If a birthday party has a star of the night, obviously other than the celebrant, it will always be the birthday cake that will steal the show. Forget about the food or the cliché parlor games; the cake will always be the king. According to What’s Cooking America, the tradition of preparing cakes for the birthday celebrant dates back to the Middle Ages when the Germans prepare sweetened bread during Christmas Day. Two centuries later, it reemerged as a practice when parents prepare one-layered cakes for their kids’ kinderfest, “or a birthday celebration for a young child.” In case you’re already planning to get your kid a cake for his birthday, here are a few tips you might want to consider.

Piece Of Cake: Birthday Cake Tips for Your Kid’s Next Party

Great tips for your kid's next birthday party cake. It's a piece of cake! Birthday parties don't have to be hard to pull off.

Bake in advance

According to Kidspot Australia, parents who want to bake cakes for their kids should prepare it a day or two before the actual celebration. Aside from allowing it to cool down before decorating, you “will most likely end up getting a late night only to have to start early the next day – not a great time to be tired!” Also, this gives you time to make the necessary changes before serving.

Personalize

Do your kids love Bravest Warriors or Adventure Time? Then you might want to throw in a few of their favorite characters to make the cake extra meaningful. Aside from adding an extra smile to their faces, personalized cakes also show that you put an effort in preparing it. You may use character figures from sold at cake shops to create your own yummy diorama. Also, you can borrow the color scheme of those shows and make your cake as colorful as their favorite cartoon characters. Be careful with the food coloring, though.

If you can’t, just buy

While some of us can take the extra time off to take the cake business to their hands, others cannot just afford to leave their responsibilities and go baking. Fortunately, some bakeshops will take care of the cake for you—at a reasonable price. If you’re worried that bakers will just churn out generic cakes at your doorsteps, fear not. According to Helen Brennan, M&S cake expert, said that some shops sell personalized cakes that gives clients full control over their desired output. “What’s great about these cakes is that you can personalize them. You can say anything you like, you can put their name on—anything you like,” she said. While the cake will always be one of the highlights of your kid’s birthday, what matters most is that you are present during the said occasion. After all, no sweet cake or even expensive gifts can replace that one thing important to your child: you.