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.
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.
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
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”.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 :)
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!