Meet some of the best kids birthday cake makers in Adelaide
From life-size ET cakes to five-tiered Harry Potter creations, Adelaide’s cake makers have seen every request – and deliver astonishing results. See the best ones here.
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So your kid wants a three-dimensional Elsa from Frozen birthday cake with snowflakes cascading around her, or an under-the-sea themed cake with a red octopus, multi-coloured seaweed and two yellow striped fish swimming in the same direction, filled with blue and green buttercream.
Simple, no?
If you’re a parent or have had the pleasure of organising a kid’s birthday cake, chances are you’ve received some imaginative requests that call for a skill level beyond that of the ol’ Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book.
The answer? Outsource, outsource, outsource.
We’ve rounded up seven of the best kids birthday cake makers in Adelaide, who share insight of what’s trending, along with some of the most memorable requests and cakes they’ve made.
That aforementioned under-the-sea themed example? That was a real request (see: She Baked).
And you’ll want to know what Jennifer Lopez requested for her twins’ birthday while in Adelaide, from Millswood’s Sugar & Spice Cakes.
From giant superhero-themed cakes, to Bluey and glow-in-the-dark numbers, these talented cake makers have your next party covered – meet some of the faces behind Adelaide’s best below.
SUGAR & SPICE CAKES
Millswood – sugarandspicecakes.com.au
Birthday cakes are getting bigger and bolder, says Sugar & Spice Cakes owner Amanda Piper. “Think Bitcoin 16-year-old high-flyers sitting on a throne, or first birthday cakes that are four tiers tall, adorned with gold,” she says.
“Some three-year-olds missed out on a first and second birthday party because of Covid, so they are having big third birthdays, an age that usually calls for the ice-cream cake in the freezer section.”
How did you get into cake making?
Husband Heath and myself started Sugar & Spice Cakes when we were 19; we are high school sweethearts. He worked for another big dessert restaurant that went broke and the owners threw the orders in the bin … including all the wedding cakes that had been paid for.
Heath took the orders out of the bin and we made the cakes for the couples in our townhouse in Wayville, because we couldn’t bear the thought of these couples turning up to their wedding receptions and there being no wedding cake. At one of the weddings, there was a couple that own a large catering company and they loved the flavour and asked us to be a regular supplier for them and that is how it all started.
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
Our all-time favourite kids cake would have to be when Jennifer Lopez had her concert in Adelaide and we were asked to make a cake for her twins’ birthday. We made a three-tier cake with sugar replicas of them playing at the beach with edible sand and replicas of their Gucci clothes.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
It would be making our 3D E.T. cake – we had to deliver it and it was so fragile I had to have it on my lap. The people in peak hour traffic were doing double takes as it looked like I had the real E.T. sitting on my lap!
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
There are so many cakes we dream of creating! But our ultimate dream is to make a cake for the Queen. We have made a cake for Oprah and that was a huge bucket list tick, so now we need to work on Her Majesty.
BLOSSOM CAKES
Flagstaff Hill – blossomcakes.com.au
So we all know the cake needs to look speccy for the kid, but it’s the adults that really need it to taste good, right? If you want a cake that impresses all ages, Robyn Bastock at Blossom Cakes has you covered. The trained chef knows how to bake, and is skilful in edible artistry, creating everything from dinosaurs to rainbows, emerging Hulk fists and everyone’s favourite, Bluey. She’ll happily workshop flavours with you, but it’s hard to go past her rich, moist chocolate cake, that’ll keep the kiddies going through the afternoon.
How did you get into cake making?
I am not sure when the cake decorating thing kicked in. My mum was a very good decorator and cook. Having done an apprenticeship in cooking, I guess it was just the next step in progression.
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
I am not sure if I have a favourite. Each cake is made to order so they are all quite different.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
Children today have so many characters to choose from and they seem to have quite an opinion as to what they want. Each new cake and character is a challenge which keeps me on my toes.
SHE BAKED
Woodside – facebook.com/SheBakedAdelaide
“Some kids have exactly what they want mapped out in their head and it can be quite amusing!” says Hills baker Teresa Langmead of She Baked, which claimed top spot in The Advertiser’s SA’s best cake maker competition last year.
“I recently had a little girl who desperately wanted a unicorn popping out of the top of a rainbow swirled cake which it was also eating.
“I did a sea-themed cake which the birthday boy stated had to have a red octopus, red, purple and green seaweed and a two yellow striped fish swimming in the same direction and it had to have blue and green buttercream inside!”
In terms of what’s popular, boys are going for Paw Patrol, Bluey, superheroes and dinosaurs, while unicorns, mermaids, Frozen, rainbows and princess cakes are popular among girls, Teresa says. But of course, any child is free to have anything they desire.
How did you get into cake making?
I started my cake making journey while I was still a police officer. I used to bake for colleagues and try out new recipes on them, as well as family and friends.
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
I created a cake for a little girl suffering from mitochondrial disease who unfortunately didn’t make it to her first birthday. It sounds corny, but it really was such an honour to get to make it – though it was nerve-racking at the same time. Her mum was in tears when I delivered it, as was I.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
My most memorable cake-making story was probably my first paid cake I made! It was a unicorn cake and I had to remake the horn about five times as I wasn’t happy with it. Then, just as I’d finished it, I turned to put it in the fridge and my then two-year-old was standing right behind me and I basically fell over her and dropped the cake … so I had a very late night remaking it.
