3 fun ideas for baking children’s birthday cakes

Birthdays for your children are always special for both parents and children, filled with lots of excitement. You probably want to make it a fun, special, and memorable day for your children. You can celebrate by throwing a birthday party with birthday presents, balloons, and, most importantly (at least to me), a birthday cake. We generally do not throw a party but just to celebrate in a family, just because my boys are not interested in having a birthday party (yet?). Our traditional birthday celebration includes their favorite dinner, a present, and a birthday cake I bake. 

Even without a birthday party, I always try to make it as special as possible for my boys with a birthday cake! I want to share 3 fun ideas for baking children’s birthday cakes!

Table of contents

• Bake a Themed Cake of Your Children’s Favorite
• Bake It with Your Children Together
• Still Keep a Surprise for the Last Outcome of the Cake

Bake a Themed Cake of Your Children’s Favorite

One of the best ways to make your child’s birthday extra special is by baking a themed cake based on their favorite characters, hobbies, or interests. Whether they adore superheroes, princesses, animals, or sports, there are endless possibilities to choose from.

To create a themed cake, start by brainstorming ideas with your child. Ask them about their favorite characters or activities and let their imagination run wild. Once you have decided on a theme, gather the necessary ingredients and decorations. You can find numerous cake designs and ideas online or in baking books for inspiration.

I picked theme until they were 3 years old by guessing but afterwards I always ask them and they sometimes say a character I do not expect which always surprises me so it is now definitely better to ask. Let me share birthday cakes I baked for my boys!

This is E’s birthday cake for his 1-year-old birthday. This was an Anpanman-themed cake with a huge name plate made of cookies. (Anpanman = sweet bean paste bread man; a Japanese superhero loved by lots of kids.)

This is E’s birthday cake for his 2-year-old birthday! This was a Thomas the Engines-themed cake. Face and Wheels are chocolate and plane cookies. Body is a roiled cake and square cake with a sheet of cake filled with whipped cream.  

This is E’s birthday cake for his 3-year-old birthday. This has been the smallest birthday cake I have baked, mainly because I was pretty occupied with two boys on E’s birthday for the first time. This is a Doraemon-themed cake with dinosaur cookies. (Doramon = a cat robot from the future. I grew up watching Doraemon and I still love it!)

This is E’s birthday cake for his 4-year-old birthday. He was into “Ultraman,” and this is an Ultraman Zero-themed cake that E picked for his birthday cake, (Ultraman = Japanese superhero)

This is E’s birthday cake for his 5-year-old birthday. This is a Sanji (from One Piece) themed cake that E picked for his birthday cake. I totally thought he would pick another character, so it was quite a surprising choice for me, but good that I asked him.

This is E’s birthday cake for his 6-year-old birthday. This is another Ultraman-themed cake. (I do not even know how many Ultramans there are now.) He picked his favorite Ultraman, Ultraman Dyna, for his birthday cake.

This is E’s birthday cake for his 7-year-old birthday. Yes, he started watching Pokemon, and he asked for a Pikachu-themed cake for his birthday cake. 

This is E’s birthday cake for his 8-year-old birthday. He is still into Pokemon, and this is a Grovyle-themed birthday cake. I also baked cream puffs, which my boys really like.

This is Y’s birthday cake for his 1-year-old birthday. I just baked a classic cake with lots of strawberries and some blueberries.

This is Y’s birthday cake for his 2-year-old birthday. I put lots of different characters on this cake since he seemed to like them all. This is a Draemon and Anpanpan-themed cake with cookies of a car, plane, train, boat, and rocket. I also baked a tart and put it in the bottom.

This is Y’s birthday cake for his 3-year-old birthday. This is a train-themed cake since Y was into playing with trains. I also put a bullet train he loved.

This is Y’s birthday cake for his 4-year-old birthday. Ok, there is not really a theme for this cake, but as you can tell, it was a huge cake! I used 24 eggs for this cake. (There is a story behind this, and I will share it with you eventually.) He was still happy because he got the biggest cake he had ever seen. 

This is Y’s birthday cake for his 5-year-old birthday. This was another Ultraman-themed cake. It was just so hard, with a very complex face and body, so you might not find it pretty, but I did my best and Y liked it, so that is what matters most! He picked Ultraman Saga for his birthday cake.

Bake It with Your Children Together

When baking the cake, follow a recipe that suits your child’s taste preferences. Whether it’s a classic chocolate cake, a fruity sponge, or a rich vanilla flavor, make sure to incorporate their favorite flavors.

I usually bake a simple sponge cake for the base, and that has been the boys’ favorite. They also like chocolate whipped cream, so I make it often. For chocolate whipped cream, I prepare it the night before. Just warm up whipped cream in a pot, add chocolate, and melt it completely. The amount of chocolate depends on how sweet you want it to be, but if you add too much chocolate, whipped cream will be more like soft chocolate, so adjust the amount based on your needs. Also, never boil whipped cream; just make it warm enough so that the chocolate melts. After that, you place the chocolate whipped cream in the fridge. The next day, you just whip it like regular whipped cream. It will be very tasty chocolate whipped cream, which you will love!

Remember, the key to a successful themed cake is in the decoration. Use icing, fondant, or edible decorations to bring the theme to life. You can also add small figurines or toys that represent your child’s favorite characters. Get creative and have fun together while decorating the cake. This will not only make the cake look fantastic but will also create lasting memories for both you and your child.

I usually just draw a character with chocolate, and that is the main part of our themed cake. I then add strawberries, maybe other fruits, and sometimes cookies. For drawing, I print out a clear picture of a character, put a cooking sheet on top of it, and then draw it by tracing. The pictures are when I drew Grovyle from Pokemon.

Baking a birthday cake with your children is a wonderful way to bond and create memories. It’s an opportunity to teach them valuable skills in the kitchen while having fun together. Involving your children in the baking process will make them feel special and excited about their birthday cake.

Assign age-appropriate tasks to your children, such as measuring ingredients, mixing the batter, or decorating the cake. Let them take the lead under your supervision and guidance. This will not only develop their culinary skills but also boost their creativity and independence.

My boys’ usual tasks are whipping cream and decorating strawberries between sheets of cake. Expect a mess. It is a chance to create a mess and have fun without worrying too much about perfection. Expect lots of tastings, and so much fun!

While baking, encourage your children to ask questions, share their ideas, and express their creativity. Baking together can be a wonderful opportunity to teach them about different ingredients, measurements, and techniques.

Remember, the process is just as important as the final outcome. Embrace the mess, enjoy the laughter, and savor the moments spent together in the kitchen. The joy and pride your children will feel when they see the finished cake will be priceless.

Still Keep a Surprise for the Last Outcome of the Cake

While involving your children in the baking process is a great way to make them feel special, it’s also essential to keep an element of surprise for the final outcome of the cake. After all, birthdays are all about surprises and excitement.

After they finish decorating strawberries between sheets of cake, I tell them that I finish it up and take the cake away. I do the final decoration so that my boys can still be surprised with the cake.

You can incorporate surprises in different ways. One idea is to hide a small toy or treat inside the cake. This can be done by baking the cake in two separate pans, placing the surprise in the middle, and sealing the two layers together with frosting. When the cake is cut, your child will be delighted to discover the hidden surprise.

Another idea is to create a unique design or decoration that your child is not aware of. For example, if you are baking a princess-themed cake, you can add edible sparkles or a hidden message on the inside of the cake. When your child cuts into the cake, they will be amazed by the unexpected surprise.

Remember to capture the moment when your child sees the surprise. Their expression of joy and surprise will be a memory to cherish for years to come.