Unique and Easy Birthday Cake Recipes

Right from the first birthday to the hundredth birthday, we bake and cut cakes. Though one wouldn't mind cutting a cake which looks the same every year, but a cake which stands out, does bring in some extra smiles. While some consider bitter or extremely tangy-tasting cakes as unique, the majority of us consider cakes which are differently shaped as unique.

You can opt for various shapes depending on things which most appeal to the birthday boy/girl. The decoration of your cake, apart from the shape, is another key factor, which makes it stand out. Fondant, icing, flowers, edible colors, and fruits are a few things which are used for decoration.

Ingredients

• Cake mix (any flavor): 1 packet
• Vanilla frosting (divided into 2 portions): 1 cup
• Green food coloring
• Thin pretzel sticks
• Candy-coated chocolate pieces
• Lollipops

Process

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Grease and flour, an 8-inch round cake pan.
• Bake the cake as per the directions given on the packet, for the basic recipe. After baking, let the cake cool completely.
• In the meanwhile, add half the vanilla frosting to a small bowl; tint it with the green food coloring, and keep it aside.

• After the cake has cooled completely, slice it into two horizontal layers.
• Next, place one layer of the cake on a serving plate, and evenly spread the other half of the vanilla frosting on it.
• Now, place the other layer of the cake on top of it, and coat it completely (the top and the sides) with the tinted vanilla frosting.

• Follow this by, carefully pressing the candy-coated chocolate pieces on the surface and sides of the cake.
• Arrange the pretzel sticks in between the candy-coated chocolate pieces, in a triangular shape.
• Lastly, place the lollipops on top of the cake, which will look like the sticks of the drum.

Your drum-shaped cake is ready to be devoured on!

This one is for the princesses, and can be made for girls of any age group.

Ingredients

• Round cakes (8 inches): 2
• White frosting cans (16 oz.): 2
• Cookie dough: 1 packet
• Flour: ⅔ cup
• Yellow decorating sugar: 4 tbsp.
• Parchment paper: 1
• Template for cookie pattern
• Candy decorations

Process

• Firstly, knead the flour into the cookie dough to make it a little firm. Then, roll the dough into a ¼-inch thick rectangle on a flat surface.
• Cut as many cookies as possible, using the template. You should have 12 cookies, so keep re-rolling the dough, until you get the desired number.

• Next, place the cookies in a parchment-lined baking dish, followed by sprinkling of yellow sugar onto them.
• Bake the cookies as per the packet instructions, until they turn brown at the edges.
• Keep them for cooling in a wire rack.

• In the meanwhile, scoop out ½ a cup of frosting in a plastic bag. Make a small cut at the tip of the bag, and start piping the cookies in various designs, like oblong hearts, circles etc.
• Add the candy decorations on top of the cookies. Now, place one of the two cakes on a serving plate, and spread a thick layer of frosting on it.

• Place the second cake on top of it. Frost the cake entirely and generously.
• After this, spoon the frosting in the upward direction up to a certain point, to make it look like a hill. Now, carefully press the cookies all over the cake.
• Pipe the frosting in between the cookies so that they hold on to the cake firmly.

Your cookie cake is ready to be crowned!

This one is sure to please the foosball freaks!

Ingredients

• Gummy bears (13 each in 2 different colors): 26
• Pirouette cookies : 4
• Black licorice sticks: 2
• White frosting (16-ounce tub): 2

• Cake (10 x 15 inches): 1
• Sour gummy worms (2 different colors)
• Black string licorice
• Button-shaped candies
• Wooden toothpicks
• Foil-wrapped chocolate ball

Process

• Spread one entire tub of frosting on the cake, and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, spread the second tub of frosting on the cake, and evenly smoothen the surface.
• Next, cut the sour gummy worms into short lengths, and use them to create 4 foosball rods for each team. Space them about 1½ inches apart on the cake.

• Carefully cut eight 1½-inch lengths from the Pirouette cookies, for the rod handles. Use toothpicks to attach the rod handles to the sides of the cake, by inserting them into the center.
• Place the gummy bears along the rods, just like you would see them on a foosball table.

• For the goalpost, lightly place a licorice stick 1½ inches in from both the ends of the cake. Slowly bend the ends, insert them into the cake, just halfway.
• For the net, use 3-inch lengths of string licorice. Insert the lower ends of the strings into the cake, about ½ inch just behind the post. Insert the opposite ends under the top of the crossbar.

• Use the button-shaped candies to outline the goal lines and the starting circle. They can also be used to decorate the borders of the cake.
• Finally, place the foil-wrapped chocolate ball between the center rods.

You can try each of these cake ideas, and bring in your own personal twist, to have the most unique birthday cake. Bon appétit!