Birthday Ideas & Advice

If you love cake decorating, imagine getting paid to do what you love! You can when you start your own cake decorating business or cupcake business.

Jennifer James, author of the FabJob Guide to Become a Cake Decorator, says there are many benefits when you become a professional cake decorator and start a cake decorating business (also known as a cake design business) or cupcake business.

“There’s never been a better time to start up a cake decorating business,” says Jennifer. “With the low-carb craze over with, there has been a return to the idea of eating for pleasure, ushered in largely by the popular book French Women Don’t Get Fat. Single servings and the personal touch are in – cupcakes are very popular right now, as are gourmet mini-cakes.” Here is Jennifer’s advice about the cake design business and why it’s a great time to start a cake decorating business:

Professional cake decorators tap into the fact that people love to feel special, and are always looking for something new and unique. Clients who are tired of the supermarket’s tired-old sheet cake with a cartoon character are looking for handmade, out-of-the ordinary cakes that truly reflect the theme of the celebration… and when they do, they’ll come to you.

Cakes are getting more creative all the time, and the only limitation is your imagination. Three-dimensional designs are in vogue right now, resulting in cakes that look like pillows, animals, handbags, or whatever you can dream up. Contemporary cake towers rising up many feet in the air and can lean every which way, stabilized by mysterious forces known only to the cake decorator (that is, you!)

And it doesn’t stop there. How about a cake + cupcake combo, with each cupcake sporting a unique design, or personalized for each guest? Floral toppers or edible pearls just might complete an elegant look perfectly. The finishing materials (glazes and dusting powders) available on today’s market let you give your cake and decorations a look that is so real, your clients will hardly believe they are made of sugar.

Not only are people looking for custom, creative cakes, they are willing to pay for them too. The average amount spent on a wedding has nearly doubled in the last 20 years, and the average cost of wedding cake is $543, according to the Bridal Association of America. Prices of artisan cakes for special occasions range from $3 to $10 or even more per slice, depending on the complexity of the design.

If you’re wondering if cake decorating is the right business for you, here are some more benefits of this career according to Jennifer:

Be Creative

If you want to work with your hands and experience with all five senses, cake decorating is the career for you, from smelling the yummy baking, to tasting new flavors of icing or filling, to piping delicate beads or roses on your cakes and cupcakes. No wonder many cake decorators call themselves sugar artists!

“I was involved in early childhood education, but I wanted to switch careers to something that would challenge my creative outlets. I learned that I had this talent and discovered a passion for the art of designing cakes. Creative talent and passion are so important,” says acclaimed cake decorator Yvonne Zensner.

Be Your Own Boss

No more taking orders from anyone else – other than your many customers, of course! When you run your own cake decorating business, you make the decisions. You can choose to specialize in anything from wedding cakes, to children’s birthday cakes, to cupcakes, to cakes shaped like fantasy castles… whatever you most enjoy. As boss of your own cake decorating, you decide your policies, your prices, and when you’re going to take those well-deserved days off.

Let Them Eat Cake

By “them” we mean you, your friends, and your family. When you start a cake decorating business you’ll be able to practice your new ideas by making cakes for your own family celebrations, or liven up a mid-week meal with some cake “leftovers” you cut off while shaping and creating. You can even save some cash when you give your cakes for wedding and birthday presents. It’s great practice, and you’ll land additional clients whenever your cakes or cupcakes are seen and admired.

You Can Start Right Now

A cake decorating business can be started simply or part-time if you wish, in many cases right from your own home. If you already bake cakes or cupcakes as a hobby, you may very well have much of the equipment on hand that you will need to get started. You don’t need a certificate to call yourself a professional cake decorator or cake designer, either – you’re in business as a professional cake decorator as soon as you are paid for your very first cake.

If you’re ready to tap into the lucrative and growing cake decorating market, don’t wait any longer. It’s time to turn your pipe dreams into piping bags, trade in your overtime for oven mitts, and create your own sweet success story by starting a cake decorating business.

Nothing puts a smile on a childs face like viewing their birthday cake for the first time. And lets face it, few things out there are as satisfying for us mothers either.

