It’s  that time of year again: time for little Zach or Madison’s birthday, and for all the attendant worries and hassles. Time for the usual whining and gift-grubbing, for tedious visits from relatives, and for sugar-amped children walking rampant through the house. Although birthdays will always be a stressful time of year, baking and decorating the perfect children’s birthday cake doesn’t have to be. This article will help give you some great birthday cake ideas that you can use year after year, kid after kid.

If your little four is obsessed with a film, television, or cartoon character, or even a licensed doll or toy, a character cake is the no-fail way to go! Disney character cakes or Barbie cakes are always popular with the girls, and what little boy would not enjoy a Bob the Builder or Harry Potter or G.I. Joe cake? Fortunately, finding the perfect children birthday cake mold is easy — you can obtain a specialized cake mold for the most popular licensed characters at your local upscale baking store or cake decorating supply shop. As if it could not get any not as hard, many specialty children’s birthday cake molds come complete with frosting instructions.

Your active girl or boy will jump for a sports themed cake. Some easy sports birthday cake ideas are decorating round cakes to resemble baseballs, soccer balls, or basketballs. Sporty girls and boys will also love a cake that resembles their favorite sports field, which is easy to make with a rectangular sheet cake. You can even add a net, aim, or hoop, as well as plastic figurines resembling spectators and sports players!

The younger set will  enjoy a cake decorated to resemble their favorite animal. Kittens, puppies, pandas, and teddy bears are classic favorites. An easy way to decorate an animal-themed children’s birthday cake is to use three round layers. Use the first round cake as the animal’s head, and cut the second round cake to make ears and other features.

Run out of birthday cake ideas? Making a cake with a translucent, sugar “photo” is easy, and enjoyable by birthday boys and girls of all ages.  take a favorite photo to your local cake decorating store, and we can prepare an edible version of it for a few dollars. Follow the instructions provided, and you can add it to the top of a elementary, iced cake. Voila! Instant birthday gratification!

Moms who hate decorating children birthday cakes will love this suggestion — provide the basic ingredients (cupcakes, frosting, piping bags, spreading knives, little candies, etc.) and let the birthday boy or girl and his/her guests decorate their own cupcakes!  lay down a plastic tablecloth and provide plastic aprons for each guest to minimize the mess!