Birthday Cakes for Kids

By Annie Rigg

At last, here's a beautiful book full of fuss-free and imaginative cakes to make for children of all ages. Annie Rigg shows you how to make various cake mixes in different quantities, as well as frostings and decorations for fabulous but effortless cakes. She then takes you through some Simple cakes such as Princess Cupcakes, a Meringue Mountain, and a just Fantastic Chocolate Cake to end all chocolate cakes! Chapters on Animals, Transport, Fantasy, and Wildlife offer all sorts of cake ideas for novice and confident bakers alike. From a Fluffy Sheep covered in marshmallows to a Pirate's Treasure Chest, and a Ladybird to a Hot Air Balloon, there's something here for every occasion, whether you're short of time or you are prepared to spend the afternoon in the kitchen baking, frosting, and decorating. Both girls and boys will be thrilled with the imaginative creations in this book, and making your own cake means that you aren't feeding young children a shopbought variety full of artificial flavours and preservatives. Annie Rigg is an experienced freelance food stylist and writer. She has worked on numerous books and best-selling magazines, such as Sainsbury's Magazine, Olive, Delicious, Country Living and Good Food Magazine. She has worked with a number of top chefs, and used to cook for world-famous singers and bands on tour, including Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small
• Release date: Feb 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781849753159

Annie Rigg

Annie Rigg is an author and food stylist who has written numerous books including Eat More Veg, Pies & Tarts and Summer Berries & Autumn Fruits. Her writing has appeared in leading food & lifestyle magazines including Waitrose Kitchen, Good Food and Red. A Leiths-trained chef, she has worked in a number of kitchens and has travelled the world catering for rock-and-roll royalty.

Book preview

Birthday Cakes

for Kids

Birthday Cakes

for Kids

Annie Rigg

photography by Sandra Lane

LONDON  NEW YORK

To my godchildren, Alec, Izzie, Albie and Tom Tom

Senior designer Megan

Smith Senior editor Céline Hughes

Production manager

Patricia Harrington

Art director Leslie Harrington

Publishing director Alison Starling

Prop stylist Liz Belton

Indexer Hilary Bird

Diagrams Ray Betts

Originally published in 2009.

This revised edition published in 2012

by Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

519 Broadway, 5th Floor

New York, NY 10012

www.rylandpeters.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Text © Annie Rigg 2009, 2012

Design and photographs

© Ryland Peters & Small 2009, 2012

eISBN: 978-1-84975-315-9

ISBN: 978-1-84975-220-6

Printed and bound in China

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

This book was previously cataloged as follows:

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rigg, Annie.

Birthday cakes for kids / Annie Rigg ; photography by Sandra Lane.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-84597-833-4

1. Cake decorating. 2. Birthday cakes. I. Title.

TX771.2.R54 2009

641.8’6539--dc22

2008047466

• All spoon measurements are level, unless otherwise specified.

• Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperature. Recipes in this book were tested using a regular oven. If using a fan-assisted oven, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for adjusting temperatures.

• All eggs are medium, unless otherwise specified. Recipes containing raw or partially cooked egg should not be served to the very young, very old, anyone with a compromised immune system or pregnant women.

contents

the star of the show

the basics

simple cakes

animals

transport

fantasy

wildlife

index

the star of the show

One of the most important elements of any child’s birthday party has to be the cake. Most people can easily remember their favourite birthday cake from childhood and the excitement in choosing a cake every year. Whether you make the same cake every time or something completely different, a homemade cake simply can’t be beaten both for the joy it gives children and the satisfaction of knowing that it’s all your work.

I’m lucky to have eager guinea pigs in my small tribe of godchildren, who provided plenty of inspiration for the cakes in this book. I have loved baking since I was a little girl and I hope that they too will soon discover what fun there is to be had in the kitchen sticking, layering, frosting and decorating. The results are so rewarding. And who knows, they may even start coming up with some imaginative creations of their own.

Whatever your level of baking skills there’s a cake here to suit everyone. There are also a few basic guidelines on page 10 and 16–19 to help you get the best results whenever you bake.

Most of the cakes in this book can be made ahead of time and can be kept for up to 2 days (undecorated), well wrapped in clingfilm/plastic wrap, or frozen undecorated and defrosted the day before the party. Cupcakes keep well in the freezer and defrost quickly, making them an easy and convenient option. In fact, cupcakes are a great starting point if you are nervous about your baking skills.

If you don’t want to test your construction skills then choose a cake that can be shaped by cutting around a template rather than one that requires measuring and layering. Most of the cakes here are easy for the novice baker – just remember to allow yourself plenty of time to complete the frosting and final decorations. Remember that any imperfections can be cunningly disguised under a layer of frosting and sprinkles.

No matter which cake you choose to make for your child’s birthday, you can be sure of smiles of delight when they are presented with a home-baked creation. And if at first you feel unsure about assembling, layering and decorating, there’s always the old favourite – chocolate cake. Don’t forget the candles!

the basics

basic vanilla cake

This is the most basic vanilla cake mixture, which can be adapted to introduce different flavours (see end of recipe). It is used in many of the recipes in this book as it makes a good base for cakes which need to be cut up and re-assembled, and it tends to be liked by most kids. I have provided four quantities to suit individual recipes but the method remains the same regardless of the quantity you use. For best results I suggest using an electric freestanding mixer. Before you start baking make sure all ingredients are at room temperature, the oven is preheated with the oven shelf in the correct position and the relevant cake pans have been prepared. The oven temperatures given throughout the book are for a conventional oven; if you are using a fan oven, adjust the temperature according to the manufacturer’s instructions.