Decorating a special cake for your child can be so much fun. For our girls, whimsical themes and gelati colours are in order, and for our boys, bright, bold and colorful is all it takes to make a little man smile. 

But what icing is best for the type of cake you want to create? 

I categorize icing into 5 main types, and each one has its place in the cool cakes for kids arena. Understanding the types if icing will help you successfully plan your groovy cake design and save you a lot of heartbreak. 

#1: Buttercream 

Buttercream icing is a combination of softened butter, fine sugar and some sort of liquid flavor and coloring. It is essential to use a fine sugar when making buttercream icing as it melts very easily and importantly, contains small amounts of cornstarch which helps to stabalize the icing…This also explains why it doesn’t taste so good in coffee! 

Buttercream icing is so easy to work with as it’s smooth consistency makes it so suitable for use with piping bags. It is the perfect icing for little cupcakes as you can get it through the piping bag tips with only one hand, allowing you to hold and manoeuvre the cupcake with the other. 

#2: Ganache 

Ganache is a fancy French term that simply means chocolate melted with heavy cream. When warm you can pour it over the cake for a gorgeous shiny glaze, just watch your chocolate loving child’s eyes pop from their little faces as they peer over the counter top as you do this, its so cute. Ganache is so versatile, you can use it as a chocolate sauce for a pudding, dip strawberries in it, or just lick it off the spoon. You can make ganache into a frosting if you chill for a bit then beat it till fluffy, perfect for layer cakes. 

Best of all though, make sure that you pop a tiny bit of the ganache into the fridge for later. Once it has chilled you can scoop out little spoonfuls, roll into balls and dip into melted chocolate for yummy after party truffles just for you. 

#3: Glaze 

Glaze is the simplest of icings. It is simply some fine sugar, melted over boiling water with a little bit of liquid flavour, usually fruit such as a squeeze of lemon or scoop of passion fruit. It forms a very thin liquid consistency and is simply drizzled over the cake to form a hard crust when it cools.  i love the way it cracks when you bite into it, yum. 

#4: Royal Icing 

Royal icing is one of the most commonly used icings in cake decorating, it contains powdered sugar, egg whites and liquid. Its consistency should be similar to pancake batter and needs to flow easily in order to work it through a piping bag. You need to be quite confidant with your icing skills when using royal icing though as it sets very quickly. 

#5: Fondant Icing 

When it comes to really groovy cake designs fondant icing is my personal favourite due to its amazing versatility. You can make some seriously cool cakes with this as once made it is rolled out like pastry allowing you to cover cakes of all shapes and sizes. You can cut out shapes with cookie cutters, you can dye or even paint it with liquid food coloring, and as such the possibilities are endless. Fondant icing can be tricky though, sometimes having the tendency to sweat, so working at the right temperature is really important. 

Now that you understand these 5 simple icing categories go and plan your groovy cake that will put a smile on your child’s face, and the Best Mum on the Planet award on your forehead. Enjoy!

If you want to celebrate your child’s birthday and host a birthday that is themed around his favorite Sesame Street friend, Elmo cakes are a true delight on any birthday occasion! Whether you are looking to make Elmo birthday cakes or you are just looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon with your youngster, you can make a perfect cake yourself with ease when you get an Elmo cake pan!

You can let your children whip up elmo cakes, or you can teach your child how to make an elmo cake, with the help of an adorable Elmo cake pan! The pan is sometimes sold with a matching, decorative, Elmo candle too, thereby presenting you with a complete birthday Elmo cake-making kit. Forget complicated Elmo cake designs! With the Elmo cake pan, you can bake perfect Elmo-themed birthday cakes at ease!

When making an Elmo cake if you become concerned about your cake decorating abilities, you can use a simple Elmo cake decorating kit which supplies you with edible cake decals, candies, and crayon shaped birthday candles to dress up the standard square, circular, or rectangular cake. To simplify things even further, you can opt for purchasing an Elmo cake figurine which you can simply place on top of any cake that you might create.

If you prefer to make a smaller Elmo cake. or cupcakes you can do that too. There are reusable Elmo cupcake rings which also double as superb party favors that can be inserted into the top of all of the cakes that you bake. You can also make great-looking Elmo cookies with the Elmo cake rings, and the tiny plastic rings are a favored treat among children attending an Elmo-themed birthday party. Figurines are sold solo or in sets so you have a lot of decorative options whenever you set out to make an Elmo-themed cake.

