Magnificent Birthday Cakes

Cup Cakes are very popular

There can be no doubt that birthday cakes have become more elaborate these days. Some birthday cakes I have seen could only be described as magnificent!

To buy or make your own?

When I was a child most mums made the birthday cake themselves. It would be covered in marzipan and then iced. Next it would be sprinkled with hundreds and thousands or lots of those little silver things that reminded me of tiny ball bearings. The top of the cake would be decorated in some way and generally it was surrounded by a fancy, colourful paper wrap. Finally the requisite number of candles would be added as the finishing touch. Most birthday cakes were fairly similar.

In those days most mums were housewives and stayed at home whilst the men went to work. They were used to baking and cooking and had more time on their hands. Now many mums have busy jobs and so time is in short supply. Fortunately the supermarkets all offer ready made cakes and there are plenty of specialist cake shops who will make a cake to order. So for busy mums buying a cake is the best option. For those who can afford the time and who have the necessary skills then the internet can provide a wealth of ideas to fire up your imagination. You can also order up all of the necessary tools and accessories online. It’s all there at the touch of a keyboard.

Types of cake

It seems to me that birthday cakes can be grouped as follows :

Simple : Round or square cake with simple decoration.
Fancy : Round or square with lavish decoration.
Themed : Non standard shape, custom design and decoration.
Cup cakes : individual cakes usually on a special stand, can be simple, fancy or themed.