Page 3 | Birthday cake for two year old

imnotgoinghomeyet · 2026-05-26T06:43:40+00:00

I’m the family baker, I love it and love making cakes so it’s not a problem. I’ve been asked to make a birthday cake for the baby of the family for this weekend. It’s meant to be a nice day and we’re having a BBQ. The problem is I just don’t know what to do? There will be more adults than children there who want the cake, so I’d like to try and balance it between a children’s cake and one adults can enjoy too. She has asked for chocolate cake along with her sibling (well, I asked her if she wanted chocolate or vanilla and it sounded like she said chocolate 😂) but some of the adults going don’t like chocolate. What do I make?! AIBU to want the adults to enjoy it too and I should just make it a kid’s cake?!

myavocadoisgrowing · 26/05/2026 09:34

Bake one tin of chocolate and one of vanilla, cut them both in half and place on top of each other, push together, so you have half and half. Put buttercream on the top, job done!

Velumental · 26/05/2026 09:27

Make a number 2, make the curve with vanilla and the tail with chocolate and do both with pink buttercream icing or something? My friend did this with a 1 cake. Main length in proper cake, bottom bit in sugar free baby cake. Worked really well.

cooliebrown · 26/05/2026 09:03

for both my grandchildren's 2nd birthdays I have made a nice sponge with a layer of jam in it, suitable for adults to enjoy. Then I've bought an edible icing topper with their current favourite thing on - for the first GC it was Iggle Piggle from the Midnight Garden and for the second it was a Rainbow Unicorn (you can source these edible topper on-line; you can even upload a picture yourself).

Sorry - child has asked for chocolate cake. Just do as above with a chocolate sponge. If they have asked for chocolate cake they really should get a chocolate cake. Where I come from the 2 year-olds birthday cake isn't much to do with the eating, it is much more to do with the happy child.

drspouse · 26/05/2026 08:59

My chocolate cake recipe is clearly too controversial! Anyway it's fine with vanilla buttercream.

drspouse · 26/05/2026 08:59

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Blueuggboots · 26/05/2026 08:53

Do half and half? One half chocolate and one half vanilla?

zacsGranny · 26/05/2026 08:51

Chocolate Hedgehog cake - baked in a large pudding basin. Chocolate butter icing and covered in flakes. Eyes and nose are cherries and sultanas.

ToKittyornottoKitty · 26/05/2026 08:51

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:55

Whether I should do a chocolate cake or not. It’s so, blah. They’re horrible to bake, usually end up dry and crumbly and so boring to decorate because the icing needs to be chocolate too

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You asked the birthday kid what they want and they said chocolate, so it has to be chocolate! The idea of a second lemon cake sounds ideal to me though then you can enjoy that bake. Kid won’t care if the chocolate cake is your best or not, they’ll just love anything chocolatey

Original poster

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 08:32

CaptainCalm · 26/05/2026 08:25

If the birthday girl wants chocolate cake that’s what she should have, even if she’s only two . Doesn’t matter wha the other guests might like.

An elevated chocolate cake is a good idea, the Nigella one sounds delicious.

Realistically I know this but it’s just so horrible 🥲

OP posts:

Greentomatoes24 · 26/05/2026 08:26

Could you perhaps do cupcakes in a couple of different flavours and arrange them in the shape of a number 2? Something a bit like this:

https://youtube.com/shorts/V8u5fzTJrrM?si=mQRlY1qjOkvdYOCe

I think they're called "pull apart cupcakes" or something!

CaptainCalm · 26/05/2026 08:25

If the birthday girl wants chocolate cake that’s what she should have, even if she’s only two . Doesn’t matter wha the other guests might like.

An elevated chocolate cake is a good idea, the Nigella one sounds delicious.

Pernicketywishes · 26/05/2026 08:24

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:58

Oh a chocolate cake designed to look like a garden could be quite sweet, with chocolate fingers as a fence with butterflies and flowers

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Lovely OP! I wish I was making a cake now. Birthday season is over here and I’ve just booked a holiday so trying to be careful!
I hope it goes well for you and that she loves it!

