My cake dilemma

OP one of my DC's had a friend who's mum used to go really OTT about kids parties. We'd go and there would be huge cakes, gifts for the kids really OTT things. The kids had a good time but no one reciprocated because it just seemed too much. No one judged. To be honest, no one remembered the cake or whatever stuff they got given, just that they played with their friends. The party bag etc is useful as in indication for people to go home, but thats it.

My top tip for stuff like this is the the tray of cakes with happy birthday on. 15 seperate cakes. Then buy see through acetate bags on amazon (they come with twist ties) super fast to bag at the venue. Whole class done for £20 ish.

You’ve spent £165 on cupcakes for a child’s party?? Jeez! What you spend on a supermarket cake is irrelevant as you’ve already wasted your money.

No child is going to care about a fancy cupcake, they’ll just rip open the box and eat it - they’re not going to ooh and aah over the design or the rainbow box.

Have you never been to a birthday party before? It’s pretty standard for the cake to come out half an hour before the end of the party and the sliced up and put into the party bags ready for when the kids leave.

If you or your child are being judged for how much you spend on a cake, I suggest you reevaluate your social circles.

Out of interest, how old is your child?

There is no such thing as too much cake. Enjoy them all.

Wait for it.... take one out the box!

A whole Cuthbert from Aldi is probably less than one of your cupcakes

I wouldn't turn down three cakes haha, depends how much you like cake 😄

What about brownie bits - £4 for two tubs in most shops - then pile them up and put candles on top? Or a pile of doughnuts? They are cheap and colourful in Sainsburys or Tesco?

And to be honest I would be cancelling the cupcake order if it wasn’t too late.

A suggestion - could you buy a plain iced cake and stick smarties or something on it, for the cake to blow out candles.....

(Have I understood correctly - you're not gonna cut this up at the party).....

Then remove the decorations when you are alone, and have an afternoon with DC decorating the now plain cake and serve that same cake, looking totally different, at family celebrations.

Honestly, I wouldn't bother. Are you even allowed to light candles in this place? Some venues don't allow them.

Nobody will care what the cake looks like as long as its big enough for everyone to have a piece. Just go for a cheap cake.

I would make a simple sponge sandwich cake and cover with butter cream for blowing out candles at the party, then I'd slice it up and freeze when I got home to have as and when I wanted a bit of cake.
I'd presume it is too late to cancel the cupcakes which seem extortionate but if not I'd replace with home made fairy cakes or a bought tray bake sliced up and bagged.
Then have whatever cake you wish to buy for the family party.

If you're not a baker do you have a friend/relative who could knock up a quick sponge for you ? - it is very easy and what I always used to do for my kids parties.

Either arrange the cupcakes on a nice platter for the singing or buy a nice cake and pop it in the freezer after the party so it’s ready for the actual birthday.

You can buy really small celebration cakes from supermarkets for a few quid. That would be fine just to put some candles on.

I’m just a bit confused. We’ve never eaten cake at the party. Usually routine is sing happy birthday, blow out candles, cut up cake and wrap in napkins then put in party bags. Personalised cupcakes at £5.50 each for kids is ridiculous and they will not appreciate them at all. You’ll realise after this party to go cheap from now on 😂
But yeah just a small cheap supermarket cake for singing happy birthday at the party.

I would just ask jer to make an extra cup cake for the candle.

Cut up birthday cake in party bags is such a waste of cake. Usually ends up stuck to a paper napkin and or smashed to smithereens an not eaten.
Blowing out candles on birthday cakes is very unhygienic.
This way you won't have wasted an extra cake.
Hope she has a lovely party

Have I missed something? Could you not just make a cake for your daughter to blow out her candles on? Cakes are so cheap and easy to make and decorate and homemade ones look pretty good too. You could go with pink buttercream and stick rainbow sprinkles all over to tie in with the unicorn theme. Then you can eat it and make another one for her actual birthday 2 weeks later. Or if you don’t want to
/ can’t make a cake for some reason, I would just put a big candle in your daughters cupcake that you’ve already ordered then buy a nice gateau or cake to have on her birthday.

There’s never been a time that my kids haven’t wanted to eat the cake when we got home despite how squashed it was.
don’t even get me started on the ridiculous unhygienic comment 🙄

I've bought DS a traditional birthday cake for his party and a small £2 lemon drizzle cake (his favourite) on his actual birthday which I stuck a few decorations on, it was only big enough for a small slice for family but he was happy

You can never have too much cake

No one will think you are cheap to do a cheap traybake for the candles to go in because they WILL get the cupcakes which are obviously expensive. However given you don't need extra cake, why not just put one candle on your daughter's cupcake? Or if you want her to have the "right" number of candles, get tea lights which can be put on a tray or plate to be blown out, instead of candles which need to go in something that can be stabbed? We've done the tea lights thing several times. My little boy had a party days before the first covid rules came out, and we decided that getting him to blow his spit over food other children were going to eat was a bad idea. Then a couple of years later, I did a cake design that really didn't work with candles. I can't remember what now, but there just wasn't space for 9 candles without ruining the design, so we did it again. Now we generally just do that as it gives me a larger design area, unless I WANT fire in the picture. (Like a dragon)!

My son is have a Tesco cake for his birthday party and this will be cut up and put in the party bags for the kids to take home. I have ordered a small cake from a local baker to have with family on his actual birthday. No way was I paying for 2 cakes from the baker and to be honest I’ve only got one from her as they taste amazing compared to the shop bought (if they tasted the same he’d be having 2 shop bought cakes), my son will not care where it’s from as long as he gets to eat cake.