Birthday Cake Bonanza!

Fanciful, whimsical, or bold - the cake is the high point of any birthday party. Here, choose from some of our most popular cake recipes and get tips for easy cake-making. Don't forget to add candles before singing "Happy Birthday."

• Bake ahead. You can bake, cool completely, wrap in plastic, and freeze up to 2 weeks any cake layers or cupcakes you'll be using.
• Cut the cake. A serrated bread or steak knife does the best job of cutting clean cake slices.
• Smooth finish. For even frosting, keep a large glass of hot water handy to clean your spatula or knife as you spread.
• Big bold color. Paste or gel food colorings give frostings and icings the brightest hues. Buy them at party-supply, craft, and cake-decorating stores, or visit www.wilton.com.
• Safe bites. Make sure cake decorations are age-appropriate for your partygoers (i.e., can be chewed and swallowed safely).

Copyright © 2004. Reprinted with permission from the May 2002 issue of Parents magazine.