You might even want to add on the entire gang of Sesame Street, depending upon the cake you plan to make. Consider the “Wilton Sesame Street Party Toppers”: a collection four cake figurines which includes Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Zoe acting as a marching band would. Finally, do not forget to get additional Elmo party favors; you can buy Elmo paper plates to serve your cakes on as well.

For more tips of making Elmo cakes, check out Elmo Shop

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Have you ever dreamed of making the perfect cake for your kid’s birthday? I remember as a child how thrilled I always was with my Mom’s wonderful birthday cake creations and I vowed to make my own kids’ cakes once I had my own family. I loved the idea of making a really personalized, homemade cake rather than ordering the traditional sheet cake from our local grocery store. I was nervous starting out but soon realized that with a little patience and practice anyone can do this!

Here are some helpful hints that will allow even the busiest moms to bake the perfect birthday cake for their child:

1.) Don’t make your cake from scratch. You can save plenty of time by buying the boxed cake mixes and they often taste just as good as a cake made from scratch. In fact, at my most recent kid birthday party I was even asked for my cake recipe because it was so yummy!

2.) Start by using a shaped character pan. They generally have very detailed and easy-to-follow directions. You can also buy them fairly cheaply (check out eBay for affordable used and retired pans).

3.) Use pre-made decorator or royal icing. I like Wilton’s decorator icing since it tastes good and is great for piping since it holds its shape well and dries fairly hard.

4.) Use pre-made and pre-colored fondant. My favorite is Satin Ice since it has a nice vanilla flavor; unlike some other pre-made fondants, and you can get it in a number of different colors. You can also flavor fondant with candy flavoring.

5.) Fun cake toppers can really make a cake sparkle. If you’re making a more traditional rectangular or circular cake, you can dress it up with fun cake toppers. This is an easy and affordable way to make a theme cake.

Finally, don’t be afraid to try new things!

Above all, have fun and enjoy the look of delight and pride on your child’s face when they see their special cake and tell their friends that their Mommy made it just for them!

The problem most bakers have, especially beginners, is choosing birthday cake pans in the shape that best suits the party. Where do you begin?

The number one tip I give first time bakers is to first imagine a theme for the birthday party and this will help you choose the cake’s shape. Themed birthday parties are in; boring parties with no focus are out. The cake pan shape should match the theme. But how do you choose a theme?

For those who want to know how to decide on a theme, and help you choose the shape of the birthday cake pan, here are some tips that will help you:

1. What TV or movies does your child enjoy watching?

Here’s how this will help you choose a birthday cake pan. Your kids love watching certain TV shows. It could be Sponge Bob Square Pants, Sesame Street, Barney, or any other television show. They may also enjoy watching a movie over and over again.

For example, I have a niece that’s grown up now. But when she was little, she really loved the Little Mermaid. She was staying with us one summer, and I remember watching that movie every day she was with us. It would have been easy choosing a birthday cake pan shape for her.

2. What sports or games does your child like to play?

These days, most kids are involved in one sport or another. This is a great opportunity for you to be able to choose a birthday cake pan.

For example, do they play Little League baseball, Pop Warner Football, Tee Ball? What about soccer? Some kids even like doing karate or tae kwon do.

Find out what your child enjoys playing, and this will help you choose the birthday cake pan’s shape that matches a sports theme.

3. What books does your child like to read?

Knowing this will help you choose a birthday cake pan. All you have to do is think about what books your child likes for you to read them.

If they’re old enough to read on their own, what are their favorite books? Maybe they like a certain genre like mystery or science fiction. Or maybe they enjoy a series like “Harry Potter.” By knowing what type of books they like, you can easily choose a birthday cake pan.

Once you know what your child enjoys, you can decide on the perfect theme. And, once you have a theme, you can choose birthday cake pans in a shape that fits that theme. The key is knowing your children, and no one knows them better than you.

Choosing the perfect birthday cake pans for your child’s next birthday party doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. In fact, in can be down right easy with the simple tips I’m going to show you in this article.

