Homemade Birthday Cake Ideas

Today, I am making a homemade birthday cake and I am trying a new recipe.  For the main ingredients, I Googled and found the below link for my cake. The variation I am going to try includes - whole wheat flour and real butter not shortening.  Also, I am adding carrots to the spice version of the cake and make a nice cream cheese frosting to go atop.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cake-Mixes-from-Scratch-and-Variations/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Today's homemade birthday cake may turn out to be a flop since I am changing some things, that will be the fun part.  At least I will have the cream cheese frosting.

Since a kid would not appreciate an undecorated cake, be crafty if you are making this cake for one of them.  Consider making a square and a round cake (each 8") and cutting to the shape of Snoopy.  You will need a cake board or piece of cardboard covered with waxed paper (at least 12X18").  Frost with  marshmallow or whipped cream frosting.  Regular frosting may be hard to spread on the pieces you will cut the cakes into (ear, paw, body, collar, head and tail).  This recipe is in an old recipe book called Betty Crocker's PARTY BOOK, Golden Press  New York, 1960, it shows a picture and pattern.  I will research if I am allowed to scan it and add it to the site.  In the meantime, contact me if you want more details on the Snoopy cake.  It sounds hard but I think it is pretty easy, my mom made this cake for my birthday for several years when I was very young…it was special, I still remember them.  She thinks my birthday is a whole day earlier than what it actually is but that is a whole other webpage!

If you do not want the homemade birthday cake to be a whole project, no worries.  Think of themes and raid the toy box and plop some action figure or doll on the cake.  Make sure you wash the items first, especially if you are having company.  You do not have to know how to make a frosting rose or basket weave on your cakes, just make it special for your bithday person.

A boxed cake mix can be used and so can a jar of ready made frosting, it is your end result that matters.  If you do not have time for any of the above, hit the bakery or DQ.  If you celebrate a birthday, you have to have cake and yes, even cupcakes are cake.