Our children's pastor is having a "backwards birthday" party for her birthday this year. All gifts given to her will be donated to a local charity. I've been asked to do a cake for them.
So what kind of cake do you make for a backwards birthday???
I had an idea to do a present cake (or more "traditional" birthday cake) mounted upside down on the board so that it looks like the cake is sitting on the bow and the underside of the present is on top. Or for the more traditional birthday cake kind of cake, maybe it would be resting on the candles. I would mount the actual cake board up on a pedestal and cover the pedestal with a fondant bow.
The kids came up with the idea of having the icing on the inside of the cake. I thought that was cute, but am concerned about the cake drying out. Had thought that a checkerboard cake would be cute for this (give the outside a little more decoration). Don't know if I could come up with icing or other covering that would look like un-iced cake.....since it's for kids I would rather not do fondant. Don't think they would like it too much.
I like the idea of the icing inside the cake. If you are worried about the cake drying out, get a complimentary flavor of preserves (people usually use apricot), heat it until it melts back to it's liquid form, then brush the outside of the cake with the melted preserves.
Theresa 
Since she is donating (rather, gift givers are donating) to charity, do you think you could do the open present cake? You know, the one with the lid off to the side and the tissue paper coming out? Looks like an "empty" present. You could even really make it empty by scooping out some of the cake, and leaving the lid on the side.
Or, if you did a sheet cake, you could frost the sides, but leave the "top" unfrosted. Then it would maybe look upside-down. You could cover the top in clear piping gel or apricot glaze if you are concerned about drying out but want to retain the clear un-iced look.
Or, you could do cupcakes, because they aren't cake at all...unbirthday!
How many people do you need to serve with the cake?? It sure sounds challenging. Good luck!
WOAH! I know (for my kids anyway) they much prefer icing to cake. Maybe make an entirely icing cake! YIKES! Just kidding....I'm sure their folks would just love you!!! Okay, so what's not too messy and easy to serve.....what about a big cookie cake? I think I really don't have a good idea, so I'm gonna be quiet and BUMP!
you could do what i do and put lots of bc under your fondant so the kiddies who don't like fondant (which i doubt that they won't because it is sugar after all!!!) can peel it off. or you can make empty "plates" w/ leftover cake crumbs on top of it and use piping gel to make it look like melted ice cream. i hope that explanation was clear.
sounds like a super fun project- I was reading and LOLing at the ideas and about to just go bump in the night when I remembered the birthday cake I Did for one of my nieces when she turned 11- well many years ago lol.
Dont know if you can work the idea into something- but anyway- her party wasnt an unbirthday party, we just wanted to get the expression on her face LOL (which we did and I still ahve the photo with her horrified look lol)
For her bday cake I made a sheet cake and carved the number 11 out of it- mind you I didnt carve the 'non' 11 pieces cleanly like you might somehow do with whatever you're making. I just marked off the 2 number ones and then cut away the cake. And then slopped unceremoniously some leftover icing onto the scraps and put a couple candles in it and walked in to the kitchen with all her friends in on it, singing happy birthday and when she saw the cake, well she wasnt QUITE About to cry but she looked pretty horrified lol
Anyway so how about figuring out a design you can carve out of a sheetcake and just cut away careful to do the 'negative' so cut out the whatever design you'd normally ice and serve. And ice the rest of it. Say it were a heart you'd cut teh heart out of the rectangle and ice the negative space.
Good luck with whatever you decide and hope that helps!
Cant wait to see what you do!
You got my wheels turning on ths one. I like the inside frosting idea. Maybe you could do the layer cake with frosting inside wrap it in saran wrap to keep moist. Even put in freezer to keep real moist. Even take more precaution in that. by double wrapping in foil or freezer press and seal. Then put on a bare plate or something . That is where I am losing it is in final presentation. I don't know I am still thinkin 
OH WOW.. I bet you could do the upside down tier cake.. Make your usual 9 or 10" cake.. place it on the bottom.. and use stryofoam for the other top layers 12" and 14" (on top).. covering them in fondant... I think this would be just so neat.. and If your worried about not having enough cake to feed the children.. make some cupcakes, bake, ice and put a piece of wax paper on the tops and place them upside down on the table around your upside down tier cake..
You could do a traditional cake with "Happy Birthday Name" all written backwards. Put the candles in the center and the backwards writing on the outside.
Or do cupcakes and fill them with the icing, with none on top, or a bit on top the same color as the cupcake so you don't notice it.
I like the upside-down tiered cake idea, but instead of the bottom layer being cake just have the pillars going into an empty plate (or if you need the extra cake make that a shorter layer that looks like plate), and then wrap the pillars to look like upside-down candles that are burning.
A Twinkie is sort of inside out cake isn't it? The frosting/ filling is on the inside. Just a thought.
Agree that all the writing shoul be backwards also.
Sounds fun! Can't wait to see what you come up with!
I like caryl's idea of the upside down tiered cake. May check around Hobby Lobby tonight before class and see if they have anything I can use as pillars that look like candles.
I had also thought of doing an inside-out cake where all the decorations and icing were on the inside.
would have a 2-tiered cake stand with dowl rods around the outside edges forming a kind of box. Would ice the inside "ceiling" of the box with happy birthday and candles stuck so that they hang upside down. Would place a 2" high 9x13 on top then put slices of cake along the sides (not sure yet how I'd attach them....may have the dowls come up through them or something....) then put the whole contraption on top of another 9/13" cake and ice the top of that one. This way the whole inside of the cake is iced and decorated. I'd leave one side open so everyone could see inside. Or might make some kind of door that they would pull open to see inside.
Think this is possible, or am I getting a little elaborate here???
We did a backwards party for my daughter's 9th b/d last year. Instead of a traditional cake we made the cake look like an ice cream cone and then had birthday cake ice cream (blue bell) They also got to eat the cake first thing before any other foods! It was a big hit.
Well, here it is....the final "Backwards Birthday" cake. They LOVED it!
Only the middle tier is cake (10" yellow). The other 2 are dummies.
My husband made the stand it's sitting on. I wanted the center post to blend in with the candles so we made it the same diameter as the candles. However, it was quite rickety. Made it to the party OK (barely!) but if I do this cake again I'm definately going to find another way to make the stand!
WOW.. This looks amazing!!! You did a great job!!
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