Let’s face it, birthdays can be expensive. Not only do you have gifts to purchase, but you have to have a cake, too. If you buy your cake, it can be really expensive ($15.00 or more).
Or, you could make your own cake. I can usually purchase box cake mixes for $1.00 or less, when I find it on sale and use a coupon. I also make my own frosting, which is another big cost savings there.
Think Simple
But, you’re worried that you have to have fancy cake pans, or you have to have all kinds of cake decorating experience. That’s not true. I’ve made my share of cakes with fancy car-shaped cake pans, etc, but you don’t have to have that.
With a little creativity, you can turn a cake made in different-sized glass bowls into a turtle Here’s where I got my idea.
Or, you could print a coloring page off the internet and trace it into a Batman (or a Boz). It’s called a Buttercream transfer and here are directions on how to do it. As far as having cake decorating experience, all you need is a little practice making stars (the most basic cake decorating stroke).
Have Your Kids Help
For even more fun, you can involve your kids in making and decorating their own cake. Not only do they have a delicious (and frugal) cake for their birthday, but they probably had a blast helping you out in the kitchen. The cake may not turn out perfect, but what’s more important – the perfect cake picture or the fun your child had with you in the kitchen? Besides, pictures of cakes are always quite forgiving 
. Mine always look better in pictures than they did in real life.
Buttercream Frosting Recipe
To help you get started, here’s my recipe for buttercream frosting (made with the new trans fat free Crisco).
1 cup shortening (trans fat free)
1 cup butter
2 tsp. clear vanilla (if you want the frosting to be white) – Wilton sells the clear vanilla
2 lbs. powdered sugar
4 tbsp. milk
Mix the shortening and butter, then add the vanilla and milk. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Then blend for about 5 minutes.
If you’re interested, you can see pictures of many of the cakes that I’ve baked for my kids over the years.
Corrie is a "cents"able wife and stay-at-home mom of 2 boys.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Love the turtle Corrie!! How awesome!! I just started making the boys cakes last year & with my older 2 kids 2 days apart it saves us real money. I had not heard of butter cream transfer before. I bookmarked that page so I can come back to it next month.
how cute! the turtle looks amazing!!!!
The last few years I have started making my own cakes for all our birthdays. There is 6 of us in the family so I have saved a TON of money doing it this way. Especially when I stock up on really cheap cake mix and frosting. Plus, everyone always loves the thought and effort I put into decorating them.
This is going to be a lifesaver! I’ve got a superhero birthday cake to bake for my son in a few weeks and have been racking my brain on how to make it at home but have it look like a pro did it! Thanks so much!
I’m so glad to see someone that still bakes homemade cakes! I’ve always baked the cakes for my family… children and grandchildren and sometimes friends! They sure taste a lot better than a storebought cake and you can make them so personable! My kids had Rambo, Ghostbusters, animals, pirates, etc… Grandchildren had Teletubbies, Star Wars, Batman, etc…. You can be so creative!! Thanks for making memories!