When I delivered it the next day, I stepped on to the client’s porch but misjudged the step, tripped and went for one of those awkward stumble, step and runs, but managed to just keep my footing and not fall over – with the client standing at the front door watching with a look of horror. I didn’t tell her I’d already dropped one. Kids are now banned from the kitchen completely when mama is baking and I walk very slowly.
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
I haven’t made a “cake top forward” cake (called an arch cake) yet but someone has just booked in and I get to make one soon which I’m excited about!
HOW SWEET IT IS
Adelaide – howsweetitiscakes.com.au
Families are opting for “out-of-this-world” cakes, says 3D cake specialist, Stephen McNeill of How Sweet It Is.
“The pandemic has families celebrating differently,” he says.
“If it’s a big birthday party ‘because we haven’t seen everyone in ages’ or an iso cake at home because they can’t have a party, kids are enjoying out-of-this-word cakes.
“Some children join their parents at my consultations and provide all the details of their special cake: ‘green garbage truck, yellow bin …’ It’s a delight and a real reward when they come to collect their design carved in cake.”
In terms of flavours, chocolate is a perennial winner, but red velvet comes a close second, Stephen says.
How did you get into cake making?
After attending a two-hour cake course in 2007, my passion for cake decorating and creating was found. From the first novelty cake, I was hooked on creating something different. A chef by trade, with a natural talent for ”all things art”, it felt like the perfect progression to swap the pans and knives for cake tins and spatulas.
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
My all-time favourite is a three-tier Lego cake made for my son William (I’m a huge Lego fan). Each Lego piece was moulded with icing individually, then assembled to ‘build” his cake. His reaction to my creation only added to my joy of creating it.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
It’s a hard question as I’ve created so many epic cakes, many made memorable by a child’s reaction. However, on this occasion my client had provided a budget and a theme and had no idea what the cake was going to look like. Creating and delivering my five-tier Harry Potter birthday cake with surprise elements, such as the theme song coming from an internal speaker hidden in the Hogwarts Express, and little fairy lights lighting up elements of the bottom tier, goes down as my most memorable.
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
An Optimus Prime transforming cake. I’d love to collaborate with someone who is far more tech savvy than me to create a mechanism to support cake, as it transforms from truck to standing robot.
SMALL DELIGHTS
Kensington Park – smalldelights.net.au
A cakemaker of choice for homegrown Hollywood star, Teresa Palmer, Small Delights specialises in bespoke cakes and caters for vegan and gluten-free requirements.
“Kids birthday cakes are so diverse and are such an expression of the children’s individuality,” says Small Delights owner, Anita Principe.
“It can be as simple as including an image of their favourite book, or creating a complex 3D cake in the shape of their favourite character.”
How did you get into cake making?
From my passion for baking I began making children’s birthday cakes while on maternity leave after the birth of my first child. I would make birthday cakes for friends and family and the demand increased from there, prompting me to leave a career as an accountant and commencing my business, Small Delights, in 2004.
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
Very difficult to narrow down a favourite cake, but I have made a couple of cakes which have been designed by the child themselves. It is wonderful to see the child’s face when they see their cake design come to fruition.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
Making a 14-tier wedding cake. It was so tall, I had to assemble the cake at the venue.
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
I love the look of the hand painted cakes. The cake icing becomes an artistic canvas, with the image hand painted on the fondant.
FRANGIPANI CAKES
Reynella – facebook.com/frangipanis
Frangipani is a family-owned cake business that has been operating for more than 20 years.
“We currently have our popular ‘Kids Special’ for kids’ birthday cakes, which offer a choice of flavours and buttercream designs,” says Grace, who helps run Frangipani Cakes with her mum, sister, sister-in-law and best friend.
“Some emerging trends that we’re seeing at the moment include ‘Wild Ones’ and unicorn designs.”
The shop is owned by Grace’s mum – her name is Fran but she gets called Frangipani, hence the business name. Fran answered the questions below.
How did you get into cake making?
I have been making cake since I was 15, just for family and friends at first then it became a business and lifelong obsession!
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
Any cake we get to make for the kids in our lives, our nieces and nephews, the bosses, grandbabies – especially when they design them. We have done princess castles, sand castles, reptile themed, unicorn pinata cakes, they sketch them sometimes and we get to recreate them.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
We created a seven-tiered, rainbow-piped cake – and once complete with hand modelled sugar penguins on top, our team member had to stand on a stool to complete it and it took several days to finish.
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
We would love to go back to the simplistic designs, some piped buttercream cakes. But other than that I think we have made most trends that come to cake life!
COOKIES N SWEETS
Athelstone – facebook.com/Cookies-N-Sweets
Recent popular themes include Cocomelon, Frozen, PlayStation, Bluey and Jurassic World, on top of the common favourites – superheroes and dinosaurs – says owner Jenny Petrakis.
“With that I do matching cookies,” she says. “I tackle most designs and enjoy the happiness it brings to the children.”
What’s your all-time favourite kids birthday cake created?
Tricky one to answer, but I do have a soft spot for Disney-themed character cakes.
What’s your most memorable cake-making story?
When I delivered a cake and the little girl became so overwhelmed with excitement that it became an emotional and memorable moment for me.
Is there a cake you’d like to create but haven’t yet?
Alice in Wonderland: The Mad Hatter’s tea party and the Cheshire cat.
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