5 Birthday Cakes For People Who Don’t Like Chocolate
Birthday cakes are the most important part of a birthday party. The go-to birthday cake in my family is chocolate. But sometimes we want a change in flavor. These are the birthday cakes that don’t include chocolate, just in case you want a change in flavor.
1. Confetti Gravity Cake
Birthday cakes and confetti are two important things in celebrating a birthday. This cake is designed to look like there is confetti on the cake. Best of both worlds!
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 of a cup of rainbow sprinkles
For Frosting:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup of water
- 4 sticks of room temperature butter, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- Confetti sprinkles, for decorating
- Corn syrup, for brushing
Steps:
1. Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch round pans with cooking spray and put parchment paper in the bottom. Spray with more cooking spray and dust with flour.
2. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high. Beat the eggs in one at a time, for about 2-4 minutes, until fluffy. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Combine the milk and vanilla in a third bowl.
3. Mix the flour mixture and the milk mixture with a mixer on medium-high, in three separate batches. Then add the sugar and mix until just combined. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles.
4. Divide the batter between the two pans, and bake until the cakes are light golden brown, 35-40 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, and then flip it over onto a cooling rack to cool down completely.
5. The frosting: Combine the egg whites, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes. In a medium pot, heat the remaining granulated sugar and water over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 235 degrees.
6. Slowly drizzle the hot syrup into the egg white mixture with a mixer on medium speed. Increase the speed to high and continue mixing until the frosting is no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add the butter, a little at a time, and continue to beat until thick and smooth. Add the vanilla and beat until incorporated.
7. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer on a stand and spread 1 cup of the frosting over the top. Place the second layer on top and cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting, covering the sides and top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
8. Cover the cake with the remaining frosting, using an even coat. Pour the sprinkles over half of the cake, making sure to cover the frosting with them. Enjoy!
2. Tie-Dye Cake
Tie-dye birthday cakes look really cool. This cake looks like a tie-dyed shirt inside of a cake that you can eat. How cool would it be to make that cake?
Ingredients:
- Unsalted butter, to grease the pans
- 5 food colors of your choice
For vanilla cake:
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt
- 1 3/4 cups of whole milk
Vanilla Icing:
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt
Vanilla Glaze:
- 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tablespoons of whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round pans. Make the cake: With a mixer, whip the butter for 1 minute at high speed. Scrape the sides with a spatula. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and add vanilla extract. With the mixer at a medium speed, add the eggs one at a time. Scrape the edges periodically.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add half the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and then add half the milk. Mix until fully incorporated. Then add the rest of both mixtures. Stop mixing when you have a smooth batter.
3. Divide the batter between 5 bowls, equally. Add food coloring to each bowl, one drop at a time, until you get the color you want. Put one layer of each color into the three buttered pans. Layer the five colors on top of each other for all three pans. To make the tie-dye effect, use a skewer to drag through the batter. Start in the middle and make a pattern in the batter.
4. Bake the cake until the middle feels springy when you touch it. That should be 35-40 minutes. Set the cakes aside to cool completely.
5. Vanilla Icing: With a hand mixer, whip the butter on high for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and whip until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar mixture, one cup at a time until completely incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Whip on high for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
6. Decorate the cake: Put the bottom layer on a stand and frost the top with the icing. Put the second layer on top of that and frost it again. Put the third layer on top and frost the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting.
7. Vanilla Glaze: With a hand mixer, add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low until smooth. If it is too thick, add a little bit of milk to thin it out. Divide the glaze into two bowls and use two food colors to color the glaze.
8. Spread one of the colors over the top of the icing, letting it drip down the sides of the cake. Layer the other color over it, but don’t cover it. Then put the first color right in the middle. Use a skewer to make the tie-dye effect in the glaze. Enjoy!
3. Carrot Cake
One of my family’s favorite birthday cakes is definitely the carrot cake. They are so good, and they actually have something healthy in them. So it’s almost like eating vegetables while eating cake!
Ingredients:
- Butter, for pans
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 4 large eggs
- 4-6 carrots, grated
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Using a hand mixer, add the oil and then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the carrots until well combined.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before you slice it. Enjoy!
4. Italian Cream Cake With Blueberries
My favorite fruit is definitely blueberries. This is one of my favorite birthday cakes because we use the blueberries my family grows in our backyard to make the cake.
Ingredients:
- 5 eggs, separated
- 1 stick of butter
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 cup of buttermilk
Frosting:
- 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
- 1 stick of butter
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 2 pounds of powdered sugar
- 1 cup of chopped pecans
- 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut
- 1 1/2 pints of blueberries
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.
2. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Alternate adding the buttermilk and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined and then fold in the egg whites.
3. Pour evenly into the two pans, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Then put the cakes on a cooling rack, to allow them to fully cool.
4. Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the pecans and coconut.
5. Assemble: Cut each cake in half lengthwise, leaving you with 4 layers. Cover the top of the bottom layer with frosting and put blueberries on top. Repeat for all four layers. Use the blueberries to hold it together. Enjoy!
5. Vanilla Cake With Brown Butter Glaze
This cake is a little plain, but you can always add something to it and make it one of the best birthday cakes. I think vanilla cakes are actually very good, but that’s just my opinion.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup of oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 3/4 cup of milk
Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13 inch pan with butter and flour. In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the sugar, butter, and oil together until well combined. Add eggs, salt, and vanilla to the bowl and beat on high for 5-6 minutes, until very creamy.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the bowl and use a rubber spatula to gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, add half of the milk and gently stir to combine. Repeat the process with the rest of the dry ingredients and the milk. Fold carefully, to retain as much fluffiness as possible.
3. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until barely firm in the center, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Put on a cooling rack to make sure it fully cools down.
4. Make the glaze by melting butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Continue cooking butter over medium heat, watching carefully, until it becomes foamy. Swirl the pan gently, and watch closely as the butter begins to brown. At first sight of browning, remove from heat and continue melting the butter with the heat in the pan. Continue to swirl butter in a pan until it becomes a very light brown color.
5. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk and stir to combine. Adjust consistency with additional milk or powdered sugar to form a pourable glaze. Pour glaze over cooled cake and spread out evenly. Enjoy!
