Kids' birthday cake in Asansol

Children's parties need a different cake from an adult celebration. The design has to read from across the room, the flavour has to be one children will actually finish, and the cake has to survive an hour of being looked at before it's cut. Butterflies, bows, crowns, animals and character toppers are what I'm asked for most for ages one to ten.

On flavour I'm honest with parents: chocolate and vanilla-butterscotch disappear, while coffee and fruit-forward sponges often come back home half eaten. For a first birthday I keep the sugar lower and the cream lighter, and I'll bake a tiny smash cake alongside the main one if you want photographs of the baby with their own cake.

Sizing for children is different too, because slices are smaller. A 1 pound cake serves a small family gathering; for a class or a house full of cousins, a 2 pound cake or a cake plus a box of cupcakes usually works out better than one big cake alone.