Host a Cupcake Decorating Party for Kids – A Birthday Baking party How to

A cupcake decorating party? It's a great idea if you know what you're doing! And actually quite fun if you've got the right stations. Let's see how to host the best baking birthday party ever!

A Birthday Baking Party is a must for an aspiring baker. My daughter loves being in the kitchen and baking especially……so when my girl fell in love with baking I knew it was a talent I needed to support. And what better way to encourage a budding baker than to turn it into a party!?

Today we're talking about what to do at a baking party and how to set up the stations to make it less stress and more fun!

Then explore a few other posts with more Baking Party Ideas for easy planning:

You can find the table scape, favors, and other baking party decor in this post here: Baking Party Ideas for Tweens – Simple Party Table Decoration Ideas

And finally, see how to make a simple photo booth for a party that looks like a sweet little bakery in this post here: Baking Birthday Party Backdrop Ideas to Love

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Cupcake Decorating Party Decor

You don't need to decorate a ton for a party, you just need to make it impactful. These Sprinkle Paper Lanterns hanging in the center of the kitchen island were the perfect focal point for this cupcake decorating party.

Then add a simple centerpiece with flowers and kitchen utensils in a vase on the counter in the center. I picked the white roses, light pink Gerbera daisies, and pink tulips up at Trader Joes.

You can use whatever you've got in the utensil drawer to slip in with the flowers. I liked the whisk and bamboo fork.

Cupcake Decorating Party Stations

These stations for a Baking birthday party aren't just for cupcake decorating, they're also for cupcake BAKING. Set up a station for each guest with the following: {I recommend no more than 8 total guests at a party like this}

Baking Birthday Party Station Supplies:

• Placemat – I enlarged an image as a free download from Oriental Trading's Fun365 site
• Half cupcake pan – Dollar Tree
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• 1/4 Measuring cup
• Sprinkle Cupcake liners
• Disposable Piping bags
• Various piping tips (flower petal and grass shapes were the favorites)
• 1-1/2 cups Cream Cheese Frosting in bowl
• Gel Food coloring
• Spoon, knife, and have paper towels on hand!

For the Baking Portion of the Party

You'll want to make it super easy for each guest to complete the task. Have things pre-measured as much as possible. Follow the directions on the box but you'll want to make the following changes:

• Measure out 7.62oz or HALF a box of cake mix {which is just under a full cup} and place in each mixing bowl
• Add an extra egg to the recipe, and provide 2 eggs for each guest to conveniently store in cupcake pan
• Use 1/4 cup* melted butter instead of oil
• Use 1/2 cup* whole milk instead of water
• And mix as directed on the box

* Cake mixes may vary slightly. Use the directions on your specific packaging but it will be something very similar. Remember that you're cutting the recipe in HALF for each guest.

As your guests finish their batter and fill the baking cups you'll likely need to do a couple of rounds of baking. As they wait for the cupcakes to bake there are a few things I recommend doing to keep them busy!

Baking Birthday Party Activities

If you host a birthday party and expect the kids to just have unstructured “fun”, you're setting yourself up for disaster. Planning various activities for the guests helps keep things on schedule, keeps kids from fighting or getting into mischief, and once you have a plan, it's also totally flexible.

Chocolate Dipped Fruit

Chocolate dipped fruit is a great way to keep the treats sweets but not overload on candy. Use melting disks in different colors to dip in grapes and strawberries and allow the guests to add toppings.

The toppings are super fun and can also be used for the cupcakes while decorating. My favorite toppings include:

• Mini Chocolate Chips
• Shredded Coconut
• Heath Toffee Bits
• Crushed Peppermint
• And Sprinkles!
• You could also use crushed Oreos, Mini dehydrated marshmallows, Ground pecans, etc.

Just provide some skewers to dip the fruit safely in the melted chocolate.

After decorating, let them cool, and enjoy!

Apple Donut Snack

Apple donuts are a great way to trick the kids into thinking they're eating a sweet treat while serving them something deliciously healthy!

Get the full recipe and how to on these Apple Donuts for a Healthy Foodie Party Treat in the post here.

Baking Equipment Memory Game

As the guests are at the table enjoying their lunch, play a fun little memory game.

• Provide each guest with a piece of paper and pencil or pen
• Gather a collection of baking equipment onto a tray & cover with a tea towel
  • 5-10 items for ages 3-6
  • 10-15 for ages 7-11
  • 15-20 for ages 12+
• Uncover the tray for 2 full minutes for guest to look at the tray
• Recover the tray and have guests list as many items they can remember on their paper

Cupcake Filling Options

Make your cupcake decorating even MORE exciting by offering different fillings to add inside the cupcakes.

You can choose:

• Raspberry jam {as shown}
• Lemon curd {as shown}
• Diced strawberries {as shown}
• Chocolate or vanilla pudding
• Oreo crumbles
• Nutella

Using a paring knife you can cut a hole out of the center of the cupcakes but to make it SUPER easy I highly recommend using a cupcake corer {seen above}. I also use the corer to cut the center holes in the apple donuts.

It allows you to push the plunger down just the right depth and gives you a consistent size for all the cupcakes. Just fill in the void, it's easiest to use a piping bag for this but a spoon works fine too. Then add the little cake top back on so you have a solid surface to frost.

Cupcake Decorating Party with Frosting

Once your cupcakes are filled, have each guest mix up a color with their bowl of frosting. They will be sharing the frosting colors so make sure to create a wide variety of hues.

Once the colors are mixed, use spoons to transfer the frosting to the piping bags and add piping tips. The flower petal, and grass shaped tips were the most popular for us. But let's be honest….these aren't going to look professional so just let the kids experiment and have fun!

And don't forget the toppings used for the chocolate dipped fruit – you can have guests add a few sprinkles to their cupcakes too if desired.

Cupcake Decorating Party Results

I mean how cute did these cupcakes turn out!? Not bad for a bunch of 10 and 11 year olds, right!?

They were able to enjoy a couple cupcakes after lunch, and I encouraged them to pack a special cupcake to give away to someone who needed cheering up, a thank you, or just for fun. Because there's always room for doing a little GOOD at any party!

Although their pretty frosting didn't last too long! 😂 These silly's decided on a face smash.

Cupcake Decorating Party Success

A cupcake decorating party can seem like a lot, but it's really fun when you keep the guest list small AND break down into manageable pieces. Using this guide will guarantee a successful party with happy guests, and many fabulous cupcakes!

What's your favorite part of this theme? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below. And if you share photos of your own party, I want to see it too! Please tag us @partieswithacause on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. We love celebrating all your hard work! 

Then join me, your Healthy Hostess for better-for-you holiday and party foods. Grab your free food substitution guide as the first step in your next healthy holiday gathering.

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