Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Women's Weekly

Children's Birthday Cake Book

Rate this book
The classic birthday cake book from the Australian Women's Weekly, these cakes are based on using packet cakes or simple butter cakes with decorations of icing and lollies. Each recipes includes instructions and photos, and uses either simple cake shapes or shapes cut from templates (included).

The popularity of this book in Australia for over thirty years means that adults and children alike look forward to such favourites as the train cake (pictured on the cover), the piano cake, the popcorn-studded duck, or the jelly-filled swimming pool.

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

107 people want to read

About the author

Maryanne Blacker

52 books1 follower
An editor of cookbooks for The Australian Women's Weekly.

For a listing of Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks that have not be categorised into editors see: The Australian Women's Weekly. The biography of this author also includes links to other food editors for the Australian Women's Weekly.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
82 (75%)
4 stars
19 (17%)
3 stars
5 (4%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Jodi.
Author 3 books87 followers
August 12, 2016
Our family was obsessed with this book in the 80s! Love it!
223 reviews3 followers
January 16, 2024
I had this book when I was a little kid, I was especially enchanted by the doll cakes and cakes with rainbow sprinkles and candies. One year my mom made the piano cake in it for me, to which we also added tiny musical instruments and my little doll standing by the cake. I feel like this should get a rerelease so that the younger generation gets more cake ideas in addition to what’s online on sites like Pinterest
Profile Image for Rebecca.
363 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2020
A family favourite over three generations.

Only last year I gave my original copy to a charity, knowing that demand was still very high and they could get a good price for it.

Such was this books popularity that only yesterday I noticed a new shiny new copy in store that has both AWW and Cadbury branding and features photos from the original alongside some new recipes and “re-dos”.
Profile Image for C.
124 reviews
February 3, 2024
I don't know of any other cookbook that encapsulates my childhood birthday party memories so well
508 reviews14 followers
January 29, 2009
I remember this book fondly from my childhood - we spent hours dreaming about which delightful cake Mum would make for our next birthday. My dream was for a swimming pool - a normal cake with a pool sized hollow cut into it filled with green (or blue) jelly (Jello for those in the US).

Basically all the cakes are just packet cakes made in standard square, rectangle, round or doughnut shaped cake tins. Then you cut up the cake and rearrange to make the funky shape (be it a robot or a sewing machine!). Then decorate with way too many food colourings and you are set. Some are way too fiddly to ever bother with (check out the Rubber Ducky and the Sewing Basket), but most are relatively simple to construct.

The cake designs very sexist to the modern eye - sports cars, rockets and tug boats for boys and sewing machines, stoves and tea parties for girls.

As a parent I think that if decorating a cake like this is going to be fun - then do it... If it is just another job that needs to be done as part of the massive birthday party - then just buy one!
Profile Image for Christina.
83 reviews
January 15, 2013
This cookbook was actually first published in 1980 and it's been in print since then. I've got the 1994 edition with a slightly differnt cover picture. This is a classic cookbook; if there's a better children's birthday cake book I've yet to find it. I think just about every Aussie parent has a copy of this book! We've made so many recipes from this book and they've all been winners. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Sammy.
956 reviews33 followers
September 9, 2011
A true Australian classic. So many people grew up with these cakes and thankfully the book is still occasionally reprinted. Simply marvellous. My childhood favourites included that swimming pool with jelly, the TV set and that mammoth cake - which I had for my very first birthday - the space rocket.
Profile Image for Ana.
304 reviews49 followers
June 26, 2016
I loved flipping through this book as a child.
For my 3rd birthday I had the train cake that's on the cover. Everyone was sick at my creche (including me), so I only had 3 friends turn up, but it was okay, because the cake was EPIC.
Mom and I loved the book so much, we bought the reprint that came out a few years ago, so now we have two copies.
Profile Image for Alisha Brook.
2,079 reviews40 followers
September 9, 2017
Title: Children's Birthday Cake Book
Series: -
Author: Australian Women's Weekly
Genre: Cook Book/ Food
Rating: 4.5 stars

This book offers some great birthday cake ideas, that are suitable even for beginners with step-by-step instruction. Of course, Modern day kitchen tools means some of these are outdated, but still a great source for some incredible and fun cake ideas :)
Profile Image for Ang from OZ.
192 reviews11 followers
June 7, 2011
I've read this book cover to cover many times. This is the book I picked my birthday cakes from when I was a child. And my Nan would then make them for me! Fav cakes - Ballerina, May Pole, Mouse! Recently found this book to purchase!
Profile Image for Dinny.
18 reviews4 followers
September 22, 2007
Mengulas bentuk-bentuk kue ultah yang lucu2 dengan butter cream.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews