Create a cake that reflects a boy's interests for his Sweet Sixteen.
Though birthday girls celebrate their Sweet Sixteen birthday in lavish fashion and glitzy glamor, boys are also excited to celebrate the milestone birthday with a festive party complete with a centerpiece cake. A Sweet Sixteen cake for a boy should go above and beyond a traditional sheet cake frosted with a generic birthday message. Instead, incorporate the birthday boy's interests, aspirations or preferences into a personalized and extravagant cake. Does this Spark an idea?
Tiered Cakes
A tiered cake is a suitable choice for a boy's Sweet Sixteen because it is a dramatic cake fit to serve a large guest list. To avoid creating a cake that looks like a wedding cake, stack angled tiers to create a topsy-turvy tiered cake. For a smooth finish, opt for a tiered cake wrapped in fondant--choose a dark color for a masculine look. Decorate the cake in groups of 16. For example, cut out miniature number 16s from gum paste to decorate each tier. For something more subtle, cut out or pipe 16 stars, circles or spirals on to the tiers. Top the cake with a large number 16 made from oversized candles or fondant-wrapped crispy rice treats.
Carved Cakes
Carved cakes are simple and customizable cakes that can be shaped to reflect the interests of the birthday boy. Begin any carved cake by layering two to three sheet cakes with a thick coating of buttercream in between each layer. A carved number 16 made from two sheet cakes is the most obvious choice for a carved cake. More adventurous options involve cutting curves into cakes to create shapes like a baseball cap for a 16-year-old baseball player or a guitar for a budding musician. Of course, a carved cake shaped like a car is the perfect treat for the birthday boy who will soon be hitting the roads.
Theme Cakes
A theme cake complements the overall party theme of a Sweet Sixteen. A simple theme for a Sweet Sixteen is then and now. Create a cake that features an picture from the birthday boy's childhood as well as a current photo; most bakeries have the capacity to print images on to edible rice paper with food coloring ink. If you want to avoid photo cakes, decorate half of a cake with piped decorations from the birthday boy's childhood, like a favorite teddy bear and the date of birth. On the other half, pipe an image of a car, keys and driver's license. The driving theme is also suitable for carved cakes, as noted--carve a round cake into the shape of a tire or several small cakes to resemble a set of keys. If he has already purchased a car, decorate a cake with the emblem of the manufacturer.
Tags: Sweet Sixteen, cake that, cake with, carved cake, tiered cake