Catering for Birthdays at School

Whether it be daycare, kindy or school, all kids love to celebrate their birthdays with their class mates and friends. �For some parents, catering for up to sixty children can seem a�momentous�task – here’s how to get it right the first time, easily!

Check your School’s Birthday Cake Policy

First of all, check with your�child’s�teacher or the school office on their school birthday cake policy. �Most schools have them now. �They can be as simple as ‘No nuts’ or as extreme as ‘Please don’t’. �Unless you want your beautiful cake to end up in the bin, take the 30 seconds to check first. �It’s also a good idea to check for dairy, gluten or egg allergies too. �You don’t necessarily have to cater to every food sensitivity – but you could let the parent of the child know in advance so that they can bring something appropriate and join in the celebrations too. �A good rule of thumb is to provide the school with a list of ingredients. �Easy peasy!

What Sort of Cake?

A large iced slab of cake might be easy for you to whip up and transport – but think of the poor teachers. �Cupcakes are�definitely�the easy way to go. �You don’t have to worry about serving sizes, knives, plates or mess. For little kids get the really small cupcake wrappers – but even the older kids don’t need the huge ones – cupcakes tend to have a lot of icing to keep the servings small – and make a few extra ones so the teachers can enjoy them too!

If you’re not a fan of cupcakes, why not try Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes – super easy to make and instead of cupcake wrappers you use edible ice cream cones!

Then there is the cake flavour to consider. �For kids keep it nice and simple – chocolate or vanilla (butter cake) – perhaps even some of each. �As nice and as fancy as a cake like a Rainbow Cupcakes would be – steer clear of so much food colouring whilst in a learning environment – for everyone’s sakes!

Robust Cakes to Try

If you are short on time, using the good old packet mix certainly won’t hurt. �But it really doesn’t make much to make a cake from scratch – and it will taste delicious too. �All these recipes make terrific cakes or cupcakes no matter which way you decide to go. �Good robust cakes to try for school include:

• A Sand Cake (like a cross between a butter cake and a sponge cake)
• Chocolate Pound Cake
• Dairy Free Chocolate Cake
• Dairy and Egg Free Cake (both Chocolate and Vanilla versions)
• Jelly Cakes are a good idea as you don’t need to ice them! �Like fancy lamingtons!

Alternatives to Cake

If you are not a fan of the above suggestions – there are certainly alternatives to the more traditional birthday cake.

• Gingerbread Men
• Fruit Kebabs
• Cake Pops – smaller and easier to carry!
• Banana Pops (Frozen banana dipped in chocolate on a stick)
• Doughnuts (iced of course)
• Honey Joys or Chocolate Crackles
• Candied Popcorn (for older kids only)
• Frogs in a Pond (Freddo frog in green jelly)

How Old is Too Old to Supply a Cake?

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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