My little brother's first bday cake was a series of small train cakes, each a different color. Plain white cake to minimize brown shmear...lots of fun colors for frosting, each car a different color. It was the best!

Reply

I had no idea what to do for my first child's birthday and ended up making a cake in a large rectangular cake pan and cutting the number one into it before frosting. We all liked it so much that it became a family tradition. Each year each child gets a cake cut in the number of their birthday.That child is 19 now and still wants his number cake each year as do my other children. Not only does it make a happy memory, it's extremely easy and when a picture is taken of your child and their cake you know exactly which birthday the pictures are from.

Reply

We have a family tradition of making a small cake for the high chair tray and of course the oh so funny "let's dig in with both hands" moment. Usually pretty plain, but with icing. There is always that magic moment when the otherwise sugar deprived toddler has that realization of pure and happy sweet bliss. The grownups get a different cake and it's varied a lot over the years. That one is all for taste and never seems to make it into pictures!!

Reply

Battenberg. Or any spongey white cake wrapped in marzipan. The theory being that the child is 1 and doesn't care and/or most of it will end up on the child's face/floor therefore, I'm picking for me - and that's my favorite!

Reply

I made a cupcake cake, and just handed my girl one entire cupcake for herself.

the cake: http://flickr.com/photos/jfroebe/3107751386/in/set-72157611175157623/

the bliss: http://flickr.com/photos/jfroebe/3106873915/in/set-72157611175157623/

Reply

Our daughter just turned one. We have avoided giving her sweets (other than fruit) up until now,. I didn't think we should start now. So I made a savory corn bread (tomato basil) and frosted it with a cream cheese & fresh mozzarella spread. I tinted some of teh spread and piped it on just like decorating a sweet cake. She loved it.

Here's a picture of the "cake":
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robsindelar/3283595892/

We had a "real" cake for the adults.

Reply

OK, that settles it. My first born will be named Lady Baltimore, boy OR girl!

Reply

My daughter Annaleise just turned 5 and I knew she would receive about a million Barbies (okay, only half a dozen). I made her a Barbie doll cake with a real Barbie in it (the cake was her dress). Of course, I used the Princess Anneliese Barbie. When I was done, it looked kind of like a pregnant Barbie but Annaleise loved it anyways.

Reply

Sorry, I see that the topic is 1st birthdays. For Annaleise I bought a chocolate cake with chocolate icing. For my son Brennen, I made the cake. I bought a pan where you pour the batter into different shaped pieces. You then put the pieces together to make a 3-car train. I decorated it with brightly coloured icing. He loved it and he was a mess but that was okay. Since then I have baked their birthday cakes. I ask what flavour they want but I try to surprise them otherwise.

Reply

My daughter turns one this September and I just found recipes on wholesomebabyfood.com. Many of them are sugar and egg free...perfect for those parents trying to keep baby on a healthy diet and not wanting that to get thrown off, although I doubt one cake is gonna do that. Anyhow, they actually seem pretty tasty so I think I'm going to try one out for my little one.

Reply