How to Select a Sweet Sixteen Cake

The centerpiece of any birthday party is always the cake. No time does it play a more pivotal role in shaping the appearance of your party than in a Sweet Sixteen party. Choose a cake that is both delicious and beautifully suited to your party's theme and your guests will be raving about your big night for years to come.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Cake books or magazines
• Bakery

Select a Sweet Sixteen Cake

1. Keep your party's theme in mind. If you have a color theme, then incorporate elements of that into the design of the cake either through colored frosting details or live flower decorations.

2. Find an inventive baker that can make a cake in the shape of something relating to your theme. A rock 'n' roll Sweet Sixteen party would be a hit with a guitar shaped cake as its centerpiece.

3. Select a cake that is likely to please the most palates at your party. Stay away from strong or unusual flavors.

4. Remember that ice cream cakes can be tricky to keep frozen in the warmest summer months. If your heart is set on a layered cake with ice cream in the middle, wait until the last moment to remove it from the freezer before serving.

5. Do something different and have a cupcake or donut cake. This trend has gained in popularity among wedding planners and is perfect for a Sweet Sixteen party. Ask your baker to design tiers of brightly frosted cupcakes in different flavors and see how much your guests enjoy this childhood favorite.

6. Look through cake books and wedding cake magazines to get ideas on what you want your cake to look like. Take these images to your appointment with the bakery to help you convey your ideas of what you want. The bakery may also have a book of cakes they have created that you can select different features from to design your own unique and individual Sweet Sixteen cake.

7. Satisfy everyone's chocolate craving by decorating your cake with chocolate dipped strawberries and other fruit. These chocolate confections are not only delicious but they make for an elegant presentation as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Shop around for cakes to find the best tasting cake at the best price. Most bakeries will host a free tasting to help you determine what flavor icing, cake and filling you would like and they should be able to give you an estimate of the cost per person when dealing with very large parties.