Answering the question about my childhood cakes got me thinking about my kids cakes. What do y'all do? Over the top, plain and simple, still left in the pan with icing on top ( done that-but only to my husband lol)? My kids have more faith in me that I do sometimes. This past June, Em wanted a castle sitting in water and a mermaid in the water. She was turning 5. That was all she wanted. I finished it and she loved it. It was by far perfect, but she loved it. The look on her face when I finished was pure joy. Andi wanted a guitar, she's 11. It came out good for my first. Nat wanted Blue's Clues. She is still talking about her cake. That was last March, this year, she wants Dora. I let them decide everything from flavor, to trim color, how much of whatever on there. It is for them, and the more icing the better.

Well, I don't have kids yet, but I do all my nephews' cakes (I have 4 nephews). Some of their cakes are in my photos. I tend to use their cakes as an excuse to go all-out. They are also some of the only cakes I make now that I no longer work at the bakery.

my 16 year old WANTS a plain cake...

"A cake from a box, mom, with icing from the can. Just a plain, regular cake .. like my friends have. That's it. No fancy stuff. Just a cake. From a box. Chocolate."

But my grandkids? Ah, I start looking for those a year in advance! My 20 month grandson LUVS the movie the Wizard of Oz, so I'm scouting for ideas for that. My 6 year granddaughter changes her "fad" every year so I've gone thru Dora, Hanna Montana and the Princess stage already. god knows what she wants this year!

Since they are both born in May, it's always a combo party, so I hope she's in the mood for Oz! And the birthday parties my daughter throws are always the big event of the neighborhood so the cake HAS to be over the top! (Last year, she hired a traveling zoo and the kids got to see and pet all kinds of animals while a young man taught them about the animal. They liked the little bunny, but the tree frog and the snake made them a little nervous ... the skunk was a REAL nerve wracker! She got the small package ... too bad, because I wanted to see the kangaroo hop around in her living room! )

almost all of the cakes I have made are for my 3 kids, or my nieces and nephews (I've got 9 of those)...with mine I ususally have the perfect excuse to go all out or try something new. luckily my sisters usually give me some freedom to be creative with their kids' cakes as well
this past year i made my kids 2 cakes each so i could get more practice,
one for at home and one for celebrating with all the family and friends, no one minded a bit least of all the kids they are the easiest to please!

The very best cake I can do and as an elaborate party as I can throw.

mommyle, you're a crazy girl!!

My cakes are based on what the kids are "in to" lately. I don't ask them what they want anymore, 'cause they change their minds every 10 seconds! They get a SURPRISE cake. They seem to like it that way . . . so much so that they will leave me completely alone & cover their eyes while walking past the kitchen while I'm decorating.

I'm just happy if they can "identify" what or who their cake creation is . . .

My kids are all grown now so I do all the grandchildren's cakes. I've done Elmo(s), Backyardigans, Castles. ducks, Fairies. A few of them are in my pictures. They usually tell me what they want.

[quote="indydebi"]my 16 year old WANTS a plain cake...

"A cake from a box, mom, with icing from the can. Just a plain, regular cake .. like my friends have. That's it. No fancy stuff. Just a cake. From a box. Chocolate."

You think that's bad? Last year I told my husband i would make him whatever kind of cake he wanted for his birthday.......he said, "I really just like Jewel (the grocery store chain) cake the best" Seriously? a Jewel Cake? fine. He gets jewel cake.

My kids....they want cupcakes..I'm a cupcake hater. My husband..I asked what kind of cake he wanted and he said....no cake...it's too much work for you...how about a Coconut Cream Pie? Well, sure, let me whip one of those up for you, after all, my maiden name is Mrs. Smith...

Oh Sarah0418 I swear I'd have to kill my husband if he said that! LOL!

My DH is on the other extreme, there is no longer any store bought cake allowed in our house. They are all made at home by me forever and ever..... It's a good thing as I really need the practice, but sometimes I just don't have enough hours in the day! LOL

I make whatever my kids want me to make. I made a jack o'lantern cake and a Wall-e cake for my 5 yr old last year and my little one will turn 3 on Saturday and she is having a Spongebob Squarepants cake. I dream of the day I can do girly type cakes, but oh no my girls don't want the dollies and the flowers. I guess I better hope my nieces start asking for girly cakes soon!!

Sometimes a sculpted cake....sometimes just a simpler cake... and a few times I've been able to cop out and just ice a plain round cake, hand them fruit or candies and let them "decorate" it themselves. I don't let them in the kitchen when I'm working so its a big deal for them.

