Unique Cakes for Kids

Make a unique cake at home for a fraction of the cost of a store-bought cake and still impress all the birthday guests and the guest of honor. Cakes can be simple for even a novice baker and can be customized to the interests of any birthday child. Decorate a cake with a favorite doll, a beloved movie character or that one accessory no teenager can live without. Add this to my Recipe Box.

3D Doll Cake

Make a 3D doll cake, using the birthday girl's favorite character. Prepare a cake mix and bake the mix in an 8-inch round cake pan and a 6-inch round oven-safe bowl. Allow the cakes to cool and then place the 8-inch round cake on a cake tray. Spread a layer of butter cream icing on the top and sides of the cake. This is the stand for the doll. Place the cake from the oven-safe bowl on top of the 8-inch cake and spread a layer of butter cream icing on the cake. This is the doll's dress. Make a 1-inch-wide hole in the top center of the cake, wrap the doll's legs in plastic wrap and insert the doll into the cake. Use a pastry bag and star icing tip to pipe the upper portion of the dress onto the doll. Decorate the cake with candies and icing.

Cell Phone Cake

For older children and teenagers, make a cell phone cake. Bake a prepared cake mix in a 10-inch cake pan and then allow it to cool. Insert the tip of a serrated knife into the center of the cake, place the knife on an angle and hollow out some of the center of the cake so that it looks like a serving platter. Spread a layer of icing over the entire cake. Make a batch a crisped rice and marshmallow squares and spoon the "batter" while still hot into a large rectangular baking pan. Allow the tray to cool and then cut the crisped rice and marshmallows into 2-by-4-inch rectangles. Melt colored candy melts over a double boiler and dip the top of each crisped rice rectangle into the melted candy. Use chocolate-covered candies for the cell phone buttons and place each crisped rice cell phone on the cake.

Edible Image Cake

Decorate a regular slab birthday cake with the birthday boy's favorite picture. Turn a photograph, magazine cover or small poster into an edible image or purchase a premade image of a famous television or movie character. Take the image or the device on which the image is stored to a store that makes edible images; many stores can provide the completed image the same day. Wash your hands and carefully remove the edible image from its backing. Place the image on the cake and press gently to smooth the image onto the cake.

Pizza Cake

For pizza lovers, make a cake that looks like a pizza. Prepare a vanilla cake mix and divide the batter into two 10-inch cake pans. Bake according to the mix's directions and then allow the cakes to cool. Cut any rounded top off the cakes, spread a layer of icing on top of one of the cakes and place the other cake on top. Tint some vanilla icing with brown food coloring to make a light tan color and use a pastry bag and star icing tip to apply a layer of icing over the entire cake. Put the cake in the refrigerator to cool for 30 minutes and then apply a thin layer of red icing for the "sauce." Melt white chocolate over a double boiler, drizzle the chocolate over the cake for "cheese" and put the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Use dark red icing to make "pepperoni," green icing to make "green peppers" and yellow icing to make "pineapple."