Any cake makers here?

[pigleychez]

My DD's first birthday is coming up in July and i want to make her first cake.

Im not great at baking so will need to be something easy but impressive IYKIM.

Anyone any ideas of know of websites to point me in the right direction.

Thanks

I've not tried and tested any of the website (other MN bakers on here probably will, so this will bump for you) but I've done cakes for all my DSs' birthdays so far and they're often as easy to just work out yourself rather than following a website.
Try www.jane-asher.co.uk/

Does it have to be a website? I would be more inclined to go and get a book. Lindy Smith and Debbie Brown are both good - go and borrow one from the library. Even if you then end up doing a completely different cake the techniques involved are most easily gleaned (IMHO) from books.

Agree with squiggle, Debbie Brown is fantastic for childrens cakes with great step by step instuctions.

selection of her books here

If you want to "do your own thing" then cupcakes with smarties or other sweeties always look great for a toddler, IMHO

This is shamelessly from my own (v.underused) blog - but this is great for one year olds, dead easy and good fun. It's from the Green and Black's cookbook.

and here is the recipe.

My (and dd's) favourite special cake (ie made whenever there is an excuse, birthdays, people coming, day with a 'y' in it etc), is to make a ton of brownies (Nigella's recipe is good, and makes a lot), pile them into a mountain, shake edible glitter, or icing sugar over, and have various toy animals climbing up the sides,trees and maybe a flag on top (and candles obviously).

For dd2's birthday in 2 weeks time, I'm thinking of going for a Dinosaur landscape.

hazey! It's Habbi - can you email me on myusualusername at gmail dot com?

I made this lemon sponge cake for my sister's birthday - but with a candle rather than the flowers which I couldn't find.
It was easy to make, came out beautifully, and 2 people asked for the recipe, which I think means it was a success.

www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/lemonfrostedflowerca_10941.shtml

We made a pink cake!

This is my lower fat cake..... mushed beetroot tasted delicious!

-Ready cooked beetroot (about 5?) - mushed in food processor
-8oz SR four
-6oz Sugar
-2oz fat

Wizz in food processor..... Cake comes out pink! No food colourings!!!

Strawberry frosting - Icing sugar, bit of marg/butter, warm water and squished strawberries. Mix together and spoon on...

Good luck!

POst more recipes cos I need more ideas!

I've just noticed that the original post is for 1st birthday, so chocolate sugar and fat laden brownies, might not have been the suggestion you were after - sorry

ComeOVeneer, I've just shown dd your pix. She wants to know how you started, whether you give lessons (I said you're in Surrey and we're in Devon!). She is absolutely gobsmacked.

ComeOVeneer, wow! What amazing cakes! Shall be interested to read your reply to Jux - it's something I would love to be able to do too

The Australian Womens Weekly cookbooks are very good if you want simple but effective kids cakes. They have a couple of diferent children Birthday cakes books - Waterstones usually have them, or can get them in.

They are usually iced with buttercream rather than fondant, and use sweets and biscuits as decorations, rather than fondant modelling etc - so really simple, but they do look good.

Here is one "Kids birthday cakes" - you can see a couple of examples.