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Original poster

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

187 replies

Pinklightning · 04/04/2026 07:54

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.

OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 05/04/2026 14:14

My sisters and I had crinoline lady cake. It was sponge baked in a pudding basin with a doll (slightly shorter than a Barbie) pushed in the top and a piece of ribbon tied around her chest. Then the cake was piped with butter icing.
She also did a no bake cake which involved making 2 battenburg cakes into a house. (One was the walls and the 2nd was cut diagonally lengthways to create the roof), with dolly mixture tiles and licorice alsort windows.

This was in the 70s.

getthewetdogoffthesofa · 05/04/2026 14:15

I had a cake every year but mum wasn’t a baker so it came from the bakery. But I still agree with you, OP, about the over sugary, chemically taste of the Colin type cakes. Hate them.

laurajayneinkent · 05/04/2026 14:21

My mum made our (often themed) birthday cakes when we were kids. And I've always made themed birthday cakes for my kids. I don't bake or cake-decorate the rest of the year! 🤣

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Baking Events & celebrations General food
GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 05/04/2026 15:28

Always had one, always homemade. My folks were nearly always skint but my DM was a very good cook.
I’m talking way back though - I don’t think supermarket bday cakes were even a thing. I still make bday cakes - they’re always nicer than shop ones.

henlake7 · 05/04/2026 16:01

Yup, birthday cake every year. Always homemade unless I specified a bought one I wanted.
TBH my mum is in her 80s now and its rare that I phone her up and she isnt in the middle of baking some sort of cake or pie!😆

abbynabby23 · 06/04/2026 09:21

Pinklightning · 04/04/2026 07:54

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.

I always had a homemade cake as a kid other one year that my mum bought one from a bakery. For my kids, I always bake just because I love baking tbh.

MsJJones · 06/04/2026 09:28

My mum used to make cakes all the time, at least one pretty much every Sunday, so for birthdays we were allowed a Bought Cake as a treat. Everything else at the birthday tea (scones, biscuits, fairy cakes etc) would be homemade and plentiful. We are all very large, apart my mum, who did not eat any of the cakes.

I rarely bake, so for their birthdays my children get a Made Cake to a theme of their choosing.

TurboGirl2 · 06/04/2026 09:29

My mum always hand made my cakes and still does sometimes, had all sorts from a fish tank to a hamster.

Daftypants · 06/04/2026 10:43

As a child I had a cake each year ( that I can remember 😆) mostly shop bought.
Back then I don’t remember supermarkets having the good selection they have now , so mine was from a bakery , usually a small local independent bakery with icing and sometimes granny or my mum had allowed enough time and ordered in advance so some years it had my name on
Either my mum or my maternal granny bought them and we had some sort of birthday tea .
Once or twice I had a little birthday party for classmates in our house when I was maybe age 5 and then again when I was 7 .
As an adult no , I don’t have a cake each year .

NotMeNorI · 07/04/2026 15:21

I'm mid-30s and had a cake and a party every year until I was an adult. The cakes were a mix - lots of handmade ones as my family is into baking, and I rather enjoyed the traybakes Tesco used to do.

I've always made or bought my husband and siblings a cake (plus my cousin's and some friends), and now do my toddler's - though after I spent a considerable amount of time in the kitchen with her cake last year, she'll be having a rainbow cake from M&S for her first proper birthday party this year (she's requested a rainbow cake and it has proper buttercream and actually tastes nice!).

sesquipedalian · 07/04/2026 15:29

My DM always made us birthday cakes; I always made them for my DC. I have made football cakes, Pokemon cakes, a fairy castle, many cakes in the shape of numbers - whatever was wanted at the time. I’m pleased to see my DIL is a good baker and always makes cake for her DC, as does my DD. I can’t recall ever buying a birthday cake - but it wouldn’t have occurred to me as we always made cakes.

FeistyFrankie · 07/04/2026 15:34

I was raised Jehovah's Witness, so I never got to celebrate my birthday growing up.

Bunfighter · 07/04/2026 16:17

Always got a home made cake, unless for a big birthday then it was professional one. My favourite was made by my cousin who was at catering college when I was 4 and it was in the shape of a butterfly with yellow icing. As an adult I never get a cake - my birthday is near to Christmas so the extra dessert isn't needed and my husband has his birthday 4 days after mine so I usually make him a nice cake. If he got me a cake it would be an average supermarket one. Maybe this year I'll make myself a cake and he can have my leftovers!
Always bake for my kids, I like making a chocolate cake with lots of choc bars stuck on top, looks impressive but really easy to make.

