Birthday Cake inspiration please

[canarygirl]

I am hosting my first kiddies party for my dd's 2nd birthday and would love to make a special birthday cake. Any ideas on making a novel shaped cake like a butterfly for example? Or I can manage a round sponge cake but am hopeless at decorating - any ideas??

When my boys were small I made simple square or round cakes covered in ready=to-roll fondant icing.

Then 'decorated' them using little characters or toys: one I remember was a street scene with Bob The Builder, Scoop, and so, plus some toy cars. They were very effective, and did not require much artistic talent from me. The toys were then washed and became extra birthday presents.

You can also easily do a Hot Air Balloon by making cutting a circular hole about 1 cm deep in the middle of a round cake. Ice the cake (basket-weave icing if you like - don't bother!). Then fill the hole with smarties and a couple of little dolls or marzipan figures. Stick four straws into the edges of the sponge 'hole' and link together to make a pyramid. Then attacha helium-filled balloon.

I hope that makes sense: it is very simple and looks spectacular.

Another easy one is a Treasure Chest:
Cook a sponge cake in a loaf tin, cut a slice off the top about 1" thick: this is the lid of the chest. Cover the chest and lid in brown butter icing, and pipe the edges thickly in yellow. Then wedge the lid open with loads of gold chocolate coins.

Why don't you make a vicky sandwich. Get some fondant icing and cover it. Then get some in another colour rolled out and cut to a circle bigger than the cake. Now put this on top of the cake like a table cloth (kinda throw it on!) Pinch round the bottom or use a cocktail stick to pretty it up (like lace effect). THEN buy a box of mini fairy cakes and put them on top et voila - A Table full of cakes!

Another butterfly cake here

For Ds's 1st birthday I made a humpty dumpty cake.

Very easy and looked impressive.

Get and easter egg cover with couloured icing to look like Humopty. Make oblong cake (Cut and stack a square one) ice with brown butter icing and lines for bricks.

Make dent on top for humpty to sit in, put on top and make some legs with icing to hang down.

Are you having a theme?

I found it easier to bake a round cake for DS's first birthday (am hopeless at baking) and decorate it rather than make a shaped cake.

The local cake icing shop were fantastic and sorted me out with ready to roll coloured icing so it was just like play-dough really, stuck on with melted jam or water.

I made it to look like a curled up cat - picture on my profile. I'm sure it would be easy to cover a cake in sky-blue and scatter butterflies and flowers over it - then all the children can get a "special" bit.

Thanks for all the inspiration - I'll have a bash tomorrow and see what happens! I'm going to try the butterfly cake - thanks for the links littlapin and gingernut I feel inspired. If this fails viticella's cat looks like a safe bet even for me!!