How to Create a Delicious Birthday Party Meal

Last updated on July 31st, 2023 at 01:10 pm

My secret to accomplishing a versatile and delicious homemade spread for a birthday party? Don’t slave over the entire meal. The tasks you do undertake, go whole ham on.

We chose an early evening party within just the right time frame that it would avoid the ovenlike outdoor temperatures while staying within the wake times of our baby and her other baby friends. So this meant we were going to serve dinner. To approximately 25 people.

Menu: Pulled pork sliders, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, fruit, veggies, ice cream bar and cake.

I decided on the party’s menu early on so I could start scouting for deals and collecting foodstuffs. We shop at Publix frequently, and they have Buy One Get One deals that change on a weekly basis. Knowing the food items ahead of time gave me a month or so of chances to snag really great BOGO items when I was just doing our regular grocery shopping. (This is how I scored four cartons of Tillamook ice cream for roughly $14.)

To accomplish this list of yumminess, I recruited help from my family. Relatives provided or helped assemble the pulled pork sliders, baked beans, potato salad, fruit salad and cut vegetables with dip. That left me to handle the macaroni and cheese, ice cream bar, and cake.

An unforgettable mac’n’cheese appealing to adults and babies alike

I made a 1.5 portion of this incredible homemade mac’n’cheese recipe. It is the only recipe I will ever need for the creamy pasta dish. It is a true wonder and ode to dairy, showcasing a vast assortment of cheeses.

The recipe author suggests grating the cheese by hand for maximum effect, which I have done in the past with great (grate!) results, but I knew that wasn’t a task I would have time for this time. I used shredded cheese, assembled the mixture the day before, and baked the mac masterpiece an hour before the party, hefting a pan approximately the weight of a Doberman onto the oven rack to bake. The result was a flavorful and creamy showstopper of a dish, with a golden slightly-crunchy crust blanketing the indulgent mass. I received many compliments on it, and to my delight, we even had leftovers.

The indulgent macaroni dish would honestly have been enough to fill us all, but the main course was more than adequately filled out with the pulled pork sliders, baked beans, veggies and fruit salad. In truth, we probably had too much food. But then we cleared the table and ushered in the whole theme of the party: ice cream!

The ice cream bar: a summertime classic

I kept the ice cream bar relatively simple, because we were also having cake. The great thing about store-bought ice cream is that there is nothing to bake or prepare. I secured one carton each of the following Tillamook ice cream flavors: vanilla bean, chocolate, cookies & cream, and peaches & cream. We provided a selection of waffle cones, sugar cones, and bowls. The cones (from Aldi) displayed quite beautifully on a cake stand. I saw on Pinterest how one could dip the cones in melted chocolate and sprinkles, but I didn’t get around to this. We also set out the following toppings: miniature chocolate chips, sprinkles, and canned whipped cream.

The birthday cake of my Pinterest-inspired dreams

The entire ice cream party theme idea was actually inspired by a single pin I saw of a melted “ice cream” cone splattered face down on top of a cake. I thought it was the cutest thing. I’m also a baker and love a good challenge. So I attempted my version of the melted ice cream cone cake.

For the cake itself, I used a 1.5 portion of Cake by Courtney’s white cake recipe. This is my go-to white cake recipe that has never failed me. (Never!) I have used it for weddings and baby showers and all of my other white cake needs!

I divided most of the cake batter into three 8-inch round pans, reserving about one quarter of the batter to pour into two 4-inch round pans. The larger cakes would be layered for the adult cake, and the minis would become my daughter’s smash cake.

I actually made this cake a month in advance and froze it. I freeze pretty much everything, and I’ve had great experiences with freezing cake. The day before the party, I moved the frozen cake to the fridge. The day of the party, I made a vanilla buttercream using four sticks of butter and amounts of powdered sugar and vanilla that just looked right. I cut the two 4-inch cake slabs in half, resulting in four thin layers. I then adhered the layers together with the sweet buttercream and frosted the outside, half-naked style.

For the big cake, I leveled each layer by cutting off the slight domes with a large knife (do this carefully!). I reserved the cut portions and crumbs in a bowl then frosted the three flat layers together as well as the outside. Then I pressed sprinkles all around the base of the cake.

Next, I heated chocolate chips and coconut oil to create the chocolate drip. I refrigerated the iced cake while letting the chocolate sauce cool. I then spooned the melted chocolate over the top of the cake, letting it run over in different sections and creating a dripping effect.

Remember the cut-off cake from leveling the layers? They would play an important role in this sweet scenario, too. I swiped a glob of buttercream with a fork and mixed that into the bowl of remnants until it formed a sticky, malleable “clay” of sorts. I molded this into a ball. This cake ball would serve as the scoop of “ice cream.” I placed the cake ball atop the cake and frosted it with a mini offset spatula with no particular precision, since this was supposed to replicate a melted scoop of ice cream. I dripped more chocolate sauce on it before finally topping it with a sugar cone.

We placed the grownup cake on a pretty cake stand on the table along with the ice cream bar, and I have to say: It was a beautiful and delicious spread to behold.

After singing “Happy Birthday’ to my bewildered now-one-year-old, I delivered her smash cake and placed it, still on its tiny cake board, on her highchair tray. She didn’t hesitate to squish her fingers down into the buttercream and munch on the delicious confection happily.

Topping the meal off with unique birthday party beverages

The guests also seemed delighted with the dessert ensemble, digging into cake or ice cream or both. The hot food was a hit, as well. For drinks, we had a filled a large glass dispenser with pink lemonade Crystal Light and lemon slices. We also had craft sodas such as Olipop and Fentiman’s rose lemonade available.

The party food was overall very tasty and easy on the budget. Adult and baby partygoers alike were filled and pleased with this collection of foods. I have a tendency to overdo things, (especially when it comes to food!) or at least overdo my expectations for what I can accomplish. This birthday meal provided the perfect middle for me that made it within our budget, within my busy schedule, but also delicious and exciting.

I might need a whole year to recuperate, but we’ll see how my next party goes! Any food favorites for parties that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!