There’s a certain amount of anxiety associated with making a birthday cake – your creativity and cooking skills are on display for all to see! We often get asked for tips and ideas on how to create brilliant birthday cakes for all occasions so we’ve addressed 4 of the most commonly asked questions about making a great birthday cake.

• When is the best time to cook the birthday cake?
• What are some easily transportable birthday cake tips?
• What are some healthy birthday cake suggestions?
• What are some alternative desserts to a birthday cake that I can serve at the party?
• The answers…

• 1. When is the best time to cook the birthday cake?

  When to cook the cake really depends on what else you need to do for the party and how confident you feel about creating the cake. It’s best not to leave the cake as the last thing on your list of things to do – you risk running out of time and decorating a warm cake which can be a recipe for disaster! Allow yourself plenty of time to bake the cake, for it too cool completely and then time to get creative with your decorating (overestimate how long you think it will take!).
• Sometimes getting the cake done can be a big weight off your shoulders so it can be a good idea to knock it off early on your list the day before and store it somewhere cool where it won’t dry out.
• It can also be a good idea to bake your cake the day or night before, and keep the cake in the fridge or even the freezer for decorating the day of the party. We’ve had some suggestions to make the batter the night before and leave the baking till the day of the party but we don’t really recommend this (unless you know that your batter will get better with aging overnight). If you do decide to bake first and decorate the next day, ensure you wrap/cover the cake once it has cooled so it doesn’t dry out.

• 2. What are some easily transportable birthday cake tips?

  Having parties at venues other than your home is becoming more and more popular, so a cake that transports easily and keeps in good shape when kept outside is often required. If you’ve hired a venue that has a fridge or cool room area your only tricky task is transport, but in the case of parties held at parks, beaches and any other outdoor venues, it’s best to think through what type of cake will survive the elements for the duration of the party.

• Here are 5 ideas to help create a cake that will look and taste delicious after a few kilometres and

• Avoid cakes with multiple layers
• Consider a cake without icing – can you bring some icing sugar to sprinkle over the top just before serving?
• If you’re topping with fruit, keep the fruit aside somewhere cool and add to the cake just before serving
• Make cupcakes and transport them un-iced. Keep the icing chilled and separate and ice at the last minute – for kids parties, it’s a great idea to let the kids decorate their own cupcakes
• Make the cake the day before and keep in the freezer until you need to transport it

• 3. What are some healthy birthday cake suggestions?

  Want to have your cake and eat it too? Here are 2 birthday cake recipes that are a little less naughty than the norm:
• Banana Birthday Cake

  Ingredients

  125g butter
  175g Sugar
  2 eggs
  2 mashed bananas
  1 tsp. Baking soda
  2 Tbsp. milk
  1 tsp. Baking Powder
  225g Wholemeal Flour

  Method

  Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, mashed bananas, then baking soda dissolved in boiling milk. Lastly add flour and baking powder previously mixed. Bake in greased sandwich tins for 20 minutes at 180C.

• Carrot Birthday Cake

  Ingredients

  2 cups grated carrot
  1/4 cup pecan or walnuts, chopped

  1/ 4 cup canola or light olive oil

  1 cup brown sugar, lightly-packed

  2 teaspoons cinnamon

  3 eggs

  1 1/2; cups wholemeal self-raising flour

  1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

  Icing (Optional)

  2/3 cup light cream cheese
  1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla essence
  1 cup icing sugar
  1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

  Method

  Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line a 20 x 10 cm loaf pan with baking paper. Place carrots and pecans in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Beat oil until light and frothy in another bowl, then add sugar and cinnamon. Beat until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until thick. Fold in sifted flour and soda. Add flour mixture to prepared carrot mixture. Mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared loaf pan and smooth top. Bake for 1 hour or until cooked when tested. Leave to cool in tin before turning out to cool on a wire rack.

  Icing – Mix cream cheese and vanilla in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat at low speed just until smooth. Top with nuts of your choice

• 4. What are some alternative desserts to a birthday cake that I can serve at the party?

  If you’re looking for something a little different for your next party, the following 5 options make great birthday cake substitutes:

  • Banana Choc Chip Muffins
  • Pavlova
  • Fruit salad or skewers with a yummy dipping yogurt (or a chocolate fondue)
  • Chocolate Mousse
  • Lemon Soufflés