American-style birthday cakes

My son is turning 4 on Saturday and we are having a birthday party. Is there anyone out there that is an "expert" birthday cake maker?

Have you tried the local baker? Take a picture with you. When my daughter wanted a cake with a picture of her horse on it, I showed him the foto and how big a cake we wanted and it was wonderful. The baker should have a foto album of all his cakes to show you give it a try.

What is an "American" birthday cake? (resisting the urge to spew out tired, self-deprecating stereotypes)

She means a cake with bright colors, spongie, and fun for a child and with 4 candles.

That makes it American?

As opposed to German, yes. German cakes are very different.

Don't they have them all in supermarkets like in the UK?

Try Hit and the V-Markt and Wally World

You can order cakes that at least look like American style birthday cakes (sheet cakes, frosted, with frosting decorations) at the Konditorei in Balanstrasse, near the corner with and on the town side of Orleanstrasse, across from Tassilo da Sebastiano restaurant and the motorcycle supplies store.

I don't know if they do shaped cakes or just rectangles, and I don't know what they taste like.

Look at this website for inspiration: Coolest birthday cakes

What's the difference between an American birthday cake and an English, or even German one? Is it just bigger?

In my experience, German don't really make themed birthday cakes. That is why it's so difficult to find stuff here. They will bake a normal round shape cake, write on it...and decorate it with shop bought decor stuff. Icing is also way too sweet for them, so they decorate with cream most of the time.

An 'American' cake is the kind that is cut into shapes...or even baked in a shaped pan. I think she just called it that ,in order to clarify what she means. The Americans have set the stage for these kind of cakes. Another great website for alll your cake needs: www.wilton.com

No supplier in Germany, now there's a business idea.

Here are just two examples for a hotdog cake

Getting cake decoration supplies here is an absolute nightmare, there are some shaped tins out there (Küstermann, Hertie et al - mostly Christmas or Easter themed) but for numbers cakes, you really have to shop online or bake normally and cut to shape.
Most pharmacies stock food colouring or can order it, it is behind the counter so you have to ask for it, those colours tend to be powder colours and are a bit stronger than the liquid ones in Hertie food hall etc. Pharmacies are also the place to get glycerine or liquid glucose for icing. Hertie at HBF does have some sugarpaste decorations, that Palatzky (sp?) wedding shop at Sendlinger Tor does great cake toppers and might be able to order other cake decorations as they also cover other events.
Good luck with your search and post a picture of the results!

mmmm... cake! Does frosting even exist in Germany? It seems like cakes in these parts are basically glorified pastries. Where can I get a slab of moist chocolate cake, with gobs of chocolate icing on top? And is there even a such thing as "German Chocolate Cake" here, or is that just something Americans invented (like those "Amerikaner" cookies they have here, that don't really exist in the U.S.)?

By the way, I recently had to explain to a coworker the difference between muffins and cupcakes. What kind of society is this?

One that thankfully hasn't been taken over by all things American, at least not yet.

Starbucks in schwabing and the vikt markt had such a cake, sold by the slice. Dont know if its still on offer though.

I remember my 4th birthday cake, I was into chocolate chips then so i had a chocolate chip cake with coffee frosting and more chips on top. it was lopsided but cool.

Try explaining the difference between a pie and cake. Then explain the difference between a fruit torte and key lime pie.

You really wand four candles on it!?

The Starbucks one is a good cake and is still available by the slice.
For a chocolate fudge cake in that style, this recipe has never failed me.
Actually, the poster Saan can make such cakes but I don't know if she is still about and would be willing to. Am sure that should she see the thread and have time, she'd get in touch.

That's how the cake looked like when it was picked up on friday afternoon...

Congratulations!

Mrs. Tom34, you did a super job! You can bake my next birthday cake, k?

Well done! Looks delicious.

Tom34- you know you could start a small business for the expats of TT doing birthday cakes.
Cake looks yummy! Hope the kids enjoyed it.

Lovely cake there Mrs Tom34

Good Job Tom (from a cake decorator)!

Well I come accross this post late. I am a cake decorator (Well my hobby since I was a child) and I do it as a part time business. I've recently move to Munich. As I was taking most of my fancy cake tin, my fiance told me that was too much to carry and that I can get more in Munich. Guess what, this weekend, I was out shopping for some and I am heartbreakingly disapointed. Not even Wall mart had some fancy ones. However, he makes up for it by offering me the latest and best Kenwood chef mixer . So here I am ordering things far away and asking friends/family to please bring for me. The shipping price of some items, is even higher than their price, to say the least.

