My Party File - blog

Archive for the ‘birthday cakes’ Category

Charlize’s “Spotty Party” is fast approaching, so I’ll be sharing some ideas in the coming days.  Here is an easy one to get started with.  These are mini cupcakes, simply iced with butter icing, then topped with mini m&ms.  They proved to be very popular at playgroup with Charlize’s friends  - and the parents, too!

I’m always impressed when someone makes a birthday cake themself - especially when it looks as good as this!!   My friend, Beau, and her husband created this wonderful clown cake for a circus party.   It tasted pretty amazing, too!

Want to know how to make this clown cake?  Simply download our clown cake instructions.

I just had to share this stunning cake!  It was made for a birdie party, but it would also be lovely for a rainbow party.  You can find all the details at  Heartfelt Handmade.   It’s not something you’d want to attempt if you are a novice at cake decorating, but that’s what the bakery is for, isn’t it?

This looks just like a soft serve icecream, but it is actually a cupcake. Pretty cool, hey?  This fabulous cupcake was made by Jayne Harrison, and she claims they are easy to make.

How to make icecream cone cupcakes

Use a cake batter of your choice, and pour it into flat-bottomed cones - filling no more than halfway.  Then cook according to your cake recipe or packet instructions.   You may need to keep checking the cakes with a skewer to ensure the cake batter is cooked through until you’ve worked out the perfect cooking time (afterall, it will depend on the size of the cones you use).  When the cake is cooled, trim any excess (you can see she has scooped a little of the cake out before adding the icing), then pipe vanilla buttercream on top, and then push a Cadbury flake into the icing.  No more effort than normal cupcakes!

Alternative:  For some extra scrumptiousness, use a bismarck piping nozzle to pipe some jam or chocolate spread into the middle of the cake before icing it.

Perfect for a pirate or mermaid party, this treasure chest cake is simple and fun. 

I started by making the top of the treasure chest out of milk chocolate.  I used half of a round loaf tin as the mould.  I took a sheet of alfoil and folded creases in it to line the tin - this gave the wooden effect.  Then I simply melted approximately 100g of milk chocolate to use in the mould.

For the base you simply need to start with a rectangular cake - I cheated and bought an icecream cake made from chocolate icecream.  If you are using a standard cake, simply ice with chocolate butter icing to match your lid.

Put the top of the chest on your cake by balancing on some wooden skewers.  Then use Curly Wurly chocolate bars around the sides of the bottom to create a chest effect.  Add licoroce strap to your chest for even more character.  Then the fun part - fill the chest with all kinds of lollies (including chocolate coins) as your treasure.  I simply used jelly beans, Smarties and Kool Mints.  Toast some coconut in a fry pan and add as a sand effect around your chest.

Quite easy and most impressive!

I thought I’d try out a Martha Stewart project - and I’m pretty sure I picked out the easiest!  These sponge balls are good clean fun and are a great alternative to water balloons - easy to fill, no broken pieces to pick up, they are reusable, and softer and splashier than balloons!

Fill a few large buckets of water and let the kids splat each other, and afterwards they can take home a fun party favour!   These are also good for a pool party, and make a good bath toy (a great party favour for a rubber ducky theme - keep them in the theme colours of blue and yellow).

To make sponge balls you will need:

• Sponges (4 sponges will make 3 sponge balls)
• Scissors
• Dental Floss

Step 1: Cut each sponge into six equal strips.

Step 2: Grab eight strips and stack them into two layers of four sponge strips (as shown), into any pattern you like. Place a length of dental floss under the pile.

Step 3:  Tie dental floss around the middle of the sponges and pull tightly,  drawing strips together into a pom-pom shape. Knot the dental floss and trim.  Fluff and twist the sponges to get the desired shape.

Tips:

• You can use zip/cable ties instead of the dental floss.
• These are machine washable - just let them air dry.

Here is a fabulous idea for easy, but stunning cake decorating - just the thing for busy mums who want to decorate their kids birthday cakes but aren’t too confident, or to salvage a disaster cake (please tell me I’m not alone!) .  Shayna from Texas Monkey guides us on how to create this, and other similar masterpieces.  Make sure you check out the ones with Kit Kats and M&Ms - just tie the colour of the M&Ms in with the colour scheme of your party - good way to avoid making a novelty cake!

This adorable ladybug cake was made by my talented relative, Gill.  I love the “bling” of the antennae and the large googlie eyes!  To make a 3D ladybug cake, bake two cake mixes in one large and one medium sized Pyrex bowl. After the cakes cool, trim the bottoms so that they lay flat. Cut the smaller cake to fit flush against the body of the ladybug.  Buy some fondant (I recommend buying it pre-coloured from a cake decorating supply store - it can be hard to make red and black vibrant) and roll it out following the packet directions.  Use a biscuit cutter to make the spots, and attach them by slightly dampening the backs. “Indent” the spine with the back of a knife, place the googlie eyes on (or make some out of fondant), and used pipe cleaners for the antennae.

This popular Australian cake is usually made in small squares, but this heart shaped lamington is perfect for a Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day celebration.

You will need:

• sponge or butter cake mix
• 85g packet raspberry jelly crystals
• 1 cup boiling water
• 200ml cold water
• 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup cream, lightly whipped
• ¹/2 cup raspberry jam

Bake the cake mix in a heart shaped cake tin.  Let cool.

In a bowl, combine jelly crystals with boiling water and stir until crystals dissolve. Stir in the cold water, pour mixture into a shallow dish and chill for 1 hour until jelly starts to set slightly.

Spread coconut on a tray. Dip the sides of the cake in the cold jelly mixture, then roll in coconut.  Spoon the remaining jelly onto the top of the cake and gently sprinkle some coconut on top. Cut horizontally through the cake with a sharp serrated knife.  Spread the raspberry jam on the the bottom layer, then spread a layer of whipped cream.  Then replace the top layer of cake.

This cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Alternative:  Add some sliced strawberries in the middle of the cake.

This is a cheat’s birthday cake for a Lego party.  This one is an icecream cake, but it could’ve just as well been a baked cake.  Simply ice a rectangular cake in any bright Lego colour (or have yours already iced by the icecream store like I did!).  Coat six marshmallows with coloured chocolate to match your cake icing.  Place on top of the cake like the studs on a Lego brick.  Too easy!