The very first thing you have to do before you buy a birthday cake pan is to figure out a theme for the party. You should answer some simple questions.

For example, what does your child like? Does he or she like a certain cartoon character? What do they like to do? Are they interested in a certain sport or sports?

Children love different things at different ages so it’s important to ask them, or at least know what TV programs, movies, and sports activities they enjoy.

Some children love Disney characters while other adore Sesame Street. It all depends on what they’ve been exposed to, so you’ll actually have a bit of input as to the direction of your child’s likes and dislikes.

Most kids are also involved in one sport or another. For example, some children like to play soccer. Some enjoy Pop Warner football, or Pee Wee baseball. Martial arts are also popular among today’s kids, such as Karate or Tae Kwon Do.

Kids don’t hide their likes or dislikes very well. By observing their behavior, you can easily decipher what they’re interested in. For example, at the store they’ll usually point to their favorite action figure, or cartoon character. They’ll ask if you can buy them that football, or baseball bat. You know your kids better than anyone, so figuring out what they like shouldn’t be too difficult.

Once you’ve figured out what your child is interested in, then it’s easy to develop a theme for their party. If they like a cartoon, or Sesame Street character, then that’s what the party’s theme will revolve around. If they enjoy sports, then a sports themed party is called for.

Now you’re ready to purchase the appropriate birthday cake pan to suit the theme of the party. That part is easy. All you have to do is go to your local bake-ware and buy what you need. However, there is a second option. With today’s technology, you can easily make your purchase at an Online store using your computer.

Wherever you decide to purchase your birthday cake pans, now you know how to choose them. Your child and his or her friends will be so delighted when they see that beautiful and delicious themed birthday cake, and it’ll be even more special because you baked it yourself. Enjoy and best wishes.

A good friend of mine always had a problem choosing birthday cake pans for her children’s birthday parties. She always wondered how I always chose the right ones, and she wanted desperately to know my secret. I finally relented, and showed her 3 simple tips to always choose the right shaped pan for every party. In this article, I’m going to reveal those same 3 tips so you’ll always choose the right shaped pan too

If you always want to choose the right birthday cake pan shape, you must first know your children, and no one knows them better than you. When you know your children, and what they like, you’ll easily be able to choose a theme for their birthday party. And, this is the trick to always choosing the right shape. Here are my 3 tips for figuring out a theme:

1. What games or sports do your children enjoy playing?

Do they enjoy Little League baseball, or Pop Warner football? How about soccer? Some kids even enjoy karate. 

Knowing what they like will help you create a sports themed birthday party, and you’ll be able to choose the appropriate birthday cake pans in the shape of a ball, or bat, or even any other sports shape.

2. What TV shows do your children like to watch?

Most children are obsessed with a TV show or two. Some enjoy watching a cartoon, and some like such children’s shows as Sesame Street. 

You spend time with your children, and you know what they like to watch, so this will help you decide on a cartoon, or children’s show theme for their birthday party. You’ll then be able to choose birthday cake pans to fit that theme.

3. What books do they enjoy?

Your kids like it when you read to them, and believe it or not, this is a gold mine of ideas for choosing birthday cake pans. 

This is because once you figure out which books they enjoy the most, you’ll easily be able to formulate a theme for their birthday party, and this will help you choose the shape of their birthday cake pan. Can anyone say Harry Potter themed birthday party? Do you see where I’m going with this one?

So, figuring out which books they like will make it easier to pick out a birthday cake pan that fits with that genre of book, or character of a certain book or series.

There you have it—my three best tips for always choosing the right birthday cake pans to use. All you have to do is decide on a theme for their birthday party, and that will make it so simple to always choose the right birthday cake pan shape.

Creating a birthday cake for someone special brings joy both for the cake decorator and the cake recipient. Yet, achieving great cake decorating results also requires the fine-tuning of baking skills.

There are many important preparation steps prior to the actual cake decorating which directly effect how the cake looks. A few cake decorating tools and attention to the cake layers will result in a more even cake and fewer headaches.

