Image: MomJunction Design Team
Your baby’s first birthday is special and calls for a grand celebration. To help you make it a memorable one, we have some unique ideas for 1st birthday cakes. You may have a lot on your plate. From the decorations to the food, first birthdays need to be grand in every manner. It should be one of those occasions that friends and family talk about in amazement, especially your little one when they look back at the pictures capturing beautiful memories of this day. So with this post, you have one less thing to worry about—the cake. We have assembled a collection of cakes for both boys and girls, divided into different categories for you to choose from.
Key Pointers
- If you are going for a themed birthday party, make sure the cake matches the theme.
- Order the birthday cake several days before the birthday and send a reminder closer to the date.
- You can choose from a variety of themes, such as ombre, Disney-inspired, fairy tale, or rainbow cakes for your baby.
- The name and age of the baby should be clearly visible on the cake.
First Birthday Cakes For Boys
It’s very common to choose a blue-colored cake for a baby boy. But you could customize your cake according to the birthday theme or pick a design based on your child’s favorite cartoon character or superhero. Here, we have some ideas:
1. Drums birthday cake: Little boys love drums! This simple one-tier cake with a zig-zag fondant around it is simply charming. Top it up with two mega-sized lollipops or fondant sticks and you have a perfect first birthday cake for your little man. You can surround the cake with drum-shaped candles and gifts to make the whole arrangement look more interesting!
2. Blue ombre cake: Ombre cakes are cakes or ruffles that have a darker color at the bottom, which graduates to white as it moves to the top, thus resulting in a striking look. You can choose your child’s favorite color, and design the cake with those shades.
Image: jessilalalas/Instagram
3. Bowtie and mustache cake: This is a typical boys’ cake. The bottom part of the cake can be decorated like a shirt with straps and a bowtie. Place a mustache-shaped chocolate piece on the top.
Image: Instagram
4. Mickey Mouse cake: The good old Mickey Mouse is a safe bet for first birthdays. Go for this three-tiered cake with red fondant on the first tier and white on the second tier and top it with a black fondant and mouse ears over that.
Melissa, a mother and pastry artist, has some simple advice if you want to decorate your tiered cake with flowers. Sharing her experience about making a tiered fondant cake for her daughter’s first birthday, she says, ”I used small flower-shaped fondant cutters to cut out the flowers for the top tier of the cake and to embellish the other tiers. Then I simply finished each flower off with a little royal icing in the center (i).’’
Image: Shutterstock
5. Spiderman cake: Simple and easy to make! All you need is a one-tier cake with a red Spider-Man shape on the top and black icing for the mask and spider web. If you want a perfect Spiderman cake, then go for a three-tier cake with a red base and the spider web, a blue second layer with black buildings made of fondant, and a squared third layer that looks like a skyscraper. A Spiderman topper, spinning the web, completes this masterpiece.
Image: Shutterstock
6. Angry Birds cake: The most famous theme for birthday parties is the Angry Birds. You can go for a single tiered cake with chocolate background and green fondant on top, along with the birds, slingshot, and pigs.
Image: Shutterstock
But what if you have to plan a birthday party for a girl? Well, we have that covered too.
First Birthday Cakes For Girls
Cake ideas for girls are aplenty. Birthday cakes for girls can come in different shapes such as Barbie’s dress, Rapunzel and her hair, tiaras, shoes, and many more. Here are some such cake ideas for you:
7. Princess cake: It’s been a year since your princess has entered your life. This is the perfect opportunity to tell her how precious she is to you. Create the royal magic with a princess cake full of pink and purple fondant colors.
Image: IStock
8. Babydoll cake: A doll is every girl’s best friend. A doll cake is elegant, charming and cute at the same time. Layers of cake are stacked and carved into a bell to form the doll’s swaying dress. They are then frosted and covered in fondant to complete the doll’s dress. A real keepsake doll is then inserted in the center to complete the look.
Image: Shutterstock
9. Minnie mouse cake: Who doesn’t love the adorable little talking mouse? Plan a Minnie Mouse clubhouse idea theme and a cake to go with it. A red or pink cake with black Minnie Mouse silhouettes and pink bows is a great option. The cake is simple and can be made-to-order at local bakeries as well.
Image: burcinbirdane/Instagram
10. Tiara cakes: Your little girl’s head might be a tad undeveloped to hold a tiara; instead you can have an edible tiara on her cake. Edible tiaras are made with gum paste, a material that hardens upon drying, giving your tiara a realistic look. Adding metallic silver to it makes it all the more real.
Isomalt can be used to add colorful gems and diamonds to adorn the tiara. Use the tiara as a topper for a cake, complete with flourishes or drapes to make your girl’s first birthday akin to a royal gala.
