Let’s face it. You can’t have a birthday party without a cake.

The staff at Lowcountry Parent picked a few treats from some of the best recipe books we could find. Try out these mouth-watering desserts that are sure to make your next occasion extra special.

It takes a bit more time and effort to bake and decorate creative cupcakes or a unique birthday cake, but the payoff is worth it. Take a picture of your creation and upload it in our birthday gallery to inspire other parents!

koi pond cupcakes

| Makes 24 cupcakes |

Koi goldfish made from circus peanuts transform a simple platter of cupcakes into a golden pond. The fish float on overlapping blue and white paper bubbles for a distinctive look.

Ingredients

24 vanilla cupcakes baked in blue paper liners

1 can (16 ounces) plus 1/2 cup vanilla frosting

Blue food coloring

48 orange circus peanuts

48 orange peanut butter–filled candy-coated chocolates (Peanut Butter M&M’s)

24 orange cereal O’s (Froot Loops, Apple Jacks)

48 brown mini candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s Minis)

White and blue paper circles (optional)

White and light blue candy-coated chocolates for serving (My M&M’s; optional)

1. Spoon ½ cup of the vanilla frosting into a small ziplock bag, press out the excess air, seal, and set aside. Tint the remaining can of vanilla frosting pale blue with a few drops of the blue food coloring. Cover and set aside.
2. For the fins, place 24 of the circus peanuts on their sides and cut lengthwise into two slices, to make 48 slices. Lay each slice cut side down and cut each in half on the diagonal to make 96 pieces. For the bodies, place the remaining 24 circus peanuts flat side down and make a diagonal cut from one end, removing no more than 1/4 inch.
3. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with the light blue frosting and smooth. Place one of the circus peanut bodies on top of each frosted cupcake. Arrange fins, cut side up and pointed ends out, two at the uncut end of each circus peanut body and two on either side in the middle.
4. Snip a small (1/8-inch) corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a large dot of frosting at the cut end of the circus peanut body. Press two orange candies into the dot of frosting for the eyes and one cereal “O” for the mouth. Pipe small dots of vanilla frosting on the orange candies and add the brown candies for the pupils. Repeat on all of the koi bodies with the remaining frosting and candies.
5. If you like, arrange the cupcakes on a surface with circles cut from white and blue papers and sprinkle the platter with white and light blue candies.

Reprinted with permission from “What’s New Cupcake?” by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

Slice of Cake Brownie Mini Cakes

| Makes one 8-inch and one 6-inch cake |

Everyone loves a slice of cake... so why not a slice of cake that is actually layers of a brownie? Mix and match the colors of frosting for a beautiful display.

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Ingredients

1 1/8 pounds fondant (store-bought or using recipe below)

Egg whites (optional)

Food-coloring gels: royal blue, violet, lemon yellow, leaf green, avocado green, rose pink, sunset orange

Shortening (for rolling fondant and gum paste)

Food-coloring gels: royal blue, violet, lemon yellow, leaf green, avocado green, rose pink, sunset orange

Shortening (for rolling fondant and gum paste)

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recipes

Amazing Chocolate Brownies recipe

Vanilla Buttercream recipe

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equipment

Toothpicks

Small paintbrush

Cardboard or foam core

X-acto knife

Scissors

Serrated knife

Small offset spatula

Ruler

Small rolling pin

Plastic mat

Scalpel or paring knife

Small dowel (optional)

Large plain pastry tip (11/16-inch or 5/8-inch circle cutter)

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MAKE AND ASSEMBLE THE MINI CAKES

Prepare and bake the brownie batter. Let cool for 20 minutes. Remove from pan, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 1 hour. (This will make the brownies easier to cut.)

While the brownies are chilling, make the filling (vanilla buttercream recipe.) Dye the filling in your desired colors.

Cut the brownies into 15 wedges, 2¾ inches wide and 4 inches long. For each mini cake, you will use three wedges of brownie.

For each cake, place the first wedge on a plate or flat surface. Coat the top with approximately ½ inch of filling and place the next wedge on top, then repeat. Each mini cake will consist of three layers of brownie and two layers of filling. After the top layer of brownie is on, push down slightly to secure the layers. Place the cakes in the refrigerator and chill for one hour or until the frosting is firm.

