22 Best Birthday Cake Ideas for Adults and Kids
on Sep 24, 2023, Updated Nov 21, 2023
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The sky’s the limit when it comes to birthday celebration treats. If your birthday is coming up or you’re the baker in the family, we’re sharing 22 of the Best Birthday Cake Ideas for adults and kids, boys and girls. Take a look for some sweet inspiration!
Celebrating birthdays with a deliciously moist cake is something everyone looks forward to! Whether you prefer a traditional frosted cake, sweet cupcakes, or even a cheesecake, a homemade creation is the best way to show someone they’re special.
If you take a peek through the display cases at your local bakery, you’ll see a wide array of sweet treats. In addition to classic chocolate and vanilla layer cakes, there are black forest cakes, cheesecakes, cupcakes, and more, with happy birthday messages on them.
What Type of Cake is Best for Birthdays?
The best type of cake for birthdays is one that the birthday guy or gal will enjoy. The options are endless, from classic frosted layer cakes, to creamy cheesecakes, and everything in between. As long as it’s moist and delicious, it’ll work for a birthday celebration!
Best Birthday Cake Ideas
50th Birthday Cake Ideas
- Mango Charlotte Cake: This gorgeous cake doesn’t require baking! It’s a delicious mash-up of French-style charlotte cake and creamy cheesecake. It’s sure to get a lot of oohs and aahs at the party.
- Chocolate Layer Cake: This is a classic made-from-scratch chocolate cake. Rich and dark, it would be perfect with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream.
- The Best Red Velvet Cake: Stunning to look at and delicious to eat, red velvet cake is a popular choice at birthday celebrations. Follow the steps in this recipe for a cake that’s deliciously moist every time.
- Black Forest Cake: Cherries, chocolate, and real whipped cream make this an ideal cake for milestone birthdays. The cherry liqueur in this recipe adds a rich cherry flavor that’s absolutely delicious.
18th Birthday Cake Ideas
- Strawberry Icebox Cake: This is the perfect cake for warm weather birthdays! Instant pudding mix makes it moist and graham crackers add a delicate crunch. Even better, it’s a no-bake cake that sets in the fridge.
- Strawberry White Chocolate Cheesecake: Yes, cheesecakes make wonderful birthday cakes too! This one is topped with sweet strawberries and is filled with a smooth blend of cream cheese and white chocolate.
- Birthday Funfetti Cake: Perfect for kids and adults alike, this classic frosted vanilla layer cake has rainbow sprinkles baked into the batter! Topped with sweet buttercream, it’s full of rich flavors.
- Birthday Cupcakes: These pretty vanilla cupcakes bake up beautifully in just 30 minutes. You can even bake them the day before, and then frost them the day of the party! They’re also great for potlucks.
Birthday Cake Ideas for Men
- Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake: After making this no-bake cheesecake, you’ll add it to your list of no-fail desserts. It has all of the creamy goodness of classic cheesecake and easily sets in the fridge! Top it with the fruit of your choice for a decadent treat.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Big on flavor and easy to pull together, this classic upside-down cake uses canned pineapple rings and Duncan Hines cake mix with great results! It’s also ready to serve in an hour.
- Vanilla Birthday Cake with Old Fashioned Vanilla Buttercream: This classic vanilla layer cake is moist and delicious. Top it with some sliced berries for a splash of color!
- Coconut Cake: If your birthday guy loves coconut, you’ve got to give this cake a try! Infused with coconut flavors, the batter uses canned coconut milk, and the cream cheese frosting has real shredded coconut.
- Zebra Cake: Striking to look at and delicious to eat, this special cake is sure to impress everyone at the party! Real cocoa is used in both the cake and the frosting, guaranteeing delicious chocolate in every bite.
- Milk Bar Birthday Cake: This is the perfect cake for a milestone birthday. Tall and strikingly beautiful, this cake features sweet cake crumbs, a batter full of rainbow-colored sprinkles, and a sweet cream cheese frosting. The sides of the cake aren’t frosted, exposing the colorful flecks of sprinkles. This cake will take some time but the instructions are excellent and easy to follow.
Birthday Cake Ideas for Kids
- Oreo Cheesecake: Your kids will love this creamy cheesecake that’s sprinkled with oreo cookie crumbs. Use whole oreo cookies around the outside of the cheesecake, and top it with your child’s favorite berries.
- Ice Cream Sandwich Cake: This cake isn’t just for kids! Filled with store-bought ice-cream sandwiches, frozen whipped topping, and instant vanilla pudding, it couldn’t be easier to assemble. Get creative and use different flavored ice-cream sandwiches for even more fun!
- Birthday Cake Pops: If you’re celebrating with a group of little ones, these miniature-sized cakes are ideal. Easy to make and fun to eat, you can switch up the colors and the decorations!
- Strawberry Jello Cake: Popular with kids and adults alike, this jello cake will be the star of the birthday celebration! Make it with a boxed cake mix or with a homemade cake, and switch up the flavor of Jello too! It’s a versatile cake that everyone will love.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake: Here’s a dessert that’s the best of two worlds, chewy chocolate chip cookies and tender cake. It’s basically a giant cookie! Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and let the celebration begin!
- Princess Birthday Cake: If your child is a fan of princesses, they’ll love this cake. Beautifully decorated, it’s a theme-based cake that’s perfect for little ones.
- Frozen Birthday Cake: Here’s another theme-based cake, this one for fans of Disney’s Frozen franchise! The cake comes together easily with boxed cake mix and vanilla ice cream. Give this one a try if you’re feeling creative.
- Rainbow Cake: You’ll wow the partygoers with this vibrant cake! A stunning 6 layers, each with its own color, your children and guests will truly be amazed.
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Top Fun Birthday Cake Ideas
This gorgeous mango charlotte cake doesn’t require baking! It’s a delicious mash-up of French-style charlotte cake and creamy cheesecake. It’s sure to get a lot of oohs and aahs at the birthday party.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ladyfingers
Mango Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 large mangos, cubed, juices reserved
Jello Glaze
- 1 cup mango juice
- 1 ounce gelatin powder, or agar agar
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon rum, or triple sec, optional
Serving (Optional)
- whipped cream
- fresh mint sprigs
- fresh berries
Instructions
Mango Cheesecake
- Peel and dice mangos, reserving leftover juices in a small bowl.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, cream and sugar together into a thick cheesecake pudding. Fold in mango chunks.
- Dip each ladyfinger quickly into the reserved juice, and place around the edge of the springform pan. Then line the bottom of the pan the same way.
- Pour mango mixture into springform pan, using a spatula to spread evenly until flat. Rap pan gently on work surface to flatten. Chill while making the finish.
Jello Glaze
- Sprinkle gelatin on top of leftover juice, and wait one minute. Mix in boiling water and rum/triple sec, stirring slowly for one minute. Set aside 15 minutes to cool.
- Once gelatin mixture is at room temperature to lukewarm, slowly pour over the back of a spoon to cover the cheesecake mixture completely.
- Chill for one hour. Garnish with optional whipped cream, berries and mint. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
Can other fruit besides mango be used in this recipe?
Yes. You can use other fruits.