Shoola · 26/05/2026 08:22

Chocolate cake always goes faster at work than any other flavour and we are all adults.

If you don't want lots of rejected slices of cake, I wouldn't do anything other than standard chocolate cake for children.

upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:13

Image under review!

upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:13

This is the one I made for my son's 18th birthday

upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:09

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 08:05

That sounds amazing. I’d just rather do something a bit more elevated than your standard boring chocolate cake

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It's really easy too - one of those gratifying recipes where the result is disproportionate to the the effort.

Original poster

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 08:05

upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:03

I make Nigella's chocolate orange cake but with strawberry jam instead of marmalade. Everyone loves it. I often put an easy chocolate glaze and chocolate dipped strawberries on the top. I added a link but it's pending approval.

That sounds amazing. I’d just rather do something a bit more elevated than your standard boring chocolate cake

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upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:03

I make Nigella's chocolate orange cake but with strawberry jam instead of marmalade. Everyone loves it. I often put an easy chocolate glaze and chocolate dipped strawberries on the top. I added a link but it's pending approval.

upsofloating · 26/05/2026 08:00

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Original poster

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:58

Pernicketywishes · 26/05/2026 07:56

Big square vanilla sponge with chocolate icing decorated with raspberries on top and chocolate fingers or similar around the outside. It’ll appeal to everyone. Pop a nice cake topper on from Amazon - personalised would be nice.

If it was me though, I’d be catering it more to the children, like if they’re into dinosaurs I’d have some dinosaur themed decor and if you’re not the decorative type you can buy these, or diggers (you’ve probably seen the digger cakes). Or anything the child is into… butterflies, unicorns - you can buy fondant toppers…

I’ve never made a child’s birthday cake and catered to the adults rather than the Birthday girl or boy…?

Oh a chocolate cake designed to look like a garden could be quite sweet, with chocolate fingers as a fence with butterflies and flowers

OP posts:

Goodmorningeveryone26 · 26/05/2026 07:58

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:55

Whether I should do a chocolate cake or not. It’s so, blah. They’re horrible to bake, usually end up dry and crumbly and so boring to decorate because the icing needs to be chocolate too

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Yes, do what’s requested but find a different recipe. There’s a nice Guinness chocolate cake that isn’t dry (the alcohol will burn off) and my aunt used to make one with oil and boiling water, not butter. Also not dry

Liznug · 26/05/2026 07:57

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Pernicketywishes · 26/05/2026 07:56

Big square vanilla sponge with chocolate icing decorated with raspberries on top and chocolate fingers or similar around the outside. It’ll appeal to everyone. Pop a nice cake topper on from Amazon - personalised would be nice.

If it was me though, I’d be catering it more to the children, like if they’re into dinosaurs I’d have some dinosaur themed decor and if you’re not the decorative type you can buy these, or diggers (you’ve probably seen the digger cakes). Or anything the child is into… butterflies, unicorns - you can buy fondant toppers…

I’ve never made a child’s birthday cake and catered to the adults rather than the Birthday girl or boy…?

Original poster

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:55

ToKittyornottoKitty · 26/05/2026 07:53

I’m not sure of the question really, you asked if they wanted chocolate or vanilla and they said chocolate so you’re making a chocolate cake, and it’s not a character cake so what are the options you need help with?

Whether I should do a chocolate cake or not. It’s so, blah. They’re horrible to bake, usually end up dry and crumbly and so boring to decorate because the icing needs to be chocolate too

OP posts:

ToKittyornottoKitty · 26/05/2026 07:54

imnotgoinghomeyet · 26/05/2026 07:53

Oh this could be a good idea!!! A chocolate cake for the kids and something else for the adults. I know they all like my lemon drizzle cake…

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Oh I see, extra cakes. I’m sure people will be happy if you do extra cakes, but I wouldn’t go to far, it’s a bbq after all so not everyone will want cake anyway