Crumb coat the top and backside of the brownie wedges with a very thin layer of frosting. Use a serrated knife to trim any excess frosting from the sides and top of each slice.

Dye the fondant (approximately three ounces per mini cake) your desired colors. The slices pictured here use pale purple, lime green, and white.

On a plastic mat greased with shortening, roll out the fondant to 1/8-inch thick and cut the fondant into five pieces. Cover only the top and the backside of each cake and trim with a scalpel or paring knife.

To add polka dots, use ½ ounce of fondant per mini cake and dye it the desired color. Roll out the fondant as thin as possible and use a large plain pastry (11/16) tip to cut out about eight polka dots for each mini cake. Use a small paintbrush to attach the dots with little dabs of egg whites or water.

Use a small dowel or toothpick to create a hole in the center of each wedge and insert a candle into the hole.

Amazing Chocolate Brownies Recipe

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ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) all-purpose flour

2 cups (16 ounces; 4 sticks) unsalted butter

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate

8 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

2¼ cups (16 ounces) granulated sugar

2¼ cups (16 ounces) packed dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the bottom and sides of a half-sheet pan with melted butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Set aside.

In a double broiler, melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the eggs, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined.

Slowly add the chocolate mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the flour, using a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about one hour, or until the top has formed a shiny crust and is moderately firm.

Allow the brownies to cool for 20 minutes before removing them from the pan. When cool, release the brownies from the pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the brownies over onto another pan or cake board and peel away the parchment.

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

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ingredients

2¾ cups plus 3 tablespoons (20 ounces) granulated sugar

1¼ cups (10 ounces) egg whites, or pasteurized egg whites in liquid form

2½ cups (20 ounces; 5 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and softened

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (2½ ounces) pure

vanilla extract

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In the bowl of a standing mixer, thoroughly whisk together the sugar and egg whites.

Set the bowl over a pot of boiling water. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture until all the sugar crystals have dissolved and the mixture is hot. Get it as hot as you can but be careful not to cook the egg whites.

Put the bowl back in the mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Beat on high speed until the mixture forms a stiff meringue and the bottom comes to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Stop the mixer and replace the whip attachment with the paddle attachment.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the butter, a few cubes at a time. When all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until fluffy.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the vanilla. Once the vanilla is incorporated, scrape the bowl and continue to mix on medium speed until you have a smooth, creamy texture. If the buttercream is too liquid, refrigerate until completely cool and stiff, then rewhip.

You can use the buttercream immediately, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Fondant Recipe

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ingredients

3 tablespoons cold water

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

½ cup (4 ounces) light corn syrup

1½ tablespoons glycerin

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

9 cups plus 2 tablespoons (32 ounces) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

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In a small bowl, combine the cold water and gelatin. Allow the mixture to sit for two minutes.

Place the gelatin mixture in a double boiler and melt over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the corn syrup, glycerin, and vanilla.

Place six cups of the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric-mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, pour the gelatin mixture into the confectioners’ sugar. Turn to medium speed and beat until a sticky ball forms.

Using a spatula coated with shortening, scrape the dough onto a clean surface and knead in the remaining sugar until the fondant is smooth.

Wrap the fondant in several layers of plastic and store in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 24 hours before using.

* Reprinted with permission from “Confetti Cakes for Kids” by Elisa Strauss with Christie Matheson

Lotus cake

| Makes one 8-inch and one 6-inch cake|

The cake layers are subtly flavored with an orange-flower water syrup to raise the sophistication level, and the decoration is a lotus flower, which grows in bright, colorful, sunny India.

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Cake Ingredients

31/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons organic all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 cup baking powder

1⁄2 cup organic whole milk

1 cup buttermilk

21⁄2 sticks unsalted organic butter,softened

2 cups organic cane sugar

3 tablespoons grated organic orange zest

1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract

8 egg whites

Vanilla Whipped Buttercream (refer to book)

Orange-Flower Water Syrup Ingredients

1⁄2 cup organic cane sugar

1⁄4 cup organic orange juice

1⁄4 cup orange-flower water

1 teaspoon grated organic orange zest

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two cake pans – an 8-inch and a 6-inch pan, both at least 3 inches high. Cut out parchment paper and place on the bottoms of the pans to prevent the cakes from sticking. Set aside.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl and set aside.

