{"id":1113,"date":"2019-03-21T09:01:04","date_gmt":"2019-03-21T09:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/?p=1113"},"modified":"2019-06-21T08:28:12","modified_gmt":"2019-06-21T08:28:12","slug":"great-birthday-cakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/partywizz.com\/blog\/family\/great-birthday-cakes\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why a Great Birthday Cake is Worth the Effort"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why a Great Birthday Cake is Worth the Effort!<\/h2>\n

At this time of year my husband and I always begin to take deep breaths as we brace ourselves for what we call our \u201cparty season\u201d \u2013 our family of four has birthdays falling within an 11 week period of each other \u2013 and the rounds of lists, meetings with agendas, consultations and invitation decisions that go with it.<\/p>\n

Of course, we are very much aware that the only parties that really<\/em> matter (barring the odd milestone celebration) are for the two under 10s in the family.<\/p>\n

And topping every \u201cto do\u201d list is Birthday Cake!<\/strong> \u00a0Here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

1. Bragging Rights<\/h3>\n

Children \u2013 quite rightly \u2013 want bragging rights for their parties. We have reminded ourselves of this annually, particularly in our two sons earlier years, as we sought to create memories; and to ensure that if this year\u2019s party was going to be their first memory, it would be a good one.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, if you can do it and space permits, home-based parties<\/a> (while involving a good bit more effort), are far more memorable. As numbers rise of course (we have found party size tends to peak at age 6 or so) this isn\u2019t always possible. An amazing cake will always stand out though!<\/p>\n

2. Nurturing Through Food<\/h3>\n

Research bears out that a child\u2019s earliest memory is often food related. The making and giving of food can be perceived as an act of love, providing nurture, comfort, warm feelings and stability, \u201ca safe place\u201d which is so important in childhood.<\/p>\n

I always try to ensure that a special family meal marks every birthday occasion, even if the main birthday celebration is taking place outside the home. Playcentres are not noted for their cuisine!<\/p>\n

And sometimes we have two cakes (a \u201cfeed the masses\u201d one for the main party and a smaller fancier one at home).<\/p>\n

3. Creating Family Traditions<\/h3>\n

Childhood habits often make their way all the way through to adulthood. How often have you heard people talking about their granny\u2019s apple pie, or how much they enjoyed getting to lick the wooden spoon after making cookies or a bread recipe that has been passed down through the generations?<\/p>\n

Regardless of culinary skills (my own are fairly rudimentary), we can all make a good stab at a simple cake recipe or cheat with a baking kit and ready-made icing. And all children love to decorate a cake!<\/p>\n

4. Emotional Connections<\/h3>\n

A birthday cake goes even further as it is for one child specifically, to celebrate their special day and reflecting their interests and preferences.<\/p>\n

There are deep emotional connections to a birthday cake, where someone has made a significant effort just for you, the cake is the centrepiece and you are surrounded by loved ones who sing Happy Birthday as you blow out your candles. It doesn\u2019t get better!<\/p>\n

5. A \u201cMemory Log\u201d<\/h3>\n

Another great aspect of birthday cakes is the \u201cmemory log\u201d they provide of our children\u2019s favourite toys and interests at a particular time. For us, that has included an Angry Birds top iced cake, a Ninjago cake with the favourite character (Kai) transposed on top, and a football playing field cake, among many others. It\u2019s otherwise so easy to forget these things with the passage of time.<\/p>\n

Some birthday cake inspiration<\/h2>\n

The type of cake itself is often much less important than the decoration (we often get vague instructions along the lines of \u201csomething chocolatey\u201d) which needs to deliver the \u201cwow\u201d factor.<\/p>\n

There are some super online resources to help inspire ideas for a cake with a difference, which you can try out.<\/p>\n