Amazing Decorations for Cakes
posted by Melanie Carver

Now that you've baked a safe cake and frosted it, how can you decorate it to impress the birthday child? Even though you may be restricted by food allergies, the possibilities can be endless.  Our members have shared ingenious ideas on our Show Us Your Cakes photo gallery. Before your next party, spend some time going through that collection to find some ideas.  Don't forget to share your cake with us, too!

Toys, Cut-Outs, Picks, Figurines
A simple way to decorate a cake or cupcakes is to use removable, non-edible decorations.

Lynda M found these picks at a drugstore to make these adorable Valentine's Day cupcakes:


Sarah R and Amanda B used printouts of  favorite characters glued to lollipop sticks to decorate cupcakes:

Toys purchased from a bargain store also provide inexpensive decorations:

Cake figurines can also be purchased from your local bakeries for a nominal fee.


Edible Paper
Additionally, you can purchase edible paper printouts from your local bakery. Always check the label and research what they are made of to make sure they are safe for your child (some are printed on rice paper, some may use soy ink, etc.).

The edible paper can be printed with a favorite character or even with a custom photo (such as your child's face).


Fruit
Fruits can provide really pretty colors, shapes and patterns on your cake. It is best to use fruits that won't discolor when sliced (like apples, pears, and bananas).  Berries, peaches, lemon zest, orange zest, pineapple, and kiwi make great cake decorations if those fruits are safe for you.





Containers as Decorations

Another option is to use your cake display or cupcake holders as your main decoration.  Here is a cute idea shared by Shelby that displays cupcakes as a caterpillar!


Creative Arrangement
You can also frost your cupcakes with different colors and then arrange them strategically to create your theme or design.  Here, kverschaeve, has a phenomenal rainbow display using her colorful cupcakes and marshmallows.


Candies and Cookies
Fondant and marzipan may be intimidating for novice bakers, and it may be hard to find allergy-safe alternatives.  Speedbump Kitchen shares a tip on how to create professional-looking cakes using store-bought candy (if safe for your child):
"I bought some bags of Laffy Taffy, Airheads and Starbursts…and just starting creating.  I have a Wilton gumpaste tool set and some gumpaste plunger cutters (never let those 50% Jo-Anne’s coupons go to waste!) which were fun to use. The candy was a bit hard, kinda hard to shape, but 3-4 seconds in the microwave softened the pieces right up."

 Speedbump Kitchen's recipe for Spring Garden Cake

Place the worms evenly spread out on the bottom layer so that a "worm" is found within each slice of cake.

For allergy-friendly candies and cookies, check out Surf Sweets (gummy candies), Indie Candy, Enjoy Life Foods, Lucy's, Divvies, Skip's Candy Corner, HomeFree and more on our Allergy Buyer's Guide.

There are many more ideas on KFA's Show Us Your Cakes photo gallery. Don't hesitate to post questions for advice on how to make a cake safe for your child.