Combine the milk, buttermilk, and vanilla in a separate bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer or using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and 1½ cups of the sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Combine the orange zest with the butter/sugar mixture.

In five additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture, mix the flour and milk mixtures into the butter/sugar mixture.

When the ingredients are just combined, pour the batter into a separate large bowl and set aside.

Carefully clean the beaters and the bowl to prepare for beating the egg whites.

Beat the whites on low speed until bubbles form, then increase the speed to medium-high. Once the egg whites are almost peaking, slowly add the remaining ½ cup sugar, beating the egg whites until they’re glossy but not too stiff.

Gently mix ½ cup of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it up. Carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. It’s okay if the batter looks slightly curdled.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a cake tester or a toothpick comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn over onto a wire rack, remove the parchment paper, and let cool completely.

To Prepare the Syrup

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the syrup ingredients to a simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

To Assemble

Cut each cake into three layers. Prepare 1½ batches of Vanilla Whipped Buttercream.

Place each layer on a cake round and brush them with the orange-flower water syrup. Spread 1⁄4 cup Vanilla Whipped Buttercream onto two of the three layers of each cake. Stack the layers so that you have two cakes, each with three cake layers and two buttercream layers.

Place in the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes.

To make a crumb coat, cover each cake with a thin layer of Vanilla Whipped Buttercream. Chill again in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

While the cake is chilling, fill two small bowls with about 3/4 cup frosting each. Dip a toothpick in the deep pink food color, and add one drop to one of the small bowls. Mix with a spoon until the frosting is hot pink. Tint the orange frosting the same way.

Fill two small pastry bags with couplers with the two frostings, and fit each with a number-12 tip. (If you have only one tip, you can do one color at a time, washing out the tip for the second color.)

Remove the chilled cake layers from the refrigerator and pipe a thick line of orange frosting around the bottom of each one, about 1/4 inch from the cake. Pipe a thick line of the hot-pink frosting right above the line of orange frosting.

Frost the tops and sides of both cake layers with the remaining white buttercream, almost touching the hot- pink-frosted line. Then holding a large clean spatula vertically next to one of the layers, with the bottom tip of the spatula almost touching the bottom of the cake and applying slight pressure, move the spatula in a continuous motion around the cake, so that the orange, pink, and white frostings blend into one another. Try not to lift the spatula until you reach the starting point. If you need to to go back and blend the frostings, use a smaller spatula and blend where needed. For a chic finish, sprinkle and press the edible orange glitter toward the bottom of the cake halves.

Chill the cake for 15 minutes. Then remove it from the refrigerator and follow the instructions for tiering the cake (page 242 of the book). Place the smaller cake on top, centering it evenly. Place the lotus flower on the top tier. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

* Reprinted with permission from “Organic and Chic,” by Sarah Magid

Wild Thing

| Makes 24 cupcakes |

Make these easy cupcakes with caution. You may start seeing

wild things at your party!

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Ingredients for Cupcakes

11⁄2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

11⁄2 cups superfine granulated sugar

6 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons hot water

Animal print cupcake liners

31/2 cups

Frostings

1 container purchased vanilla frosting

Black, orange, and brown tubes of decorator’s frosting

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Choco-licious Cupcake Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray the inside of each cupcake liner or mold with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in extracts.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder and then stir into the butter and egg mixture.

Add the water and stir together until just blended.

Fill each liner or mold one-half to two-thirds full of batter. Bake 12-15 minutes until done.

Carefully remove cupcake pan from oven and place on a cooling rack for five minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and place back on the rack to cool for 30 minutes before frosting and decorating.

Frost cooled cupcakes with white frosting.

Use decorator’s frosting to make zebra and leopard patterns on cupcakes.

* Reprinted with permission from “Pink Princess Cupcakes,” by Barbara Beery