Help with birthday cake

[JangleJangleJangle]

Two upcoming birthdays and the angst over birthday cakes begins again. Can't buy them in the themes my dds would like.

Am rubbish at making them and worry that any toppers I buy may not be free from CC

I normally spend a fortune asking a professional to make them and then worry about CC

Is there a soloution? Am I missing a trick? Is there any easy cake I can make and decorate. One ideally would be a Harry Potter theme and one a My Little Pony theme

Sorry Jangle , my head is in a fog tonight. What's cc?

CC = cross contamination.

What allergens are you avoiding?

We avoid wheat and egg. I have a wonderful Cybele Pascale cake recipe that's free from the top 9 allergens that works every time. I make 2x9" layers then frost in coloured buttercream or cream cheese frosting (mine's ok with dairy, obviously) in a messy rustic way as I'm crap at all this generally. Or I make up icing sugar glaze and dribble over.

For a topping, I just print out the relevant theme pictures and tape to cocktail sticks then stick in the top or get little figures. I did a harry potter one with a rice paper topper that covered the whole cake. The people I bought it off Amazon already had an allergen/ingredients list and everything was fine.

It's never going to be like the fancy pro-made ones but she understands that she can't have royal icing or anyone else making them so she has to appreciate my effort!

I can post the recipe if you're interested.

Thanks Crow! Have been wondering what on earth cc could be, now you've said it, its bloody obviously. Doh!