Did you have a birthday cake every year as a child? How old are you now? Was it homemade or bought?

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I was reading the thread about Dermot not eating the caterpillar cake and it’s got me thinking. I don’t like chocolate roll type cakes and never have. They taste like chemicals and disappointment. However, I think I might be holding a grudge against them because I never had one as a child. I can remember 2 birthday cakes in my lifetime and I’m 49. One my mum had someone make for my birthday when I appear to have had a party at around age 4 or 5. It was a chocolate cake basket filled with Dolly mixtures. The second one was for my 21st birthday and made by the local cake shop. I think my grandparents might have paid for it.

I didn’t have parties as a child. I can remember only one where I hid from my friends at first. I was diagnosed autistic last year which explains that one. My parents struggled financially but I just don’t think we were a party family. Perhaps that’s why there was a lack of birthday cakes even though my mum baked cakes for cake sales and her cakes were always lovely.

My own children have had a homemade cake every year. Decorated in the theme of whatever they are most into at the time. Some rather ambitious like a three-tiered Disney Fairies cake for DD’s birthday. For her first birthday she had one made by the same shop that made my 21st cake and it was dry and didn’t go very far whilst costing a fortune so I vowed to always make one each year.

Did you have a birthday cake every year? Do you remember them? Were they homemade? Do you dc have a birthday cake each year?

I think I might be hungry and a bit obsessed with cake this morning! I’m making a chocolate fudge cake later for Easter and having given up chocolate for lent I’m quite looking forward to a slice tomorrow.

I don’t feel deprived by the way, because I didn’t have birthday cakes as a child. Our family just didn’t really do them. My sister had a fancy one for her 21st made by my lovely Nana who was an amazing baker. Lots of royal icing which was the only bit I’d eat because it was fruit cake. That was back in the 80s.

Have things changed now and children have more birthday parties so therefore more cakes?

So many cake questions but the final one: what was your favourite birthday cake?

Thank you for indulging my Saturday morning cake musings.

Yes my mum made our birthday cakes, she was good at baking and decorating. She often made them in the shape of the number of our age.

Yes, always homemade.

I did the same for DD.

Home made cake every year, nothing fancy but always delicious - usually chocolate sponge, filled with chocolate buttercream, covered in a layer of marzipan then chocolate coffee icing. Always gluten free because mum had(has) coeliac disease but no one ever noticed because they were so good (fat free sponges work really well gluten free, indistinguishable from normal ones). One year she made me a swiss roll instead though and I was gutted, not sure why because swiss rolls are brilliant but maybe because it meant there was less leftovers for me to eat after the party.

I mostly make homemade cakes for my children too, though I have ordered from cake makers before as well (so still homemade, just not homemade by me). One year I have even really put the effort in and made https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_cake but turns out DS doesn't like marzipan, the weirdo.

As a kid my mum baked me a cake every year. Not just a cake either these marvellous creations from fairy gardens to shoes and ball gowns. It was once a year and I think she liked the challenge and thinking how to construct it all.

@Selttanyes my mum had the Australian Woman’s Weekly book too. Think that’s where she got most of her inspiration from

I had a homemade birthday cake every year, as did my brother. My mum baked cakes virtually every week and taught me to bake very young.

My DC have had a home made cake every year - sometimes 2! And I always made my Niece and Nephew's cakes when they lived nearby. I'm not an amazing baker but I'm OK and I'm happy to put the effort in for a fun kids cake.

Not bothered about shop bought cakes and think theres no need for really extravagant tiered cakes for a kids birthday.

Always! And always home baked, a Victoria sandwich, a chocolate cake or a marble cake with butter icing on top and decorated with small sweets and the appropriate number of candles. I was nine when I took over birthday cake making duties for myself and my younger sisters (we were all born in the 1960s); I remember because for my ninth birthday I made a square cake (because it was a square number) and was disappointed that the corners were overbaked and hard.

I made most of my own children's birthday cakes, though by then supermarket birthday cakes had become commonplace and sometimes one or other child would want a particular theme that would be too fiddly to try to recreate so I'd buy one instead.

65. I only had a birthday cake if I had a party, which was about twice. We were very well off but birthday cake was a waste if it was just for me.

My DC had a cake every single year and still do if they are at home, always with candles. They are 31 and 28. We have one on DH's and my birthdays too.

Yes, I do hold a grudge and even the couole of times I did have one it was blue and white not pink and white because pink was for pretty girls.

