Birthday party cake

[MiddleClassProblem]

Soooo DD’s party is coming up. I just want some ideas for the best way for people to do cake. It’s at an activity place so we do the activity and then are shuffled off into a side room for buffet and there will be cake which will be to take home after not eat there as I have found they don’t eat and just leave a smushed mess.

Do people go for a big cake and cut it there? Do you do it before the food?
Do you prefer doing cupcakes instead?
Do you have a stunt cake and have it already packaged up?
Is there some kind of pre sliced cake that makes it quicker to pack after blowing out the candles?

I have done different things before but can’t remember what works best. I don’t really eat cake. Personally I would prefer doughnuts…

It’s a MN sin but I used to buy a cheap supermarket cake to pre cut and add to the party bags and then take the nice ‘show’ cake home.

Candles first and then you can cut up the cake while they eat the food.

Stunt cake for the singing and blowing out candles. Usually after food.

Cupcakes in individual cupcake boxes (cheap on Amazon) to be handed out with party bags.

Just take the cake and cut it up after blowing out the candles, it’s not like it takes a long time. Stunt cake when you don’t even like cake would be silly.

Well it’s not my birthday 😂

Yeah but the stunt cake still needs eating, unless it’s not a real cake… would it be a real cake or a fake cake?

We get cup cakes and arrange shape of the number , blow candles, hand out cup cakes

we don’t put cake in party bags

Save nice cake for actual birthday

I've always put cupcakes in the party bags and took the cake home . I just find it easier.

Real cake but could be any size, also enough people in the house to eat it without me being a problem. But I probably will have earned a doughnut.

Hosting a kids party 100% earns you a donut or two! And at least if there’s 2 cakes you don’t have to
share donuts with DD.

😂

Currently cupcakes are winning

You could do a brownie stack, or a donut stack- to make it easier to portion the birthday cake.... Nothing to say it has to be a cutting cake!!
We normally send a cupcake home- but I like baking and don't find it tricky- or have done a bronut or chocolate donut in the plastic cupcake boxes...

We always did blowing out the candles about 30 mins before the end of the party to allow time for slicing and packing. Then it would be sliced and put in a cardboard cake box and into the party bag. My mum used to wrap the slice in a paper napkin when I was a kid but that was always really messy and I just found it easier to have a bit of a production line with MIL or DH popping the boxes together and me slicing and packing.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SOL-60pk-White-Slice-Boxes/dp/B0CJJV4WF2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2CAW4XV3THA9B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qV5G_wHt2Nk7SjA_DYAvqbGmTQhpVvlRFE6ouLuxFgR2cLkUpTuxMvw1HAvHYxFN-oKjM5p_NKflFfYo0gd_H2YGmlxRW0SR9u4fHzpqaexrrYSie8jYduiKVP23m5DpWSnRr-eTi57Tpzm2DEpr6zAQIjpio06ueM2dJ7B1QzWZnv78bPGVOGYOmoWUEIAcmkNbOpWgEl7AtHNqzY8RQE9ocvhEXB5g4mUeBIUvaPnXVJpqGuHfSs-pu9pq49pNksl7HWym12HTvfreJRfA--_ewrpb6Ew6VRdFwc5lK5U.XO4WPBxgCwCHB0_Ktm0j2rH9Px_T9dHJBkb1XY_j7pw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Cake+slice+boxes&qid=1761854607&s=kitchen&sprefix=cake+slice+boxes%2Ckitchen%2C122&sr=1-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

What is a bronut!?! Should I be having this instead of a doughnut?

I did twice a party where we couldn't cut a cake so we did cupcakes.

One with a candle for DD to blow out, the rest packed up at home in individual boxes and handed out when the children left.

DD had a birthday cake at home on her actual birthday.

Yeah I hate how the paper sticks to the cake and you look a lot of icing. Plus higher smush potential. Defo more into boxes but I guess we’d make the up before we go?

It’s about 25 kids at the party.

We tend to have 2 cakes, one for the party and another for the actual day when grandparents come over. Be warned, I was at a party place with my big cake ready to go and they told me I'm supposed to supply my own knife!! Which of course I didn't have. If you don't want two cakes just do cupcakes, use one for the song and blowing out candles.

Tip, if your Dc are young and know no better you can buy a simple cake or bake a plain one and just use their favourite characters stuck in plain icing on top. Suddenly it's a 'peppa pig' or 'paw patrol' cake for a fraction of what a designed cake would cost.

If you want something really quick and simple to cut up at the party after the candles have been blown out, what about one of these birthday cake tray bakes. Fairly cheap and cheerful but looks the part and easy to quickly cut into square pieces.
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsburys-chocolate-party-traybake-730g-serves-15-

Cupcakes are the most tempting. I will check about the knife. One year DH did the cutting and packing while I was entertaining the kids and it took him forever. Wrapping in foil, neatly folding, tearing a piece off the roll at a time…

I am a baker, and when it’s my DC’s birthdays, I make some extra mix and bake a tray bake to pre-slice into party bags, then bring the cake home and give to visiting family.

Cupcakes are great, but unless you’re making yourself, they end up pricey for the amount you need.

A brownie in the shape of a donut
I use a recipe by Jane Patisserie which is divine!!!