To spend £100 on a 1st birthday cake?

[FannyTheFlamingo]

DD is almost 1 and we're having a small family get together to celebrate. I've seen a couple of beautiful cakes and would like to have one made, but it costs around £100. DP says this is ridiculous and wants me to get a cheap(er), supermarket cake. I'm so excited for her 1st birthday and just wanted a special, unique cake. I know she won't remember, but she'll see the pictures one day.

For info, we can afford it, so it's not a budget issue. The small party isn't really costing us anything as it's at home with a bit of party food and some balloons. If I had the time and the skill I'd love to be able to make my own, but it would be a disaster!

FWIW, DP thinks a family party is a silly idea and I should have a get together with mums and babies from the baby groups I go to, which I've tried to explain is a silly idea because I only talk to a couple of the mums, so it would just be awkward!

This sort of thread brings out the sackcloth and ashes brigade "make your own" "give the money to the food bank" snort.

I hope they're weaving their own sack cloth and not flashing the cash by buying it...

If it's just for the photos I'd find a cheaper one. Kids won't care looking back at photos what the cake was.

It's not 'just for the photos' though, is it? It's also for the guests and the OP to eat. And why shouldn't they have nice cake to eat if the op wants and can afford it?

I think if you want to buy a cake then you should - but personally I would choose one that I knew would taste good rather than look good (well, ideally both, but taste is key to me ).
My DC both ate some of their first birthday cakes, which tbh I might have been less happy about if it was some overly sugary centrepiece with lots of food colouring in etc. (although on the other hand, it is just a one-off, so in hindsight nothing to get worked up about, but I know that's how I felt at the time)
I did make the cakes but if I was buying I would probably go for something plainer and more child-friendly without too much icing/colouring/additives etc.
Save the wow factor for when they are 3 or 4 and care what the cake looks like, and spend out on a delicious cake that everyone will enjoy eating rather than looking at.

YANBU if you can afford it why not??

If you can’t afford it then 🤷‍♀️ get a cheaper cake

It will all taste great
No one will remember the cake in 10 years time, just the day 😊

I’d do it without thinking twice and I’d DP said a whimper would tell him he spends more than that on lottery tickets in a year so to do one as the kids come first 😂😂🙄

I don’t see a problem. If you can afford it it’s entirely up to you how much you spend on your DD’s first birthday cake. We’ve spent money on our DDs’ parties though not so much on the cake I admit. But you should celebrate the way you want to.

Congratulations, hope it’s a fab day! Your DD will enjoy seeing the pics when she’s older.

Buy a supermarket one and add your own decorations made from icing. That way you can personalise it. And £100 is crazy money!

I think it depends what £100 means to you . What would the £100 go on if you didn’t buy the cake ?
That said my Ds had a shop bought cake for his first birthday , he had never ate anything other than natural sugars . He was as high as a kite 😮so good luck .
He also has had lots of cakes a couple made , mostly homemade but when he was 7 he begged for a tray bake from the supermarket 🤣

We've had a cake given to us for DD's first birthday party next week. It's a two tier rainbow cake, made by a lovely family friend. It's beautiful, it really is, I almost don't want to eat it, but I'm gonna.

That said, the co-op do some lovely celebration cakes, the chocolate one in particular is really nice.

"Buy a supermarket one and add your own decorations made from icing."

They really don't taste very nice though, especially if you are used to eating home baking. When DD used to go to lots of parties at primary school there was always a piece of Barbie/Scooby Doo/other character cake in her party bag. These cakes used to end up in the bin after one bite because they were so artificial tasting. M and S make much nicer cakes.

I think the price is ok if that's what you want to do but definitely taste a sample

Ime the "wow" fancy cakes are plain, dry and a little boring tasting but the ones that are buttercream or fancy flavours (I came across a rosewater one the other day which was amazing) are much nicer.

Obvs this won't be the photo you were specifically thinking of but when I've been to baby showers and the fancy cake doesn't get eaten it does seem like a shame. When she's older though you won't need to worry about kids being so fussy as adults!!

But yes shop bought ones are not very nice, I never eat them really UNLESS it is Colin which of course is always a welcome surprise. If you can't bake then defo a cake maker is needed. Konditor and Cook in london (+surrey i think?) are delicious.

Bonkers unless you are so super rich, £100 is nothing to you.

I’m of the opinion that beautifully decorated and delicious bespoke cakes are well worth £100. 1yo banks don’t need many toys, so sod it just go for it!

But a smaller cake. Spend the rest of the money on food for the food bank

FFS there’s always one isn’t there

Do what you like OP it's your money. People spend money on alcohol, handbags, expensive shoes......you would like a nice cake. Enjoy it.

if you can afford, have your cake and eat it!

though I agree, it's an obscene amount of money to spend on a cake. but you DC's birthday, your choice.

If I wasn't still carrying around an extra stone of baby weight, I would've spent much more on clothes! 😂

I have been given a choice of flavours for the sponge, and have chosen lemon drizzle with lemon curd and lemon buttercream - mainly because I'm not that keen on lemon so I won't eat loads of it, but I know other people like it! I may compromise a little and go for a smaller one.

If you want to get the cake then get it. Yes the1st birthday is more for the parents but nonetheless its a special occasion

Has a picture of the proposed cake been posted?

Oooh not lemon. Lemon curd and butter cream. Even the 1 year old may not eat th9at and you dont even like it.

Save your money in that case.

Send some to me please. Lemon drizzle is the best cake ever.

My DD’s was lemon curd and lemon buttercream. It went down a storm.

I've bought loads of bespoke birthday cakes over the years and they look and taste just great! I think they make a lovely centrepiece for the birthday tea table.

However, £100 sounds incredibly expensive for a sponge cake, (even though I live in the SE) so I'd advise you do a bit of research on local cake makers and use a more competitively priced one.

Well if you can afford it. Who am I yo say YABU. Although its not something I would do, even if I was millionaire.

I do laugh when people say "of course it's for us really but they will be able to look back on the photos when you are older". You really think they will give a toss that you spent all that money on a cake so you could take a photo for them?

I'm sorry but £100 for a cake is crazy. I've tasted home made cakes -'shop cakes - expensive bespoke cakes - it's all sponge at the end if the day with a bit of icing!