Image: rufflesandpearls/Instagram
11. Castle cakes: If you have a baby girl, there is no better way to celebrate her first birthday than having a castle-themed cake. You can customize the cake as per your requirements. The castle cake is usually complete with all the little towers and minarets, flowing trellises and a princess figurine to go with it. You can have the minarets in gold to add some dazzle to the cake. All in all, a dreamy first birthday cake for your little princess or even your prince charming.
Image: artisanbakes_london/Instagram
If you are particular about what your baby eats and want them to have only healthy stuff, then read on as we give you some options in that.
Healthy First Birthday Cakes
A yummy cake doesn’t have to be loaded with sugar and butter. You can go for a healthy cake that is just as yummy as your regular ones. Here are some ideas for healthy first birthday cakes:
12. Healthy chocolate cake: No, this is not your regular chocolate cake. It’s a healthier version that has Greek yogurt, honey, strawberries, chocolate chips, and unsweetened cocoa powder. This can be the best way to introduce your one-year-old to healthy food habits.
Quick tip
Image: Instagram
13. Carrot, coconut and date cake: This recipe substitutes sugar with dates, honey, and grated coconut. You can go for a medium sized round cake; your little one will enjoy the carrot flavor and sweetness of honey and dates.
Image: Shutterstock
14. Smash cake: Smash cakes are tiny or mid-size cakes made for babies. Your baby can just smash the cake with her hand or even dig her face into it if she wishes. Only natural ingredients such as maple syrup and bananas are used in this cake, with soft frosting such as whipped cream or buttercream on the top. This makes it easy for a baby to smash it with her little fingers so that you can make some sweet memories.
Image: Shutterstock
15. Cinnamon cake: Cinnamon gives this first birthday cake that irresistible flavor. You can make it a tad healthier by adding bananas and honey to get natural sweetness. Layer it up with apples or your baby’s favorite fruit.
Image: Shutterstock
16. Egg and dairy free cake: If your baby is allergic to eggs or dairy, go for this homemade cake made with almond curd and vegetable oil. You can top it with banana slices, kiwis, and coconut flakes or any other fruit that your baby likes.
Image: IStock
17. Honey oats cake: This cake is naturally sweetened with honey and balanced with oats. It is moist and super healthy. You can top it with flavored yogurt and fresh fruits or berries.
Image: Shutterstock
The first birthday is special; so why not make it memorable with a unique cake?
Unique First Birthday Cake Ideas
Make your guests say, “Wow! We’ve never seen a cake like this!” with these unique cake ideas. Parents can customize the cake by incorporating the baby’s name or initials, adding favorite colors, or designing the cake around themes that reflect the baby’s budding interests, like favorite animals or toys.
18. Transportation cake: Your baby most likely has their favorite vehicle, car, airplane, truck or train. You can make the base in blue fondant and design the top with road, safety signs, etc. Attach mini cars around the cake.
Trivia
Image: Shutterstock
19. Nautical cake: A nautical, striped cake with pirates and a ship can gather all the kids to the cake table in no time and make them drool over it. You can have the base with a thin layer of blue and white on the top. The ship with ‘1’ on it can be the cake topper. Have your baby’s name written on the side walls of the cake along with a ship wheel fondant on it.
Fret not if you don’t have cutters to match the shapes of the different parts of the nautical cake. A mother of two and a passionate baker, Kathia shares, ”I didn’t have cutters for the sizes of the elements that I needed to incorporate in the cake, so I got some templates online, printed them out in the size I need them and hand cut them (ii).’’
Image: beedelightcakes/Instagram
20. Block cakes: This will probably be one of the best first birthday cakes your baby can have. If your baby has a soft alphabet block toy, and he/she recognizes the shape of the letters, get them an alphabet block cake. Looking at it, your baby just might squeal in delight.
Image: ccs_kettering/Instagram
21. Lego cake: Your little one will certainly have a Lego set in their collection of toys. Now you can take their fondness for the toys to the next level with a Lego cake. A one-tier cake shaped like a big Lego piece with small Lego pieces of all colors adorning the cake on the sides makes this cake a hit.
Image: Instagram
22. Barnyard cake: The barnyard theme is popular with kids. It is made of layers of cake, stacked and covered with fondant. Use multiple colors to give it an authentic look. Add some cattle, trees, and farm animals.
Image: Shutterstock
23. Bear cake: Are your children fond of their Teddy bears? If yes, they will love this cake for their birthday. Cover the layers of chocolate cake with icing resembling bear fur. Add other features of a bear face using icing and fondant. Alternatively, you can decorate a two-tier cake with edible Teddy bear figurines.
Image: Shutterstock
Need a few more creative ideas for the cake? Read on.
Creative First Birthday Cake Ideas
Unleash your creativity and let your ideas flow into the cake. And just in case you are running out of ideas, we have some right here for you:
24. Baby-in-a-bathtub Cake: Most babies love their bath time and instantly connect with a bathtub cake. Add your baby’s favorite toys as edible toppers on the bathtub cake and watch them dive right into it with glee.
