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Original poster

My cake dilemma

99 replies

cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:12

Please help my dilemma!

DD’s birthday coming up. We’ve had to have the class party 2 weeks before actual birthday due to various circumstances. Venue doesn’t allow the children to eat cake there - must be cut towards the end and put in party bags to take home.

So I’ve got personalised cupcakes for each child to take home (very costly and I was shocked at the price). We were planning to buy a really cheap cake from tescos/sainsburys etc. just for DD to blow candle out but not to be given to the kids and for us to just take home. Issue now is I feel it’s a waste of a cake as we will be buying a similar one for the actual birthday in 2 weeks too. Am I just being silly or is there another solution? I just feel 3 lots of cake (the cake to blow candles out in on the party, the cupcakes for the kids to take home plus the cake we cutting on the actual day of birthday just us the family) is too much. I can’t not have a cake in party for kids to sing happy birthday and blow candle out if can I? DH thinks it’s not a big thing but for me singing happy birthday around the cake is a big memory for a child’s birthday. This will be her first real party. Other years it’s just been us as a family. Even her first was just family so very low key.

OP posts:
Thursa · 17/11/2023 06:14

Put candles in the cupcakes? Then a wee family cake on the actual birthday.

PuttingDownRoots · 17/11/2023 06:15

Birthday candle on special cupcake.

Graspingnettles · 17/11/2023 06:16

If she blows candles out on her birthday she'll still have that memory. Mine never have candles at their party because I make a cake they've asked for that we have as a family on their actual birthday and they blow candles out then.
I sometimes feel a bit bad but I don't think they mind not at their party.

Cumbrianlife · 17/11/2023 06:16

Freeze the birthday cake after the party.

wokbun · 17/11/2023 06:16

Get her a cupcake with candles?

wokbun · 17/11/2023 06:17

Why did you go for the personalised cupcakes - you could have just bought one cake and cut it up?

Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 17/11/2023 06:17

Birthday candles on her cupcake.
it would have been much cheaper to have bought a £6 sheet cake and plastic cake takeaway boxes than personalised cupcakes! I'm sure they are beautiful but children won't appreciate that kind of detail.

Original poster
cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:17

The cupcakes are from a baker so she will already have put them in special boxes (they cupcakes are individually wrapped in a special box). I’ve only ordered the exact number we need (plus one for DD to take home) so I can’t do that. Will I look really cheap for getting like an £8 cake from Tesco? I’m so sorry to ask such a silly question - its my anxiety rather than the actual situation.

OP posts:
Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 17/11/2023 06:18

Will you look really cheap?! Where do you live that people are judging the cost of your kids' birthday cake???

RedCoffeeCup · 17/11/2023 06:19

Absolutely fine to get a cheap supermarket cake for this. No one will care!

WYorkshireRose · 17/11/2023 06:20

The cupcakes have complicated this situation unnecessarily. Why didn't you ask the baker to make a normal birthday cake which could be cut up?

That aside, I do think the supermarket cake will look a bit cheap: maybe just buy a slightly larger cupcake and stick a candle in that for your DD to blow out at the party. Then at least its consistent with the cupcake theme.

Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 17/11/2023 06:20

Exactly how much have you spent on cake so far for this birthday?
ok you don't have to answer that but I'm guessing it's a lot. Please chill out. The kids will only lick the icing off the cupcakes anyway, you know that right?

Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 17/11/2023 06:21

WYorkshireRose · 17/11/2023 06:20

The cupcakes have complicated this situation unnecessarily. Why didn't you ask the baker to make a normal birthday cake which could be cut up?

That aside, I do think the supermarket cake will look a bit cheap: maybe just buy a slightly larger cupcake and stick a candle in that for your DD to blow out at the party. Then at least its consistent with the cupcake theme.

Supermarket cakes are cheap. That's the point. What is wrong with that? Why encourage this nonsense? These are small children. They don't know or care how expensive their cake is.

lemonsandlimesx · 17/11/2023 06:21

Personalised cupcakes with fondant toppers etc are about £4 per cupcake here. Usually with a filling.

For 30 cupcakes I would charge £100.
But I realise that it's for a class party so would have offered an actual cake alternative. To serve 30 and would charge around £80-90
Failing that I offer mini cupcakes for occasions like this precisely for this reason. Which would be around £50-55

Sorry I realise that isn't helpful. I am a cake maker. And cupcakes are such a waste. They have so much sponge and icing that will go to waste (the muffin size) so I offer fairy cake sized and no fondant items on top.

Good quality cake takes time and insurances, inspections, website costs, ingredients, personalised, packaging.

Anyway- totally missed the point. But check with your cake maker if she can offer smaller portion ones? For a box of 12 muffin sized, I can usually fit in around 20 minis in there.

Zanatdy · 17/11/2023 06:22

Definitely just get a cheap cake from Tesco. No-one cares.

lemonsandlimesx · 17/11/2023 06:23

Oh and I really hate individual cupcake boxes as such a waste for the environment. Sorry. Just me. But no OP, you won't look cheap getting a supermarket cake

User90121 · 17/11/2023 06:24

I had this and bought nice doughnuts (M&S birthday yumnut) for the actual day and stacked them with a candle at the top. I’ve done this before with mini Colin caterpillars or nice shop bought cupcakes. Cake for just the three of us is a waste.

Original poster
cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:24

Thank you all! I’ve been to a similar party before for a friends child and the cake was thrown into party bag and it had all gone over the toys etc. in the party bag - it was a complete mess. I saw the cupcakes the same baker made at someone’s baby shower for us to take home they were so beautiful I just wanted an excuse to order them. I won’t again, but for her first ever party I thought it was a nice touch. So the theme is unicorns and the cupcakes are rainbow frosting with edible unicorn biscuit on the top and the box is a shimmering colour. I know the kids will be so happy taking them home

OP posts:
Bobtheamazinggingerdog · 17/11/2023 06:25

Hey, check out this product
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/297570912

£14

Original poster
cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:27

@lemonsandlimesx I’m being charged £5.50 a cupcake. I know it’s ridiculous! Where abouts are you? Send me a pm of your website/insta please x

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 17/11/2023 06:27

Stack the boxes on the tray, with your DDs on a plate on top with the candle.

Birdcatcher · 17/11/2023 06:28

The kids won’t care what the cake looks like and I wouldn’t bother about what the other parents may or may not think. It’s a child’s party, no one really cares and if any parents judge you then they’re the type of people best kept at arms length in future. Get a cheap cake for blowing out the candles and chalk it down to experience for next time.

Original poster
cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:29

@Bobtheamazinggingerdog that’s beautiful!

OP posts:
Original poster
cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:30

Thank you all. What should my budget be for the blowing cake? I was hoping around 8-10 pounds.

OP posts:
lemonsandlimesx · 17/11/2023 06:33

cakeDilema · 17/11/2023 06:24

Thank you all! I’ve been to a similar party before for a friends child and the cake was thrown into party bag and it had all gone over the toys etc. in the party bag - it was a complete mess. I saw the cupcakes the same baker made at someone’s baby shower for us to take home they were so beautiful I just wanted an excuse to order them. I won’t again, but for her first ever party I thought it was a nice touch. So the theme is unicorns and the cupcakes are rainbow frosting with edible unicorn biscuit on the top and the box is a shimmering colour. I know the kids will be so happy taking them home

These sound beautiful and I think the cost is factored into the fact that there is extra biscuit and individual boxes that are personalised with colour. Tbh these would cost about £1 each just for the box. So the £5.50 does make sense, although for 30 kids, I probably would have given a bit of a discount. But each to their own. It sounds like they will be worth it and will look fantastic!

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