I'm planning a birthday for my son and I'm wondering where to buy a reasonable birthday cake. Back home (US) we can just walk into any bakery and request for any themed cake. Here I have no clue. Please help someone.

Hi Daniella
I'm not to sure about where you can request a particular themed cake but you might have some luck at any of the cake stores found in the basement of department stores. They usually have a range on display and sometimes a "menu" of cakes you can choose from to order.
Hope this helps
Bridget

Hello, Daniella,
It's been a while but I never had access to this kind of service. Learning to make do, we made a cake from scratch, and the frosting. In a real pinch, I have learned that granulated sugar can be made into powdered sugar to save a few pennies, using those tiny milling machines which we used to use for baby food.
Local stores have powdered food coloring in only 3 tiny choices: red, green and yellow.
One year, we used green to make a park and the grass.
Chocolate sticks made swing sets and see-saws, and other candy made obstacle courses or walking paths on the rectangular cake.
Then, stick gum made slides. It took hours for them to make but my 2 planned it, shopped for it, and decorated it. It was kind of a mess but a great memory.
Oreo cookies make great automobile wheels and so on.

In June, we finally made it to Costco in Minami Osawa for the first time. They have various pre-made flowery cakes like in the bakery "back home." We bought it (cost? ) and brought it back home. We ate some, and froze the rest and picked at it for a month! It was fun, but I have a feeling the cakes they make themselves are more memorable and cheaper for sure!
If you live near a Sony Plaza, etc. you can get the cake mix and that is half the battle.
Hey, my kids return to Japn on Monday! I think I'll make a cake!
Thanks for the idea!
Amy

I just wanted to add that you could easily use the Castella cakes that supermarkets sell here as a base for any cake decorating you want to do if you don't want to bake or don't have oven space.

I'm currently working on the blueprints for a shinkansen birthday cake! :) Ganbarimasu

I don't know how "themed" a cake you have in mind, but I've never had trouble requesting a bit of original decoration at any local cake shop in the neighborhood. A lot of the smaller ones are run by the chefs themselves, so as long as the chef can make it, no problem. Ask your neighbors for recommendations.

Of course you need to give them a certain amount of time, perhaps a week or so or more depending on your request. Last minute requests are usually accepted with a "Well, we can have a birthday cake ready if you don't mind buying this one in the case, and no names".

The cake shops usually have a variety of ornaments fit for various age and gender. The birthday boy's name can be done in any character (alphabet, kana, kanji).

As for D.I.Y., I used to buy Betty Crocker cake mixes and make them myself when I was in grade school back in the U.S.. Betty Crocker is available at major supermarkets in Japan. It's a piece of cake to make one using their discription.

Oh, yeah, I remember getting a nice ice cream cake with my daughter's name on it one year from Baskin Robbin's 31 Flavors.
Seemed costly, but it was a fun experience and yummy and different. They needed a few days as well to prepare. We got dry ice with it for the long ride home.
There is some kind of corn syrup recipe that makes a shiny white meringue/marshmallowy frosting.
I saw a Baumkuchen cake shop in Seibu's basement in Ikebukuro once. I stood there a long time watching them layer slices of Baumkuchen rings with creme, strawberries and custard until they had a yummy-looking tower that would also be a treat.
(I didn't buy it but I can still fantasize!)
Anna Miller's mails pies. Do they mail cakes?

Thank you Everybody for such a quick response. Wow!!! Really helpful and I'm going to try to be more adventurous and make my own cake. Good excuse to start. If not I'll try all your suggestions. Thanks a bunch!

I use the Australian Womens Weekly "Kids Birthday Cakes" book to make my cakes.
They are simple to make, if a little time consuming when you first start out. I use Betty Croker Vanilla cake mix for the cake and decorate from there.
Here is a link to Amazon.co.uk showing the book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1863962816/202-3939077-2525422

For birthday cakes in ANY shape or design call Kyle Sexton of Kyles's Good finds. In Nakano Ku he bakes cakes that look like superman, a mac computer, all the kids TV favorites. He made an accurate representation of my newly built American style barn for our opening party a few years ago. He can bake anything. Call him at 03-3385-8993
Jack at Tengu Natural Foods

Hello, Daniella,
Here is a fun page for pop-sicles. It is part of a larger website on fun recipes for kids.

http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/popsicle-recipes.html

http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/birthday-party-cakes.html

Have fun!

There is more on the cake thing at:
Japan With Kids - Forums: General Discussions: Entertainment - Kids Parties
http://www.tokyowithkids.com/discussions/messages/8/676.html
as well as other party related information!

I posted this "cake thing" message under the other discussion, too, but thought it deserves to appear in both places (hope that's okay, C.) I can say from personal experience that Kyle's cakes are great, but if you're looking for one of those photographically polished types, try Ben Klein at
http://www.cakesgaloretokyo.com/Contact%20us.htm.
He's just opened shop in Tokyo this month, and seems like a very talented guy.

Anybody know where I can get a birthday cake, e.g Winnie the Pooh in Tokyo?

I have a winnie the pooh cake pan and lots
of napkins and plates, 1500yen for the
lots. the cake pan is from wilton, go to
wilton.com and you can find it there, not
that hard to decoate.

PEnny

Costco in Machida (close to tokyo) has the usual array of b'day cakes. Also Mitsukoshi on the basement level (in Hiroo) has an **amazing** assortment of cake tin shapes.

Lea Watson
http://www.scooterwally.com

Somebody recommended Cakes Galore in Nishi-Azabu in another thread.

http://www.cakesgaloretokyo.com/

Great news! Ben Klein of Cakes Galore is now a sponsor of this web site. If you need a cake for any occasion, please click on his banner wherever you may see it!


By Cornelia on Tuesday, March 29, 2005 - 08:51 am:
Ben Klein of Cakes Galore is looking for someone to take over! He has to leave Japan. Here are his words: "if you know anyone with passion for cakes that would be interested in taking over a business with great potential, - please, send him or her this way."
ben[at]cakesgaloretokyo.com

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