweet, I loved the glitter ears! You can learn how to decorate a rosette cake here.
Learn How I Decorate A Birthday Cake
- About a month out I remind my kids of their birthday coming up and they determine their birthday cake theme. Their cakes have evolved from a single tier, to 2-tier, to now a 3-tier cake for each birthday cake. They decide what flavor cake and buttercream each tier is.
- Two weeks before their birthday I confirm their ideas have not changed, and let them know that they can’t make any changes going forward, because I’m going to buy everything I need to prepare their cakes.
- I have been baking cakes long enough that I know exactly how much batter I need to prepare. If you’d like to learn more about this process you can check out my cake decorating course here.
The week we are celebrating their birthday cake I spread out the steps so I’m not stressed about it the day before. The same schedule applies when I need to bake and decorate a cake for a client. Let’s say we need the cake by Friday, here is how I would break down the cake decorating process:
Tuesday: Bake all cake layers, level, wrap them well and chill in the fridge
Wednesday: Make sure the house is clean, especially the kitchen and any room party guests may go into. I like to do this a few days before so all I have to worry about the day before the party is final touches to the cake (if necessary), and the actual party. I don’t want to decorate the cake and clean the house on the same day.
Thursday: Decorate the cake! I prefer decorating the cake in one day. It is easy to make buttercream ahead of time, but it takes a while for it to soften out of the fridge, and I like the consistency as soon as it is made. Over time you’ll find what process works best for you. If you’re decorating a tier cake crumb coat your first cake, and while it’s chilling begin the crumb coat on the second tier. That way you don’t waste time.
Friday: Day of the party, or day my client is picking up their cake. Make sure the kitchen is all clean, and enjoy the day, instead of stressing out about messes, or the cake.
My son wanted a dinosaur themed birthday cake, and I decided to take it up a notch and make it an active volcano. The look on his face was pure delight when he was the cake, and then shock and excitement when he saw the volcano. It was so much fun!!! Definitely memorable.
I made this cake with buttercream and candy melts.
Here’s another really fun cake I made. It’s space themed, as you can see. I made each planet with candy melts and molds. When I needed more than one color I painted the candy melts into the molds. I also used a stencil for the stars.
This was a really fun cake to make, for two sisters who share a birthday and a love for Disney’s Frozen. I created this cake with buttercream, fondant, and candy melts. You can also see how I created the tree topper here.
One thing I learned with this cake is to make sure the top tier is less layers than the other two tiers. The extra height made it really difficult to work with. If you want to have larger figurines on your cake consider making your tiers 4″ 8″ and 12″. The extra room on the sides will make it possible to have them on the cake.
This dream of a cake was so much fun to make. I loved it! The colors, the mermaid tails, the sprinkles! I loved everything about it, the little girl who designed it really knew what she wanted.
This cake was requested by my son. He really wanted a camouflage, cat tail, and goose cake. I went with the ombre sky, and used a stencil for the camp. I used fondant for the geese.
Now are you ready to decorate a birthday cake for your kids, Nieces/Nephews, neighbors, friends, significant other?
For more of my tips, tricks and secrets get Cake Decorating: Beginner To Pro for instant access to all of my tips and tricks. You’ll be decorating a cake like a pro in no time!
