Decorating Kids Birthday Cakes - Ask An Expert

Belinda Hutchinson, owner of renowned Edible Creations prides herself in creating and decorating kids' birthday cakes , giving them a unique style, and providing quality personal service.

Belinda works with her clients to create individual cakes and considers it a privilege to be involved in creating happy memories for kids’ birthday parties.

“When working on a client’s birthday cake I often find myself thinking about them and their upcoming birthday celebration, and work hard to create a unique birthday cake that will be the talk of the party.”

I asked Belinda for her comments on the most-asked questions we receive at Groovy Kids Parties on decorating kids birthday cakes.

MARY-LOU: Hi Belinda! Thanks for taking time out from your busy schedule to answer a few questions ....

I know this is a biggie, but what is the most popular Kids’ Novelty Birthday Cake you get asked to make? (You can answer more than one!)

BELINDA: Actually the most common children’s cakes we are asked to make are more classic styles for Christenings and first birthdays. Teddy’s are usually a big favourite.

MARY-LOU: Where do you get your cake design ideas from?

BELINDA: I find cake decorating and design ideas everywhere! There really is no end to inspiration. Just the other night whilst putting my daughter to bed I designed a three tier cake to co-ordinate with her bedspread!

I am a big fan of themes and when I am personally putting together an event I like to have things coordinate. Depending upon the occasion the theme could stem from a colour, invitation, a beautiful fabric or of course the current fad.

The internet can be a great source of inspiration. I frequently use google images and flickr to see what’s out there. Don’t just limit yourself to looking at cakes for ideas either. You may find a really dramatic colour combination for example and this can be used to create funky cupcakes.

MARY-LOU: What cake recipes are best to use for kids, for example, vanilla cake, chocolate cake (my fave), or fruitcake?

BELINDA: At Edible Creations if the cake is to be a carved 3D cake then it really needs to be a dense cake and we only offer chocolate mudcake for these types of cakes. Kids love our chocolate mudcake too which helps.

Our top selling cake flavours for children are definitely chocolate mudcake and white chocolate mudcake. A good vanilla cake would be great if making at home too.

MARY-LOU: What icing is the best to use when decorating kids birthday cakes and why? Fondant, Buttercream, Sugar Icing?

BELINDA: It really does depend upon what you are making. At Edible Creations all of our cakes are layered and covered with chocolate ganache prior to icing in a thin layer of fondant. Whilst this technique is a little more difficult to master it really does provide for the best finish and a fantastic taste (which is definitely a must!).

I personally don’t think plain old butter cream tastes very nice so if you are making a cake with this finish look for a recipe that is a little more delicious like a cream cheese frosting for example. We use white chocolate in our frosting for all of our frosted cupcakes and they taste so yummy!

MARY-LOU: What sort of cake decorating items or ingredients should I keep in my pantry?

BELINDA: In terms of items a great mixer is a must and if you are really into baking I think it is worth investing in a Kitchen Aid mixer. I could never have too many mixing bowls and it is really important to have measuring cups, spoons and jugs. Good quality baking tins are worth the investment but I’d recommend adding to these as you need. If you require an unusual shape it is probably best to hire. At Edible Creations we tend to use basic shapes then carve our cakes to the shapes we need as this gives more control over the finish.

For decorating purposes: a rolling pin, a range of food colourings – I prefer to work with pastes, perhaps some basic cutters for making simple flowers or stars (again just add to these as you need them). If you are working with frosting a small spatula for applying the frosting is a must. A basic piping bag and set of piping tips – you can even pick up these at most $2 shops.

In regards to ingredients it really depends upon your favourite recipes but I always keep the following on hand for my personal baking: free range eggs, unsalted butter, Vanilla Essence (not imitation), plain flour, self raising flour, baking powder, baking soda, castor sugar, brown sugar, icing sugar, quality cocoa and good chocolate.

Perhaps the best tip I can offer is to store your Icing Sugar in the fridge as this stops it from going hard and lumpy. I always use Pure Icing Sugar and not icing mixture.

MARY-LOU: Okay, last – but definitely not least- can you give us your pearls of wisdom with regard to any ‘must’ or ‘must not’ tips for decorating kids birthday cakes that you can pass on?

BELINDA: Gee this is really hard. If you were working for me you’d be given some definite ‘must’ and ‘must nots’! However, I really do think it is important to have fun when making your creations and remember why you are making them. Perhaps in regard to this question I’d recommend giving careful consideration to the following two questions: will you be delivering your cake to another location? What will the weather be like?

If the cake needs to be transported you need to be sure (esp if it is a 3D novelty cake) that you’ll be able to get it there in one piece. The weather can also wreak havoc especially in the hot and humid months. If your party is at a park in the middle of January you may want to reconsider a frosted 3D cake for example.

MARY-LOU: Thanks Belinda!

If you live in Sydney and want a fantastic cake, Belinda can be contacted via her website at Edible Creations.

If you have any other Kids Birthday Cake Decorating questions, ask them on our FAQ page. There is a growing community of avid cake decorators asking and answering questions. Belinda will also be popping in from time to time with her own contributions.

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