First Birthday Party Cake Ideas

Build a birthday cake for your baby's first birthday that reflects her personality and interests.Birthday cake of blocks assembled image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com

Purchase or bake a cake for your baby's first birthday that captures some of her favorite things. The first birthday is more for family and friends to celebrate the baby than for the baby herself, as she is too young to remember this birthday. She will, however, see pictures of her first birthday throughout her life. Make a cake that will make you both smile years from now when you share the pictures and stories with her.

The Number One

Make a cake in the shape of the number one. If you don't have a number one cake pan, create your own by making two sheet cakes. One will serve as the straight part of the one, and the other will be cut to create the bottom line and top part of number.

Decorate the cake as simply or extravagantly as you wish. Use some of your baby's favorite things to decorate the cake. For example, if she enjoys gummy candy, lady bugs or wildflowers, draw those items on the cake with frosting. Decorate the cake to look like baby blocks that spell out her name.

Tiered cakes work well for first birthday cakes if you have a lot of guests to feed or wish to showcase the smash cake. The smash cake is the smaller cake the baby gets all to himself. Stack two or three different sizes of square cakes to look like baby blocks with the baby's initials, the number one or images of things he likes. Decorate a tiered cake to look like a stack of birthday gifts. Experienced cake decorators can use multiple tiers to build a castle, sand castle, carousel or three dimensional cake that reflects the theme of the birthday party.

Cakes that correspond to the party's theme are appropriate. For example, if your baby's birthday party is centered around teddy bears, make the cake in the shape of a teddy bear or make a three dimensional teddy bear cake. If you don't have a cake pan for a particular shape, use a regular sheet cake or round cakes to build the shape you desire.

Use a round cake for the head of a teddy bear cake and cupcakes for the ears. Build the teddy bear's body, legs and arms from a rectangular cake. Cut the cake with a sharp serrated knife for a clean cut. Cooling the cake in a refrigerator can make it easier to cut and manipulate the cake by keeping it compacted.

Cupcakes may be a better option for your baby's first birthday because they are faster and easier to serve and clean up. The cupcakes can be arranged in different shapes, such as the number one or letters that spell out your baby's name. Decorate the cupcakes individually or push together on a platter and frost as one big cake.

Add toppers to the cake for fast and easy decorations. Use new, clean plastic toys such as cars or dolls that can also serve as birthday gifts for the baby. You child's favorite candy can serve as decorations and an extra treat for your guests.