Have four boys, so don't generally go "over the top" for anybody...usually don't have time, or a big party...but if they want a 3D cake I'll make one. If not....I'm happy. haha. For two of my "summer babies" we were so busy or out of town or something that we didn't even have time to make very much of a cake! Luckily they were babies and won't remember...and being un-sentimental boys surely they won't care to search baby photos for "fairness". LOL!

lol-my kids plan it, I make it happen My oldest daughter's bday won't be for a little while and she's already planning it all out, she wants a 'Labryinth' themed cake! I don't think I can make the Goblin King but Sarah, the worm and Ludo should be easy...and cool!!

I use my kids parties as an excuse to make something really cool. Em's castle... Collin's gumball machine and his pirate ship. This year Em wants littlest pet shop and I have something really cool in mind. They get to pick everything... theme... flavors... colors... you name it. Usually it's vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. *snore* But that's what they love so I'm okay with it.

Oh come on... a sculpted bust of David Bowie would make for a cooooool cake.

My girls design their own and show me what they're having...it's fun. I've done Spongebob, Dr. Seuss, and the most recent 3 tier piano key thing, which my DD designed entirely, right down to the color and design. My next DDs b-day is coming up, and you should see what she's got planned...all zebra stripes and wild colors. Should be fun!

I make my kids whatever they want too. My girls b-days are 6/19 and 12/19, so I have exactly 6 months to plan each cake and I use the whole 6 months. Last summer, my oldest wanted Curious George. She wanted the stand that holds three separate cakes, 6/8/10 rounds. She wanted a 10" vanilla cake w/ George drawn on top, 8" devil's food with NO icing (her most favorite), and a little 3D yellow hat strawberry cake mix cake for the smallest. It was really cute and WAY too much cake, but the client is always right, you know....

Well, I'm just getting started with all this. My daughter's 1st b-day cake is actually what got me started cake decorating! We've had my son's 7th birthday since then. He said he wanted a spiderman cake but he doesn't even watch spiderman!!! I think he just wanted it b/c he has friends who like spiderman. I looked around for ideas and ended up going in a completely different direction. I told him I would surprise him! I came up (with my husband's help) a cake that was modeled off his favorite race on Mario Kart for the Wii! He loved it! And it was so fun. My middle child's birthday is coming up soon and I'm trying to let him pick--it's between Diego and Super Why....so we'll see! Kids' cakes are so fun!

My oldest wants Strawberry cake.

I am allergic to Strawberries. (feel guilty)


My middle one wants a Dairy Queen ice cream cake (not Baskin Robbins, not Haagen Daaz).

Nearest DQ? Almost 4000 miles. (the guilt builds)


My youngest wants something with a fountain that she saw in the 1977 Wilton yearbook. (Due to my guilt with the others, she might actually get it!)

My daughters (ages 18, 20, and 22) help me design their birthday cakes. The biggest challenge, thus far, has been an ice cream cake shaped like a sandcastle. It took several ten minute work sessions to get it shaped and decorated. I used brown sugar and sanding sugar to replicate the sand and poured chocolate shells for embellishments.

Once my kids discovered cherry cheese cake...that was all they wanted...nothing with cake...nothing with frosting...nothing with a theme! They still want cheese cake but the grands chose brownies! So I have spent YEARS trying to make brownies look like some kind of cake...just to confuse them! I often tell them some one didn't pick up a 'cake' so I hope you don't mind just cake this year! then when they cut into it....of course it is a brownie! One year I put a cake board on top of the brownies...frosted and decorated like a sheet cake with a cute airbrushed picture...some flowers and a border...then let them try to cut it! hehehehe of course the knife when nowhere....then they discovered the brownies under the cardboard! As they got older it became a game of sorts....how is she going to disguise it this year!

My dd is turning 5 next week andI want to make something special. she wants Dora like last year and the year before. I've shown her books and pictures for everything cute and girly i could think of. she has settled on butterflies and flowers for her party cake. for her birthday dinner with the family, she is getting a small castle cake because i want to try one.
My father birthday is next and what was his request, a cake from the grocery store. so that is what he is getting. I'll buy it plain and decorate it my self. A small compremise.

Well this year my middle got a heaping bite of disappointment when I presented him with a Wal-Mart cup cake
But I am making it up to him with a Diego cake this weekend, so I think he will pull through.
But usually they get a cake to match the party theme, in fact I am guilty of swaying their party decor choice to one that would make a cute cake.
And for my daughters 1st birthday this year (only girl after 3 boys) I'm thinking a 5-6 tier pink cake with pink just exploding out everywhere. I know thats a lot for a 1st b-day but after 6 years of trucks, dinosaurs and Transformers Im really in need of some pink!

I let my boys pick what they want.

They also pick the flavor of at least one cake but I do try to make part of it something other than chocolate since some people don't like it.