You don't have to be a prize-winning baker or spend hundreds at a bakery to have a top-notch cake at your child's birthday party [1]. If you have a little bit of decorating flair and can follow boxed cake instructions, you've got all it takes! Whether you bake a bunch of cupcakes and decorate them together to form a "cake," or make a few layers of your favourite boxed recipe, frost it, and throw sprinkles alllll over it, there's an easy way to make a cake that will taste great and wow your birthday kid.
Ahead, see some of our favourite easy birthday cake ideas for kiddo parties [2], minimal baking experience required.
Pink Sprinkle Cake
Top with a personalized cake topper to give it extra flair!
Rainbow Cake
Marshmallows and M&Ms or Skittles are all you need atop this frosted round cake to make a rainbow.
Sprinkle Number Cake
Use a number candle or cut out a paper template, lay it on the frosting, then sprinkle everything else. Pull off the number, and viola!
Rice Krispies Layer Cake
Make layers of Rice Krispies treats in cake pans, stack, frost, and boom — cake.
Frosted Fruit Cake
Frost your child's favourite flavour cake and toss some fresh whipped cream and berries on top.
Animal Topper Cake
Frost a simple round cake and top it with a favourite animal, TV character, or just a funky candle.
Sprinkle Bundt Rice Krispies Cake
Make Rice Krispies treats in a bundt pan, flip it, frost it, and sprinkle.
Cookie Cake
Make a sheet of brownies or blondies, then top with frosting and sprinkles.
Lucky Charms Cake
After frosting the cake, cover completely with Lucky Charms marshmallows!
Pineapple Cake
This one looks tough, but all you need is yellow food colouring, a frosting tip, and some green construction paper. You can use black paper for the facial features or chocolate frosting squeezed out of a piping bag (or a plastic sandwich bag!).
Sprinkle Number Cake
Use fun-shape sprinkles to write out your child's age atop the frosting.
Naked Cake
Make a naked cake or simple white frosted cake, and let a fun cake topper shine.
Cake Pop Topper Cake
This chocolate cake has a bunch of cake pops as decoration, and heck, they can even be some of those delicious ones from Starbucks!
Doughnut Tower Cake
This one's so easy — just grab a dozen or two of your kiddo's favourite doughnuts, and stack masterfully.
Candy Number Cake
Using cake or cupcakes to form the number, frost, then line it with candies!
Candy Cake
Or just go totally crazy with different candies all over a round cake.
Swirl Frosting Cake
Swirl on frosting using a piping bag, then top with candies or sprinkles.
Oreo Crumble Cake
Frost a cake, then top with crushed Oreos or another type of cookie.
Doughnut Drip Cake
If you're feeling up to it, a drip can be so fun, but this cake would look amazing even with just the white frosting and doughnuts!
Rice Krispies Shape Cake
Gumball machine, rainbow, unicorn — the possibilities are endless.
Cupcake Number Cake
Using cupcakes with fun coloured frosting, form your child's age!
Flamingo Cupcake Cake
Or you can form a shape using the cupcakes!