Does anyone have any ideas of a substitution for cake on birthdays?

Question

We have a monthly birthday cake for the employee's and I am trying to think of something different.

Answer 1

Banana Split Brownie Pizza
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula's Home Cooking

1 (20-ounce) box fudge brownie mix (recommended: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
2 tablespoons sugar
2 bananas, sliced and tossed in lemon juice to prevent browning
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup chopped nuts
Chocolate ice cream topping or chocolate syrup, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a 15-inch pizza pan. Prepare the brownie mix according to box directions. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done. Remove from the oven and cool. Beat the cream cheese, pineapple, and sugar together in a bowl. Use any reserved pineapple juice at this time, if needed, to soften the mixture to a good spreading consistency. Otherwise dispose of or save the juice for another use. Spread the mixture over the cooled brownie crust. Arrange the banana and strawberry slices over the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping. Refrigerate. To serve, slice as you would a pizza, and enjoy!

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Chocolate Tiramisu Pizza
Recipe courtesy Rick Nielsen and Bill Jacobs, Piece Brewery and Pizzeria, Chicago, IL
Show: Inside Dish

12 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup brewed espresso, cooled, plus more as needed
1 prebaked pizza shell
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In a food processor, whip the mascarpone cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth and creamy. Add espresso, process until mixture is creamy and spreadable. Add a bit more espresso if mixture is too stiff.

Spread the tiramisu filling over baked pizza shell. Create a dappled effect by first dusting the cheese liberally with cocoa powder, followed by a very light dusting.

Place on a baking sheet in the oven just until slightly warmed.

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Chocolate Calzone
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello

1/2 pound premade pizza dough, purchased at grocer store or local pizzaria
2 (15-ounce) containers whole milk ricotta
2 cups superfine sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, melted in microwave or double boiler, plus 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate
Pinch salt
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy

Preheat pizza stone in 450 degree F oven for at least 30 minutes. If not using a pizza stone, use a flat sided or upside-down cookie sheet.
Place the ricotta in a bowl. Add 1 handful sugar and the vanilla and whisk well. While whisking, add in the melted chocolate, little by little.

On a lightly floured pizza peel or board, roll pizza dough out into 2 (12-inch) rounds about 1/4-inch thick. Spoon 1 cup of chocolate filling into center of each round. Plac the remaining chopped chocolate on top. Brush the edges of the dough with beaten egg white and fold each round in 1/2. Fold edges over as you would a piecrust and press to seal completely. Brush off excess flour from dough, brush with more of the egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Slide chocolate calzone onto preheated pizza stone and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Fresh Fruit Pizza
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Show: Paula's Home Cooking

1 (17-ounce) package sugar cookie dough
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond, lemon or orange extract
3 cups fruit, fresh bananas, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, fresh oranges cut into rounds and peeled, blueberries, strawberries and peaches
1/2 cup orange marmalade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out cookie dough large enough to cover a round pizza pan. Bake 8 to 15 minutes or until firm. Cool completely. Mix together cream cheese and extract. Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled cookie dough crust. Arrange fruit in circles (like a bulls eye pattern). Slightly warm marmalade and brush over fruit. Serve immediately.

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Cherry Pineapple Crumble


1 20oz. Can Crushed Pineapple (do NOT drain)
1 20oz. Can Cherry Pie Filling
1 Box White or Yellow Cake Mix
1 Stick Butter
1 – 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
Warm Water


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a cake pan (8x13) spread crushed pineapple and juice. Spread cherry pie filling over pineapple. Sprinkle cake mix (dry) over fruit. Cut stick of butter into thin pats and top cake mix with pats of butter. Bake 30 minutes.

After the crumble comes out of the oven mix the powdered sugar with enough warm water to make a glaze. Pour glaze over the crumble. Best served at room temperature. Top with ice cream if desired.

Enjoy!!

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White Chocolate Fudge Bars

1 Chocolate fudge cake mix
2 Eggs
1/3 cup oil
¾ cup White chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in white chocolate chips. Mixture will be stiff. Press dough into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake 14-16 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be topped with favorite frosting if desired.

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Lemon Squares

1 lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in white chocolate chips. Mixture will be stiff. Press dough into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Bake 13-15 minutes until slightly golden on top.

Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

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Chocolate Squares

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Mixture will be stiff. Spread mixture evenly into a greased 9 x 13 pan.
Bake 13-16 minutes, until brownies reach desired consistency.

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Punchbowl Cake

1 yellow cake mix
2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling
12 oz. whipped topping (Cool-Whip)
½ cup chopped nuts

Prepare cake and pudding according to package directions. Crumble on half of cake into bottom of punchbowl. Pour half of the pudding over the cake. Crumble the other half of the cake into the bowl and pour the rest of the pudding over that layer. Add pineapple, then cherry pie filling, then topping. Sprinkle nuts on top. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Answer 2

Last year on my sons(who is 10) we had a Cookie pizza. It was something fun and different for him.

As with is for your work have you thought about cupcakes? You can dress them up If you work at a office you can decorate them to look like suits. Or you can make some mine cheese cakes Just use your favorite cheese cake mix and put them in the cupcake paper

There is a cook book called cakes and more....I think anyway it has a ton of tips on how to dress up a cake mix.

I hope this helps

Answer 3

How about an ice cream cake. We make a homemade one that is a chocolate delight!!
ice cream sandwiches...vanilla or chocolate
hot fudge or chocolate sauce
whipped cream in the can
crushed oreos (just the outside)
chocolate sprinkles for decoration
In and flat cake pan, size doesnt matter, lay down the sandwiches, cover with hot fudge, add cookie crumbs, cover with whipped cream and start all over.
Decorate the whipped cream top with chocolate sprinkles.
The good thing about this recipe is you can replace the cookies, hot fudge and topping with whatever you like. Crushed candy bars, caramel sauce, anything!!
Oh, freeze it til set.

Answer 4

Get one of those big chocolate chip cookies or cupcakes--they are mini cakes that are easy to serve and eat....

Answer 5

find out what their favorite dessert is and serve that,it will be a nice personal touch they will appreciate, there's no law saying it has to be cake.when i was a kid i actually hated cake so i always got a blueberry pie which was my favorite and i thought that was great, have fun with it

Answer 6

You can get a giant birthday cookie. I have seen them displayed at a cookie shop at the mall.

Answer 7

Cupcakes or a donut tower