While birthday cakes can be fun – particularly the candle-and-sing-song element – a big slab of the sugary treat isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
If you’d rather an alternative on your big day, we’ve compiled some of the best options that still bring the celebratory spirit.
From giant doughnuts to customised cookies and personalised marshmallows, these are our top picks.
Starting strong for the brownie lovers among us, Baker Days has released a set of nine chocolate fudge brownies, each featuring birthday-themed icing décor, and made personalised with the celebrant’s name.
More of a pastry buff? Doughnotts has you well and truly covered with a bit of a showstopper – a ‘Big Boy’ giant doughnut.
These beasts come in a variety of flavours (our fave is the pink sprinkle Homer!) and they’re enough to serve the whole family. You can also opt for a giant numbered doughnut for the milestone birthdays.
For the traditionalists who insist on cake – but not in the traditional sliced format – what about a micro treat? If so, you’ll be spoilt for choice with two options we couldn’t choose between.
Cutter & Squidge, an all-natural bakery based in London, are known for their signature ‘biskies’ – bite-sized treats that allow you to try a range of different cakes without overdoing it.
Their birthday biskie box comes with either 12 or 24 pieces, with flavours like blueberry cheesecake and s’mores meaning you can sample a little of everything.
Rather than a traditional cake bite, the biskie’s act more as vessels for different flavour combinations – not dissimilar to biscuits.
Meanwhile Little Cake Co is offering delicate little individual sponge cakes in individual portions, with 2-3 servings recommended per person.
Flavours include pecan pie, carrot cake, red velvet, triple chocolate, banoffee pie, cookies and cream and, of course, traditional birthday cake.
These are light and fluffy, with the flavours still packing a punch – perfect to hand out at a party.
If you still want something to slice into, there’s always the giant cookie offered by Millie’s Cookies, which comes iced and with a personalised message.
Meanwhile Honeywell Bakes are offering a biscuit selection that could turn your head from the classic cake.
These adorable iced biscuits come in various shapes and sizes, and can also be personalised with names and ages.
They make a great gift, and can also be the perfect party favour instead of taking home squelchy slices of cake wrapped in napkins.
If you’ve got a cold tooth as well as a sweet tooth, you don’t need to bother with tubs of ice cream melting away on the kitchen side.
Instead, Doughlicious are offering handy, bite-sized balls of gelato wrapped in cookie dough – and they’re the ideal frosty treat.
You might struggle to stick a candle in them, but they’re party-perfect with a range of flavours (cinnamon churro, chocolate truffle and chocolate raspberry are our recs!).
While we wouldn’t recommend calorie counting on your birthday, if you are keen to watch your intake, these little bites are also only around 100kcal a pop.
And last but certainly not least, if our other celebratory treats don’t quite do it for you, then what about a giant marshmallow with your face on it?
Yep, you can print a picture onto a large slab of marshmallow and enjoy a piece of that in lieu of a birthday cake, courtesy of the aptly named Mallow Me.
There really is something for everyone…