Even Cake Layers:

As the cake layers bake, the outside rim of the cake pan heats the edges of the cake layer faster than the rest of the cake. Since the outside is baking faster, the middle of the cake rises higher, creating a hump. This problem can be avoided by using Magic Cake Strips around the sides of the cake pans. Once wet, the strips are wrapped around the sides of the cake pan and pinned in place. The strips cool the sides of the pan and allow the cake to bake evenly.

Cake layers exceeding 10″ need a little extra TLC. Use a heating core in the center of the cake pan to conduct heat into the middle of the cake. A heating core is a doughnut-shaped metal ring that is greased and floured, placed in the center of the pan, and filled with cake batter. The mini-cake that bakes inside the heating core is placed in the center of the cake.

Even distribution of heat around the cake pan also effects the baking process. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and the cake pan in the center of the rack. Air needs to circulate around the pan to heat it from all sides. Not all ovens heat accurately. If you suspect your oven gets too hot or takes long to cook, check the temperature. A cake baked too quickly in a very hot oven will be overdone on the outside and undercooked on the inside.

If you still find your cake has uneven spots, a cake leveler is a handy tool that makes trimming the excess cake away simple.

Assembling the Cake:

Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire cake rack. This gives the cake time to shrink away from the sides and allows the cake to come out of the pan without breakage. Invert the cake on to a wire rack and then invert it again. I do this twice to make sure the flat part of the cake is down. If you have any kind of hump and the hump goes face down, the cake layer will surely crack. The cake should cool entirely before proceeding. When cool, any excess cake can be removed.

Place the cake layer on a cake board. If you are filling the cake with anything besides buttercream frosting,I recommend you pipe a ring of buttercream frosting all along the outside of the layer being filled. This prevents the filling from leaking out.

Once the cake is filled,brush away any crumbs with a pastry brush. Applying a crumb coat will keep crumbs out of the icing. If you are decorating the cake with buttercream icing,you can simply thin it with a little milk and frost the cake. Warmed apricot jam also works well. Heat the jam in the microwave and strain it. Apply the jam to the cake with a pastry brush. Now the cake should be chilled to allow the cake to settle and the crumb coat to set. If you proceed directly to cake decorating, the filling will bulge out of the sides of the cake. Making the sides look attractive is virtually impossible when this happens.

Frosting the Cake:

Set the cake in the center of a lazy susan. Using a metal spatula, heap the frosting in the center of the cake. Work it back and forth while turning the lazy susan, but never actually touching the surface of the cake. If you smear the spatula into the cake,you may pull up crumbs, despite all the preparation. When the top of the cake is covered with icing, hold the metal spatula horizontal to the surface of the cake and pull it straight across the top. Remove any excess icing from the edges of the cake. Dot icing all around the sides of the cake with the spatula. The best tool to use for creating evenly frosted sides is a metal scraper. It gives you the best leverage for maintaining a straight edge as you frost. Turn the lazy susan as you hold the metal scraper perpendicular to the cake. Carefully lift any excess icing from the top edges with the spatula. If your icing is not perfectly smooth, allow it to crust for 15 minutes. Come back to it with a large piece of wax paper. Lay the wax paper on top of the cake and smooth your hands along the cake, starting from the center and working out towards the edges. Repeat this process on the sides of the cake, smoothing one area at a time.

Without a doubt, baking and decorating cakes is very time consuming, but minimizing the mishaps makes it more enjoyable and gives you the best results.

Do you want to know how I make choosing birthday cake pans easy? If you are new to baking, then perhaps choosing the right shape of cake pan is something you’ve been struggling with. In this article, I’m going to show you a simple technique that I use to always choose the right one.

Before I tell you how I choose birthday cake pans, picture this: your child is having a birthday party. They invited all of their friends. The decorations are up, but they’re just basic birthday decorations. Everyone is having fun because it’s a party. It’s time to bring in the birthday cake.

You’ve chosen a boring square birthday cake pan so you come in with a square cake. Your kid loves it because, after all, it’s sweet and kids love sweets. But it’s lackluster. There are no “oohs” nor any “ahhs.” It’s a basic square cake that says, “Happy birthday!”

Ho hum. Sure everyone had fun, but no one remembers the party decorations because they were ordinary. Least of all, no one remembers the cake because you chose that square birthday cake pan.

This applies to round birthday cake pans as well. They have no character no matter how you decorate the finished product. 

