Alternatives to Traditional Birthday Cakes for Kids

Parents are always on the lookout for something new to do at their children's birthday parties. While different themes and entertainment are great options, why not consider something different than the traditional birthday cake? The traditional birthday cake is always a big hit, but there are so many other options that kids will love. Whether you're looking for another baked good or something completely different, there are birthday cake alternatives that will add the perfect touch to your child's party.

Cookie Cakes

Right next to the traditional birthday cakes, you'll find large chocolate chip cookies decorated in a birthday theme. These are such a fun option for small birthday parties. If you want something special, you can also order the cookie in advance so that it's decorated to match the theme of the party. If your child isn't a fan of chocolate chip cookies, you can also make your own cookie cake at home. All you need is a large nonstick pizza pan and a roll of cookie dough. You could do a sugar cookie decorated with butter cream frosting or something really wild like a peanut butter cookie with peanut butter and jam. You can then add some plastic decorations to make the cookie look more like a birthday cake.

Ice Cream Cakes

Another popular spin on the traditional birthday cake is the ice cream cake. These are available at almost any ice cream shop and can also be purchased in the freezer section of many grocery store bakeries. These cakes come pre-decorated, but you can you can also order custom cakes from ice cream shops. Some ice cream shops allow you to customize the flavor, candies added to the cake and the colors used for the decorations. The price of these cakes can get rather large depending on the size and ingredients. If you're having a small party though, these are still a budget-friendly option.

Chocolate Bar Cakes

Did you know you can order 10 pound chocolate bars online? What child wouldn't want a birthday cake made with one of these? All you need to do is unwrap the chocolate bar and then use frosting and candy to decorate it. You can also pipe on a couple large dollops of frosting to hold the candles in place. After the pictures are taken and the candles are blown out, you can use a heavy rolling pin to break the cake into smaller pieces for the guests to enjoy.

Pizza Cakes

If you want something completely different, create a large pizza and use toppings to decorate it like a birthday cake. You can order a rectangular pizza at your local pizzeria or you can roll out your own piece of dough and place it on a cookie sheet. You can then use pepperoni, olives, mushrooms and other toppings to spell out your child's name. If you're really creative, you can even use pepperoni slices to create flowers on the cake. If you do want something sweet, you can also prepare a fruit pizza on top of a thin crust. Bake the crust and the use sweetened cream cheese and fruit to decorate the pizza to look like a birthday cake.