Quick tip
Image: sweettreatsbyemily/Instagram
25. Carousel cakes: Another thing that reminds people of their childhood is a carousel. Colorful tents with toy horses moving around the center, sitting on the horses and feeling the wind through your hair, waving frantically to your parents – a carousel cake reminds you of that and much more. This cake is made of two cakes, one that forms the base and the other which forms the tent top. Dowels, which are used to support the top layer, are also the support for the edible horses, which adorn the carousel cake.
Image: abitesg/Instagram
26. Gravity-defying cake: Gravity-defying or topsy-turvy cakes look like they are precariously positioned and about to topple over. However, they are made in line with the principles of physics and are built in a way that they balance out each other. A fun topsy-turvy cake idea for a first birthday would be a teapot cake.
Image: Instagram
27. Winter candy cake: If you have a winter born baby, then go for a cake with Christmas tree, candy cane, and snowflakes. It’s just right for the first birthday, and you can also introduce the festive season to your baby.
Image: dariana_delightful_cakes_/Instagram
28. Number cake: Number cakes are always in demand. You can make fun and easy number cakes on your own. All you need are a few cakes, which are cut and assembled in a way to resemble the number ‘1’. Cover them with buttercream frosting, or whipped cream to conceal any imperfections and make the perfect little homemade cake for your little angel.
Image: sugarandspiceheidi/Instagram
29. Berry surprise cake: The chocolate cake is topped with fresh berries. You can have one variety of berries (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry) in each circle on top of the cake. If possible, you can cut any non-juicy fruit in the shape of ‘1’ and place it in the center.
Image: royalbakingcompany/Instagram
30. Rainbow ruffle cake: Your kid’s first birthday cake couldn’t get any cuter than this. This cake has seven layers of ruffle topped with ‘1’ fondant, making it simple, colorful, and beautiful.
Image: tcreationcakes/Instagram
31. Superhero cake: You can pick Superman, Ironman, Spiderman or Captain America. Your choices are aplenty, so go with your child’s favorite hero and decorate the cake accordingly.
Image: dhaztmomcake/Instagram
32. Family cake: Celebrate your family with this cake. It includes fondants of mom, dad, and the baby – the main members of the family. You can have a fondant couch with mum, dad, baby, and siblings sitting on the couch and the baby holding ‘1’ fondant. Have the name of the baby in the center.
Image: hikmat.lb/Instagram
33. Seasonal cake: Celebrate the season in which your baby was born. If it’s spring, you can have colorful flowers and lots of fresh fruits on your cake. Winter could mean a Christmas themed cake, white frosting cake and summer cakes could be yellow with sand and beaches.
Image: wonderlandcakes1234/Instagram
34. Football themed cake: Your little one is too small to play a sport but we are sure throwing a ball is one of their favorite games. This football cake can delight them to no end. Go for a simple cake with a field-like design in green and place a football fondant on the top to finish it.
Image: Shutterstock
35. Twinkle twinkle little star cake: Is ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ the nursery rhyme your little one enjoys listening to? Celebrate the infant’s birthday with this rhyme and a one-tier blue cake embellished with star fondants. You can top it with your baby’s picture and dowels sticking out stars or decorate it with colorful candles.
Image: Shutterstock
If your baby loves dogs, cats, rabbits or just about any animal, then you shouldn’t miss reflecting that love on their first birthday cake.
36: Fruit tower cake: Stack layers of fruits vertically to create a fruit tower. Cut slices of varied fruits such as pineapple, mango, honeydew, cantaloupe, and strawberries, and punch out the centers. Use wooden skewers to hold the layers together. You can top it with fruit pieces, yogurt, or whipped cream.
Image: Shutterstock
Animal Theme Cakes
Let the lions, doggies, cats, and giraffes come out for your baby’s first birthday party. Animal fondants will make your cake look lovely.
37. Grey elephant cake: One of the popular animals among kids is the elephant. So go for this simple one-tiered pastel green cake topped with a gray elephant.
Image: Shutterstock
38. Owl cake: An owl cake is easy to make at home. You can either go for an ‘owl-shaped’ cake or have a one-tiered cake with an ‘owl-shaped’ fondant on the top. The owl fondant need not be brown; you can pick a color of your choice.
Image: Instagram
39. Caterpillar cake: If your baby loves the classic ‘Hungry Caterpillar’ story, then we think you should have a cake shaped like a caterpillar who ate everything till it could eat no more. To make the cake more appealing, place a big apple (half-bitten) fondant in front of the caterpillar, to show its insatiable hunger.
Image: Instagram
40. Safari theme cake: This is a simple two-tier round cake with several jungle animals on the first layer and some more animals on the second tier. You can add a cake topper with the number ‘1’ on the top tier or simply have a single big slab of cake with edible animal toppers.
