Birthday Cake Coloring Page

This birthday cake coloring page shows a tall three tier cake with a smiling face on its bottom layer. It stands on a round plate on a party table, with two wrapped gifts beside it. Four balloons rise behind the cake, and a string of nine flags runs across the top. Three striped candles burn above the top tier. It is a sweet page for ages 4 to 9.

Kids can finish it in about 25 minutes. The tiers and balloons are wide, so a child who is still learning to stay inside the lines has plenty of room. The rows of round beads take a little more care.

Why kids ask for a birthday cake coloring page

Cake is the star of the day for most children, so this page gets them excited right away. They can plan the cake they wish they had, with any flavor and any frosting. Nobody says no on paper.

That makes it a good tool in the weeks before a real party. Ask your child to color the dream cake, and you will know just what to bake or order.

Frosting and flavor color ideas

Give each tier its own flavor. Try pink for strawberry on the bottom, pale blue for a magic layer in the middle, and lilac for grape on top. The icing can stay white, or it can drip in chocolate brown.

Red hearts and gold stars will stand out on any base color. The beads around each tier look best in two colors, one after the other, like yellow and white. A white plate keeps the bottom of the cake simple.

For the wall behind the cake, a soft lilac makes the bright balloons look even stronger. The flames look best in orange with a yellow center. Pink suits the table cloth, and red hearts look good along its scalloped hem.

Tips for a neat cake

• Color the small hearts, stars and diamonds first, then fill in around them.
• Press lightly near the wavy icing line to stay inside it.
• Keep the cheeks light, so the big dark eyes stay the first thing you see.
• Glue a bit of real ribbon on each gift for a bumpy party look.

Older kids can try shading. A little gray or darker color on one side of each tier will make the cake look round rather than flat.

Sweet facts about cakes and candles

Ancient people did not have cakes like ours. Early ones were closer to sweet bread, often made with honey. Fine white sugar and baking powder came much later, which is why today's soft sponge cake is a fairly new idea. Older kids can look up the birthday cake on Wikipedia.

Many families say that you must blow out every candle in one breath for your wish to come true. You also have to keep your wish a secret, which is hard when you are five.

Tiered cakes like this one need support, since the top layers are heavy. Bakers push thin sticks called dowels into the lower tiers so that the cake does not sink.

Math and baking ideas

This page is handy for early counting. There are five hearts and five stars on the cake, plus two diamonds. Count the flags, the balloons and the candles next. Ask which tier has the most beads. The bottom one has 14, and younger kids can point at each one while you say the number aloud.

Try a pretend bakery after coloring. Cut the cake out, tape it to a paper plate and set up a shop. One child can be the baker while another places an order.

Better yet, bake a very simple mug cake together. Your child can stir the batter, add the sprinkles and choose a candle, and then compare it to the drawing. Let them decide which one looks better. An adult should handle the hot mug, of course.

Save your favorite copy for a scrapbook. Write the date and the child's age on the back, and repeat each year to watch their coloring grow.

Keep the party going

Browse more birthday coloring pages for your next party. If you have a sweet tooth, try the cute cupcake coloring page or the ice cream cone coloring page.

Questions