I can remember having a party for every birthday between the age of 5,j ust after I started primary school, until I was and 11. I'm pretty sure that I had a shop bought cake. My DM was a pretty competent cook but not so great at baking. From the photos I've looked at from my parties,they definitely don't look home made! They were pretty basic really,as were a lot of things back then (1968 -1975). The one exception was the cake I had for my sixth birthday,it was a number '6' and I can remember being very impressed with it! I have 2 older brothers (5 and 8 years older than me) and they used to help organising the games. My friends thought they were great! 😂

We didnt always have birthday cakes but we always had a birthday treat. Meal out or takeaway..choice was the birthday kid. My children have parties (primary) however, my eldest 7 year old last year only invited her group of friends; which seema to be the going theme with her class.

No, I never had a cake or a birthday party. I only went to one party as a child. Cakes and parties weren’t a thing, at least where we lived. Much easier and cheaper for parents in those days.

I am 44 and had a party and a birthday cake every year as a child. We lived sometimes in the uk and sometimes overseas, and I was lucky because my birthday is in the school summer hols so I was at home on my birthday. My brother always had to have his party /
cake in February half term instead of a few weeks earlier on his actual birthday. My mother made our birthday cakes, the same as I do for my children. If I was visiting on my birthday even now, she’s make me a cake I’m sure. We aren’t a particularly close family (they are more stiff upper lip types) but I always had a party and a homemade birthday cake. I never wanted for anything really and had a very privileged upbringing, but I also never had the words “I love you” said to me ever. I tell my children that every day, as I believe that’s more important than all the other things one can provide to a child. I’m not complaining as I am very lucky, and am
friendly with my parents and sibling as an adult so I’m much better off than lots of people.

I am 52 and still blessed to get a home made cake from my mum every year. My kids prefer home made as well.

Early forties… had a homemade birthday cake every year, always a different design to match my interests, my mum spent ages baking and decorating the cakes. My DC now get homemade cakes that I put a lot of effort into!

Yes always a cake, homemade, icing and decorated with smarties or glacé cherries, with candles. I’m 59 now and this was until my 18th.

Growing up in the 60s I always had a homemade cake. Parenting was very different then, more hands off, but I cannot imagine my mother allowing shop cake over the doorstep.

A neighbour had a boy a couple of years older than me. His mum used to buy the number shaped tins and then lend them out to other mothers. So I nearly always had a number cake too.

Mid 50s, never had a birthday cake that I remember. Never bothered me.

DF was a pastry cook/confectioner (master baker), so I was very fortunate to have a birthday cake every year made and decorated by him. I think I also had a party at home some years too, but I don't remember all of them.

I didn't know Caterpillar cakes were a thing until I was 30 haha

Yes and always homemade
53

Yes a beautiful home made and decorated cake every year. Mum made me a cake most years until her death, although they were more modest when I was an adult, no more fairy castles or princesses!

48, home made cake every year. Straight out of the women’s weekly birthday cake book. Great memories.

I find it a bit odd when ppl make a blanket statement like ‘we prefer homemade’, always sounds a bit like virtue signalling……..I like both homemade and shop bought - the quality of both varies, as does the suitability for the occasion. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy some excellent home baking and some very luxurious bought cakes over the years.

I remember a surgeon friend of mine standing the ICU I worked in at 2am after a difficult emergency surgery and she was going home to ice a cake she’d baked for her daughter’s birthday and would then be back at work at 0730. I think of her everytime a poster claims her husband needs a full eight hours and couldn’t possibly get up during the night for kids because he works during the day.

Mid sixties, my mother didn't do cakes or parties, she disliked people coming to the house, it never really seemed weird until I grew up and had my own children - I now think she most likely had an undiagnosed anxiety disorder.

My first birthday cake was for my 40th. So I made sure my children have one every year .

Oh my Mum and Sister made and decorated my wedding cake. Mum did my sister's wedding cake too.

She also organised fabulous themed birthday parties. Including starting a local trend for using decorated cake boxes instead of party bags as they were dual use, the party food went in them rather than being laid out as a buffet, then afterwards birthday cake and party favours went inside to take home. They had each child's name on with illustrations.

She was so good at stuff like that. Homemade fancy dress costumes were another specialism!

She helped lots of her friends with cakes, parties and princess dresses too.

Decades later friends would recall my parties and cakes.

I was a 60’s child so bday cakes were really iced sponge cake often with my age in chocolate buttons. My mum made them. By the time my son came along, cakes were much more of a big deal artistically so. That was way way above my skills. Luckily I had a work colleague who did brilliant cakes and my son still fondly remembers the teenage hero mutant turtles cake that my friend made him that had one of the turtles climbing out of a drain. It looked amazing and his friends were really really impressed but I have to be honest, my childhood chocolate buttons cake tasted better. Nowadays we buy a cake for family bdays in the supermarket. I’m sad to say my mother’s baking skills passed me by.