Image: Shutterstock
41. Reptiles cake: This can go well if you have a reptile-themed party. It’s going to be one wild birthday party. You can use bundt cakes for the reptile shape and fruit roll-ups for the tongue and Smarties or M&Ms for eyes.
Image: batterupcustomcakes/Instagram
However creative or interesting your first birthday cake might be, it is not complete without a great topping.
First Birthday Cake Toppers
Birthday cake toppers enhance the cake and make it appealing and attractive. You could pick your child’s favorite cartoon character or toy for a topper. You can go for either edible or plastic toppers. Here are some cake topper ideas for you:
Name banner: This topper reveals the name of the birthday baby, and if your cake is big enough you can have the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner too. You can also choose the word ‘one,’ as it is the first birthday.
Image: zarareez_sale/Instagram
Number topper: Fondant in the shape of number ‘1’ – you can go for ruffles or ombre for the topper.
Image: diyparties/Instagram
Princess cake topper: This topper goes well with the princess cake. A beautiful crown on top of the cake is all you need to complete the princess cake.
Image: caroljamescakedesign/Instagram
Icing happy birthday and stars cake topper: An edible cake topper, which is simple and beautiful and easy to slip into the cake.
Image: __peppermints/Instagram
Baby with a bottle/pacifier: A baby with a bottle/pacifier in her mouth sitting on a base can be an appropriate topper for the first birthday. Choose pink or blue depending on your baby’s gender.
Image: yellowpixiescakes/Instagram
Farm animal toppers: You can have a pack of all farm animals: sheep, horses, cows, pigs, and goats. Just stick them in a circle, with one in the center.
Image: trinis_gourmet_kitchen/Instagram
Gray & blue elephant topper: This edible gray and blue fondant icing topper goes well with both blue elephant or any animal themed cake.
Image: pixie.dreams16/Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What size cake should I order for a first birthday party?
The cake size depends upon the guests invited. A 12-inch cake can serve 25 people. For a party of 50 people, you may require at least three 10-inch cakes. This quantity increases with the number of guests.
2. How far in advance should I order a first birthday cake?
Every shop has its own advance booking for cakes. In most cases, the cake shop takes an order at least a week in advance, so the baker gets sufficient time to plan the cake.
3. How much should I expect to pay for a custom first birthday cake?
This depends on the cake shop, the type and size of the cake, and the time of delivery. Red Velvet cakes are more expensive than vanilla or chocolate cakes. Theme cakes require more time to make than regular cream cakes and could be the most expensive.
4. What should I write on a first birthday cake?
Your baby may not yet be able to read a message on a cake. So, it is best to write a simple ‘Happy Birthday’ along with your child’s name on it.
5. Are there any dietary restrictions or considerations I should keep in mind for a first birthday cake?
Ensure that the cake does not contain excessive amounts of sugar or food coloring, as it may not be suitable for children.
6. What is a smash cake?
A smash cake is a small cake made for a baby’s first birthday, meant for them to “smash” with their hands, face, or feet. This fun, messy experience lets little ones explore the cake’s texture, colors, and flavors at their own pace. To ensure safety, choose cakes made of safe colors and ingredients. Also, pick a convenient time for the cake smash and dress the baby in a designated outfit to make the experience enjoyable.
Your one-year-old’s first birthday is a milestone that brims with joy, happiness, and many fond memories. Therefore, choosing the right cake is paramount to making this event unforgettable. Your baby may identify colors, characters, and certain shapes. You might also want to incorporate 1st birthday cake smash ideas on this special day. So, consider these factors when looking for 1st birthday cakes and pick the best one. You may go for the classic jungle theme or the superhero cake. If you want to be distinctive, pick a family cake with pictures/photos of everyone. Ensure you choose the right flavor before finalizing the cake for your little one’s 1st birthday party.
Infographic: Interesting 1st Birthday Cake Ideas
Celebrating your baby’s first birthday is significant for parents and the family. Although the baby cannot comprehend this celebration, parents often throw a big celebration for the baby. Given in the infographic below are some amazing cake ideas you can incorporate. From simple and flavorful ideas to unique cake designs, keep this guide handy when planning a birthday party.
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Illustration: Creative 1st Birthday Cakes Ideas For Your Little One
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Personal Experience: Sources
MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. The first birthday cake
https://doughandbatter.blogspot.com/2015/10/a-sofia-first-birthday-cake.html
ii. Nautical theme 1st birthday cake
http://pinklittlecake.blogspot.com/2015/02/nautical-theme-1st-birthday-cake.html
References
- Amelia Simmons Adds a Uniquely American Flavor to Cooking; Connecticut History
https://connecticuthistory.org/amelia-simmons-adds-a-uniquely-american-flavor-to-cooking/
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