Tom, if you know of some special pastry or baking supplies store here, please let me know and I'll appreciate it very much. I have been searching for parchment paper desperately.

So here I take the occasion to let TT xpats know about it. I make American cakes (have lived there but am not American) French or British type cake, very well decorated for all occasions (wedding, babies, birthday, groom, work party... you name it).

Nady

Nady, you might want to post in the Services Offered section so people can find you quickly.

Is parchment paper different than Backpapier that you can get in any supermarket? I have a recipe for a baked salmon filet/pesto thing that calls for parchment paper (it's a US recipe), but Backpapier did the trick just fine.

If 'parchment paper' is the same as UK 'greaseproof paper', then yes, you can use 'Backpapier'.

yes Parchment paper prevent the cake from sticking on the pan, specially useful when using fancy mold or mould.

Thanks for the suggestion Cinzia. I will do so.

Kind regards,

Nady

I know this a bit to late for your son's birthday, but just some info if needed in the futture.

I live on a military installation in Garmisch and we have a commissary with ice cream birthday cakes. There is also a lady here that does special order cakes, although I haven't seen her work and can't comment on the quality. But if needed, I can easily find out.

My son had his fourth birthday last week...these are the cakes I made for the different parties we had.

Problem with the pic...will try again later

Here we go again

Cake 1

Cake 2

Cake 3


Send a PM if you'd like a delicious home-made buttercream icing cake for your child's next birthday.
Email me at t.ludwig@web.de

Wow, those are super-cool cakes, especially #2. Would you mind sharing how you colored the frosting in cake #3? Sorry if this has been covered somewhere, but I haven't been able to find liquid food coloring in Germany, which is what I would use to color frosting in the US...

Zard, to answer your question...food colour is available from online stores in Germany. Some supermarkets have basic stuff that's okay to use ...not great, but okay.
Black, white and other special colours are not available in supermarkets or chemists. Personally I order from the US or UK.

I made this cake a week ago.


Feel free to contact me for yummy children birthday cakes.
t.ludwig@web.de

Mrs Tom34

Tom34: My kids would love the Power Ranger cake! Where did you get the decoration for the middle?

It's a edible cake image that I bought from an Ebay store.
Was fun to make.
Was cheaper than having it done here...let me know if you need more info

Mrs Tom34

I think I would like you to make one, if possible for my sons birthday in July!!

I'll PM you nearer the time if that's ok?

Would love to make the cake for your son...let me know about two weeks ahead of time, so I can order the image.
It takes a few days to get here...but just so we know we have it early enough. Looks like the German habits does rub off

Mrs Tom34

Do they sell flat bottom eis cones in Germany? If so this Martha recipe is worth keeping around: cupcakes in a cone.

Its relatively low on ingredients but I bet you could use any cupcake recipe, even the store bought. I think the cones are ingenious: no dirty muffin tins, plates or forks (for the adults at least) required. Dont know how you'd transport them without breaking but if the parties in your own home then it shouldnt be a problem. They'd be really cute with different coloured icing tops-and wrapped in different coloured napkins. Hell you could even half ass it and let the guests decorate their own tops. Even if you didnt want them messing about with knives and icing you could let them add sprinkles or whatever to the top. So yeah, low on ingredients, fewer dishes to wash, and an "project" for the kids...sounds like a birthday party winner to me

Two of the most recent cakes I made...
Cake for a Football Party

Cake for a Spiderman Party


Mrs Tom34

I made an "Chocolate raisen nut cake" yesterday. Its all gone - they wolfed it at the flying club today...
& then they go around saying that the Brits can't cook (OK - I think I have cured them of that).

Mrs. Tom
iam intereested in the b'day patry cakes...
can you please mal me your contact number
regards

Our e-mail address is:
t.ludwig@web.de

Would love to hear from you

Mrs Tom34

wow. how much do those cakes cost (approx) mrstom ??

They look great Mrs Tom Maybe I will get one for my next birthday. Okay, I'm old but man they look good. Guess you could just use the infinity symbol for my age

my wife's birthday is coming up - im thinking a fun theme cake could be fun (though she's German, so I dunno) But, howabout a Prada shoe/boot cake? Ever done one of those?!?

@egg
Trust you got my PM

Mrs Tom34