The birthday cake is paraded into the room, lit with candles, and serenaded to the chords of “Happy Birthday to You.” This moment is a highlight of the party, the iconic event of many birthdays. If you are hosting a birthday party, selecting the cake will be one of the most important tasks on your list. Gathering ideas and learning about current trends will be a good place to start, whether you’re hiring a custom designer or buying an over-the-counter one.

Unique Birthday Cake Designs

The standard flowery birthday cake, with the inscription “Happy Birthday Jack!” or “Happy 60th Gwen” will always be acceptable, especially if it is made with attractive colors and favorite flavors. However, decorators can offer more personal and imaginative designs. Four formats are often seen these days. Consider one of these for your next celebration:

1. A thematic painting created with ice and inedible figures; for example, for a hockey fan, the surface represents a hockey rink, with hockey players and a hockey net.
2. A cake made in a mold shaped like a flower, heart, Mickey Mouse head, or other popular shape.
3. A three-dimensional sculpture, for example, the cake is a train; or a princess, made with a Barbie doll in an ornate tart dress.
4. Multiple cakes arranged in tiers vertically or in a whimsical twisted way, for example, a stack of multi-colored gift boxes wrapped in fondant, with colored ribbons and other decorations.

Kids Cakes

Planning a children’s party and want to serve up an exciting cake that he or she will remember for years to come? Request a design that reflects hobbies, favorite toys, pets, fantasy figures, or cartoon characters. Here are some ideas:

• Puppy shape;
• A jungle scene with jungle vegetation and animals, such as monkeys, giraffes and tigers;
• A painting based on a favorite TV show, like Sesame Street, with figures of Bert, Ernie and the Cookie Monster. Birthday cake toppers can double as party favors. With a Sesame Street design, each child can take home a Sesame Street figure;
• A crown decorated with jewels;
• Some soccer or ballet shoes to reflect the interests of the child.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. The only “problem” is that your child may never be satisfied with an “ordinary” cake again after it has had a themed design.

Adult Birthday Cakes

Adults also enjoy imaginative cakes. While children will often be happy with chocolate, vanilla, or marble flavors, adults will be drawn to variations such as:

• Mocha,
• Lemon,
• Carrot,
• Red velvet,
• Strawberry, gold
• Strawberry cake.

The fillings can also have different flavors, such as cherry, chocolate mousse, traditional buttercream, raspberry gel, cream cheese frosting, and lemon. Some people are particular about flavors, so you want to be sure that those selected will be appreciated by the guest of honor.

Many adults will be quite happy if you don’t show your age. An advantage of paintings and sculptures is that it is not necessary to show the numbers. On the other hand, it is possible and sometimes desirable to record a special year as 30, 50 or 65. The special number can be part of the garland of decorations rather than on top of the cake.

Adults enjoy sculptures and pictures of cakes. For example, birthday cake decorations for adults could be:

• A farm scene with fields, sky, and decorations for farmers and farm equipment;
• A cake shaped like a musical symbol, such as a guitar, treble clef, or drums; or a scenic painting with a figure of a favorite music star; gold
• A hobby item that reflects a favorite sport or hobby, such as a sculpture of an animal for a pet lover or a toolbox for a helpful person.

How to find more birthday cake ideas

To do more research in your quest to develop the best birthday cake design, you can:

• Look for images posted on the internet by professional and amateur bakers,
• Browse current magazines and books,
• Visit some bakery counters to see cakes on display,
• Bring photos and ideas to a meeting with a designer who will create a custom cake.

Explore, do your research, and then make a decision – with a delicious cake and funky decorations, everyone will appreciate your effort.