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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not understand why

89 replies

ineedsomeinspiration · 19/10/2014 23:27

people can't just make their own child's birthday cake anymore. It seems to be the current trend to pay someone a stupid amount of money to make a huge elaborate cake for your child. What the hell happened to a chocolate cake with some smarties on the top or a really bad attempt at Thomas the Tank Engine.
I know someone who recently had a great big three tier affair for a second birthday fgs!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
coolaschmoola · 20/10/2014 07:27

I make DDs cakes because I like baking. If someone chooses to buy in that's up to them.

BeeRayKay · 20/10/2014 07:31

This year my sister in law made my DD a three tiered Disney princes cake. it was awesome. I'll quite hapily pay for an OTT cake. because my DD loves them and she's appreciative

GirlWithTheLionHeart · 20/10/2014 07:34

Costco cakes are amazeballs - £13 for a HUGE fresh cake with your choice of dec. I got a Christmas one last year delish!

HamishBamish · 20/10/2014 07:38

I always make my own cakes, but they are always very elaborate. I just like doing it.

LizzieMint · 20/10/2014 07:38

Given that I have a business making said cakes, YABU! Wink
I admit to being amazed myself sometimes at what people want and are willing to pay for children's birthday cakes. But if you can afford it, and you can't make one yourself, why on earth not?

MyNameIsSuz · 20/10/2014 07:38

I'm another who has never seen this, everyone I know has either made one or got a normal supermarket one.

I made a postman pat van cake for my boy's second birthday last month. It looked so rubbish even though it took me ages, but that was part of the charm I think and everyone was dead impressed! Most importantly, my boy is still talking about his pat van cake Grin It's settled, I resolve to make something ambitious yet clearly amateur every year!

BlueberryWafer · 20/10/2014 07:44

Some people don't have time to bake a birthday cake.

Truelymadlysleepy · 20/10/2014 07:45

I make my own cakes, but only because I like baking. I have no problem with supermarket cakes though for whatever reason.
I did order a fancy professional one for my DP's big birthday, it looked amazing but TBH didn't taste great. I imagine because they're sitting about being prettied they aren't that fresh.

Guitargirl · 20/10/2014 07:49

OP- why does what other people choose to do regarding their own children's birthday cake 'drive you potty'?

I can't bake, well, I can just about manage cookies. I would love to try one year to make our DCs cakes but as they are both just after Christmas and we are always away until the day before that would require organisational skills that I just don't have. I pay our local baker 20 pounds to make a lovely chocolate cake with fruit on the top. If that drives anyone 'potty' then Hmm.

londonrach · 20/10/2014 07:56

Only homemade or those cheap ones from the supermarket in my part of the world.

youarewinning · 20/10/2014 07:56

I made DS cake this year - a minecraft brick!!! Took me bleeding a hours and I ordered green square plates and brown square napkins, a grass effect table cloth from amazon.
So fairly cheap and worth every minute of the stress!

Spindarella · 20/10/2014 07:56

I've bought supermarket cakes & made my own. To tight to commission one but if money was no object then why not?

Is there anything else controversial I should consider when planning a kid's party? Should I home bake the wotsits? filter morning dew for the drinks?

londonrach · 20/10/2014 07:56

Wow eve

Original poster
ineedsomeinspiration · 20/10/2014 07:59

ElliotLovesGrub I can promise you I am most certainly not jealous. If I were I would pay the £70+ these cakes cost and get one for ds next birthday but I think my cakes are equally as lovely even with the amateur decoration.

OP posts:
Caboodle · 20/10/2014 08:05

Have bought very expensive ones; have made with the kids and have bought supermarket too over the years. Depends on how busy I am and what the kids want. Tis my money / time. Don't see how our birthday cake choices are anyone else's business.

Original poster
ineedsomeinspiration · 20/10/2014 08:05

Just to clarify it's not the shop brought ones but the elaborate wedding cake style custom made ones for a two year old that make me a bit Hmm.
I remember lots of my birthday cakes and my brothers as well. My mum was not a great baker but had a go with some lovely (interesting) results.

OP posts:
MsJupiter · 20/10/2014 08:07

My mum used to bake all the time including a cake for Sunday tea so for our birthdays it was considered a big treat to have a "shop-bought cake". I made DS's first birthday cake and am planning to make his second as it's more of a novelty - I do sometimes bake muffins etc but not on the same level.

The other 2nd birthday parties we have been to have had a mixture of home-made, shop-bought and custom-made. All lovely and none competitive, just different choices.

Idefix · 20/10/2014 08:13

YANBU ! I think it is part of this whole obsessive keeping up with jones thing that people get sucked into :(
Reading this before cracking on with baking DS bday cake! He has requested a battenberg - wish me luck!
In the past he has had dinosaur, ice train, tractor, malteser cake.
I always try to make it taste as good as it looks, as we really like cake. Have sometimes found that some of the super duper made to order cakes don't always meet our high standards in the taste department but do look great on the outside...

tiggytape · 20/10/2014 08:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 20/10/2014 08:15

I don't think the OP is talking about supermarket cakes bought by non bakers or those with no time, but about the very expensive, elaborate, custom made ones.

Each to their own, but I imagine if every party you / your child attends features a professional, talking point, very expensive cake, them it takes a degree of courage to present a home made tray bake covered in smarties :o

I have fb friends who do the very expensive bought cakes, but I must say I am pleased that none of my kids' day to day friends have had anything like that! My kids say what they want, but it tends to be flavour they go for (DD picked a lemon layer cake) since the age of 6 or 7... For the youngest I do a tray bake made to look themed by decorating it with small toys (which of course they keep). They have also all been delighted - I'm glad they don't have expectations of an extravaganza in construction cake and sugar paste (the very impressive looking cakes I've tasted have always been pretty bland to eat anyway).

Now if we could buy M&S birthday cakes here I might do that, but supermarkets where I live don't sell party cakes...

Booboostoo · 20/10/2014 08:18

I have had a go at making DD's cakes since having children because I thought it would be good fun. We were all pleasantly surprised with last year's effort for her 3rd birthday.

To not understand why
Caboodle · 20/10/2014 14:53

I have had the very expensive (Slattery's) ones for my DCs before...the following year DC1 wanted to make one covered in chocolate and Haribo...I definitely was not embarrassed (nor was I smug when I paid a small fortune); each have their merits.
If people want to be competitive let them...a road leading nowhere if you ask me.

Hollycopter · 20/10/2014 15:02

I'm torn between finding the custom made ones with tiny models of the children either slightly creepy or cute.

What do people do with them anyway? Surely you don't eat the tiny icing replicas of your children? If you saved them, you'd end up throwing them into a drawer and beheading them, which isn't much better.

Bunbaker · 20/10/2014 18:23

"I don't think the OP is talking about supermarket cakes bought by non bakers or those with no time, but about the very expensive, elaborate, custom made ones."

That doesn't happen round here. It was always a supermarket Barbie or Scooby Doo cake at all parties DD went to at primary school.

cherrybombxo · 20/10/2014 18:25

My mum paid through the nose for my 21st birthday cake as a "surprise" and it was bloody horrible. The cake was meant to be red velvet but it was dry and the actual decoration looked like she had done it with her feet.

I bake and decorate cakes in my spare time and I was so embarrassed, I wish she'd just asked me to do it.

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