My neice is turning 3 in a few months and it is my job to make her birthday cake. (as it is my job to make my nephew's brithday cake). I have no children and love my neice to pieces. She is a little priss and loves dresses and carrying her purse and her mom's old cell-phone.

Well this year, my sister and I decided to have a tea party birthday for her. I want the cake to be fantastic, because last year...let's just say it wasn't my proudest moment.

We all hate fondant, so if anyone has any ideas that dont include fondant, I would love to hear about them. I would like to make her her own little cake, but one big cake is fine with me too.

I was thinking little cakes inside an array of tea cups, for each individual. But I have no idea if I would bake the cake in the cups or put it in later. And if I do a filling, should I just stab it in the middle of the cakes and then pipe it in delicately?

http://images.lakeside.com/images/products/3/K74_MN.jpg They do make coffee cups you could bake in.

I did an offtake of a tea pot I found on this site, I just baked a butter cake in a round mixing bowl (large one if you have it), frosted the "teapot" in buttercreme icing and made flowers (different sizes, shapes and colors) out of MMF, made the top of the teapot, handle and spout out of MMF in a contasting color. The cake was green and I made the teapot top, handle and spout in a lavender color. It came out just perfect. I laid the flat side of the cake on the board and built the top and handles on the sides of the cake. The birthday girl was thrilled! Hope this helps. I wish I had taken a picture to show you, but look around on this site for some ideas and then make them your own like I did.

You could cut the cups out and make a teapot and cover with melted chocolate, ganache, of modeling chocolate.

Maybe decorate the cake like a tea party set up....fancy tablecloth, small tea cups/plates (could be chocolate molds) a pretty vase of flowers and some cookies?