Don't save the best part of the party for last. Let them eat cake the entire time!
By Jennifer Saltiel, LMSW, Good Housekeping
Cost: Under $100
With
all of the cake recipes to choose from, it's tough to please everyone.
Now you won't have to. Guests get to bake and decorate their own in
whatever taste they crave. Talk about icing on the cake!
Decorations: Most
of the action for this party will take place in the kitchen. A few
balloons, streamers, and a Happy Birthday wall hanging are all you need
to set a festive mood. Offer guests aprons when they arrive. Basic white
aprons are available at cooking and restaurant supply stores. For a
splurge, consider personalizing the aprons with the guests' names or
with something humorous such as "I survived [name of your child]'s
birthday party." Have the birthday girl wear a chef's hat in lieu of a
party hat.
[post_ads_2]
Activities:
Make a cake: Consider
hiring a cooking instructor who specializes in pastry and cake
decorating to lead the group. Or enlist a friend who enjoys baking.
- Divide the party guests into small teams of four or five. Create a baking station for each team.
- Print out a basic cake recipe.
- Set out premeasured ingredients (as in a cooking show).
- Let the team members decide the flavor of the cake and what optional ingredients to add, such as nuts or chocolate chips.
- While the cakes are baking, have the guests take a break for lunch. (At this age, pizza still reigns supreme.)
- Once the cakes have cooled, help the guests frost their masterpieces (using store-bought or fresh icing).
- Fill several pastry bags with icing in a variety of colors for them to use.
- Show the guests how to change the tips to create different designs.
- Offer additional decorations such as candies and edible flowers.
- Once the cakes are ready, the guests can really reap the benefits of their hard work.
- Be sure to have a pitcher of ice-cold milk to wash it down.
Note: To save time during the party, you can bake the cakes before the guests arrive and have them decorate them.