Now imagine this scenario. You know your child loves soccer. The whole party is decorated in a soccer theme. There are makeshift goals, balloons shaped like soccer balls, and cardboard soccer jerseys all around.

When it’s time to bring out the birthday cake, you show up with a soccer ball shaped birthday cake.

Everyone’s eyes light up, especially your kid’s.

Everyone remembers that birthday party, and all of the soccer decorations. They especially remember biting into a soccer ball shaped cake.

Which birthday party would you rather throw?

My guess is the second one, so my tip for choosing a birthday cake pan is to first think of a theme for the party.

Here’s what you have to do to be able to choose the perfect birthday cake pan shape. You must first think of the theme, which doesn’t just have to be about soccer. It can be based off of any games or sports that your child enjoys playing, or cartoons, movie characters, or children’s shows that they like to watch. You can even base your theme off of your child’s favorite book, like Harry Potter for example.

Once you choose a theme, then it’s easy to choose birthday cake pans. That’s my number one secret for always baking the perfect birthday cake in the shape that gets the “oohs” and “ahhs” and that everyone remembers. Always start out with a theme, and the birthday cake pan’s shape will easily follow.

Has your child ever asked you to make a Pirate Ship Cake? Or a Fairy Cake for their next birthday?

When I first started baking and decorating my kids birthday cakes, the variety of decorating tools I could buy seemed endless. And there was so much advice out there on cake decorating! It was a whole new world to me. Still, I reined in my impulsive nature to buy everything I thought I needed, and purchased some basic tools.

It is these basics which have ’stood by me’ in my quest for decorating those colourful creations and ‘cool birthday cakes’ my kids ask for each year on their birthdays.

In addition to these ideas, I’ve added some helpful suggestions for decorating kids’ novelty birthday cakes – some of which were given to me freely from others whilst a few goodies were borne from my own mistakes…

Cake Decorating Equipment:

You don’t necessarily need elaborate equipment but you will need some basic supplies. You can purchase most of the following supplies at specialty baking shops or even your local supermarket. They are indispensable for baking and decorating any novelty birthday cake your child might dream up.

Rubber Spatulas:

It’s good to have a set of assorted sizes that are made of flexible rubber. They’re the best tool for scraping frosting from the sides of bowls.

Metal Spatulas:

Have at least one large and one small angled spatula for spreading and smoothing frosting. Avoid your cake crumbling by using a small metal spatula to gently ice the cake with a very thin layer of frosting before adding the ‘real’ layer. This process is called ‘crumb coating’.

Piping Bags:

Reusable 8″, 12″ and 18″ bags with plastic coating on the inside for easy cleaning. Clear plastic disposable zip-lock bags are great for small jobs.

Coupling Nozzles:

These nozzles are essential because they allow you to change your tips according to the design. They can also act as a very large round writing tip for piping figures.

Gel, Powder or Paste Food colouring:

These are preferable to liquid food colouring because they are more concentrated and will not thin down the frosting.

Tips:

1. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

2. Use an electric mixer when beating the cake mixture. You’ve more chance of eliminating bumps in the pre-cooked cake mixture.

3. Wire Cake Racks are essential for cooling and inverting cakes.

4. Trim baked cake so it sits flat. Use the smooth base as the top of the finished cake and decorate with icing.

5. To stop crumbling, bake the cake the day before you need to decorate it and put it in the freezer. Decorate while still cold.

6. Cake boards are quite cheap to pick up from cake decorating shops. Or you can cover a large piece of cardboard (cut from a box) with coloured foil.

7. Butter Cream Icing is great for decorating cakes. The only thing I have found with butter cream icing is that when you add colouring, a pastel colour is the only colour it will go to. This is because of the fat in the butter. If you want a darker colour, you have three options:

Use plain icing sugar and water then add colouring;

replace the butter in the butter cream icing recipe with vegetable shortening or;

add black coloured powder to your icing mixture – it will deepen the colour.

8. Cut strips of waxed paper to slip underneath the edges of your unfrosted birthday cake. When finished, you can pull them away and you won’t smear the cake board.

Good luck with baking and decorating your next masterpiece – a unique birthday cake your kids will be proud of!