It’s not a child’s birthday party if they don’t get a little messy. I’ve seen all sorts of party options from pool parties and inflatable playhouses to arts & crafts and gym parties. So why not host a cupcake decorating party? It’s a messy, but delicious idea.
It’s easy as cake to give your child a Cake Boss birthday party at home. You simply need a supply of non-frosted cupcakes, a variety of frosting flavors, a selection of bright and colorful decorative icings, lots of sprinkles, maybe some fondant, and decorating tools such as icing bags, rolling pins, and fondant cutters.
Follow these easy steps and you will have a party full of little bakers and aspiring cake decorators.
• Cupcakes: Parents have a lot of options here. You can order non-frosted cupcakes from your local bakery. Bake the cupcakes at home from scratch or simply use a cake mix.
• Frosting & Fondant: Pick up a variety of frosting flavors at your local grocery store. Plus, for the first time ever, I’ve introduced packaged fondant, which is easily accessible to all bakers.
(Tip: Pre-roll the fondant to make it easy for the kids to use.)
• Decorative items: Decorative icings, sprinkles, sugar crystals in a range of colors, and candy will allow kids to get creative with their designs.
• Tools: You will need icing bags, a tip set for your icing bags, a rolling pin to roll out the fondant, and a variety of cutters for fun fondant designs.
(Tip: Visit CakeBossBaking.com and CakeBossCakes.com to find all tools needed from my product line in a store near you. We’ll consider this a gift for you—no one has to know.)
Now that you have your supplies, spread them across a large table and let the kids do their thing. Yes, this is a messy activity. Here is a tip to make the clean up easier for you: place butcher paper, a drop cloth, or plastic tarp on the floor underneath the kids’ workspace. It will be easy to toss it once the kids go home.
The fun and creativity of this activity will flow all afternoon! Best of all, the kids have each personally decorated a cupcake to either enjoy at the party or to be used as a goody bag treat.
Cupcake decorating is a common occurrence in my house—the kids love it!
Buddy Valastro, known as The Cake Boss, runs Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken N.J. His series, The Cake Boss, airs on TLC. In addition, Valastro has an extensive line of consumer products, books, and classes.