HiEarthlings · 07/04/2026 16:35

Never had a cake, never had a birthday party and never wanted either. I went (or rather, was forced to go) to a few birthday parties as a child, which I hated (I was diagnosed autistic last year too, which explains my intense dislike of parties and socialising...), but I stopped attending them as soon as I was allowed to make my own decisions.

My kids always had birthday cakes, and a special birthday tea, and once they started school they had the occasional birthday party (but only if they wanted one. Neither of them were keen on parties much, so after a few years we changed it to having a special day out to a place they chose). The only big parties they ever had that they seemed to really enjoy were their 18th birthday parties.

I don't really have a favourite cake, as such. I'm not a great cake eater. I despise rich fruit cake, like Christmas cake or wedding cake 🤢 my dad used to bake a cake every Christmas which was marzipan and chocolate madeira cake, and I liked that, but general cakes? No, I can take them or leave them really....

Genuinelypla · 07/04/2026 16:38

Born in 1986. I rarely had a birthday cake (it would have been shop bought). I sometimes had a birthday pot noodle or a birthday crispy pancake 😬

I have never had a homemade cake made by my parents. Ever

🫠 my parents weren't the best

Also just realised I've never had a birthday party! I'm 40!

Sunshineandgrapefruit · 07/04/2026 18:42

Yes I did and I make my kids a cake every year and will continue to do so.

user2848502016 · 07/04/2026 22:33

I am 44, yes I did have a birthday cake every year, usually home made by my mum or grandmother. A particular favourite was a Care Bears one circa 1986

Torchout · 07/04/2026 22:37

I think this year was the first is didn't have one. Probably because I'm still recovering from serious illness. Firstly my mum made them and the when she died my MiL took over. Then once she was too ill to bake id buy a nice shop one.

Anon501178 · 07/04/2026 22:44

My mum homemade me a cake every year- always themed.It is a special memory so I make my daughter's a cake on their birthdays every year aswell.
If they are having a party we pay a brilliantly talented but very reasonable cake lady to do one in the theme of the party (too much pressure for me as i'm no professional at it, and also would find it hard to make one for the size needed to feed a whole party's worth of kids)

Chuzzle · 07/04/2026 22:46

Every year my mum would make a Victoria sandwich for a birthday cake for me and for my sibling (2 separate cakes) even though our birthdays are 3 days apart.
However, she also used to make 4 puddings on a Sunday (a crumble, rice pud, bread and butter pud and custard) which we'd eat throughout the week, and every couple of weeks a coffee and walnut cake.
My children get a birthday cake from the shop if they have a party. This is not in any way due to the fact that I may or may not be a completely inept baker.

YerMotherWasAHamster · 07/04/2026 23:15

Im 52. My dad used to bake us lovely cakes. Not sure it was every year, but often enough.
He was a fab baker.

MummyWillow1 · 11/04/2026 18:06

I’m an August Bank Holiday baby. Every August Bank Holiday where I grew up there would be an agricultural show. For the show local people could enter all sorts of crafts, baking and produce to be judged and win a rosette.

My birthday was also the end of a row of 3 birthdays for children in our very small village and we all went to school together. There were about 25-30 kids in the whole primary school.

The mums would all make the 3 of us a birthday cake, however, it would always have already had a piece removed for show judging. We then had a joint birthday party with the 3 cakes all with their pieces already sampled - I don’t remember if any of them ever won!

Im 45 now and the other two kids will be 45 and 43 now.

Charlottapannacotta · 11/04/2026 18:43

I have one photo of cake but think my mum always made one and my boys now get one from me and one made by their auntie who has LD so you get the same cake which is one she wants to make but the fixed approach and rigid sticking to recipe and perfecting baking this cake means they adore both the tradition and the taste of it and I love her for it. My cakes are always sponge and fondant badly decorated but taste good !

Littletink1 · 11/04/2026 19:32

I actually hated cakes as a kid and still not keen on them so although I had a birthday cake every year it was everyone else who ate it

MundaneTuesdane · 11/04/2026 19:42

Yes, I did! I'm now in my early 50s. My mum couldn't cook meals very well at all, but her cakes and baking were astounding. My birthday cake was always home made and up to the age of about 12, themed in decoration to whatever my obsession of the moment was, and always, always covered with marzipan as I was addicted to the stuff (still love it now).

She continued to make me birthday cakes as an adult and only stopped when her health became too poor.

I miss birthday cakes. I had a lockdown birthday and bought myself one as a treat from Sainsburys, but it wasn't the same; not had one since then. I'm not much cop at cake making, alas.