Birthday cake ideas

[Gemjar]

Does anyone have any tips for making a simple but impressive looking pirate themed birthday cake for DS?

Also, I have a few ideas for food within the pirate theme, but not so much on the healthy side, so any suggestions would be most welcome

No, but I can do a fabulous teddy if you are interested.
Food for pirates should be stripy (according to DD who fancied herself a pirate girl for a couple of months).

How about a treasure chest? Then if you can get chocolate coins (or if you have any left over from Christmas) you can put them in it.

Make a rectangular cake - it won't matter if it rises a bit in the middle because you can use it for the top - cut it in 1/3 to 2/3. Cover both parts in in butter icing and ready rolled brown icing with yellow/gold icing trimmings. Put the gold coins artistically in and put the top over it.

This is a fantastic book for ideas and ways of doing things.

Don't use too much black icing (ie for pirate flags) it's pretty vile to eat!

This idea is a bit vague, but I'm sure I can help a bit more if you need - just pm me.

I did this for DS' birthday once. Basically, google it and you will find a load of pirate cake recipes some with step-by-step illustrated instructions

For the food, I remember DD making some pirates treasure balls. They were pretty vile but big cook little cook had them on their programme and I will go along with anything to get DD to eat.

I've done a chocolate covered pirate ship cake (check it out on my profile) but you can do a treasure map one or a chest as someone has suggested if you prefer a flatter simpler cake.

Go on the pink whisk website too - there are some absolutely amazing mums on there making wonderful cakes.

Simple? Impressive? Pirate themed? No question, it has to be a treasure chest - one flat rectangular chocolate cake, one with a domed top, lots of chocolate coins, candy necklaces, jelly rings, etc, etc - chocolate butter icing and yellow fondant for trimmings, away you go.

I have done a pirate ship, but it was far from simple.

(whisper) if you run out of time, the M&S chocolate pirate cake is yummy