It was May 1976, and New York City Mom Linda Kaye found herself the parental version of that familiar final-exam-for-the-class-you-never-went-to dream. Her daughter Marcy's sixth birthday was nearing, and she found herself without a cake or a single party plan. With the help of a friend, she came up with the solution: Have the kids make the cake—and turn that into the party. It was such a hit that Kaye started replicating the baking fete for friends' children, and within a year she had launched Birthdaybakers, Partymakers, an event-planning company. Today, her enterprise hosts 10 types of parties (including carnival-inspired festivities and magic shows), but the cake-baking theme is still a family favorite. "As my mom's business grew, my birthdays got fancier," recalls Marcy, "but I always wanted to have another Bake-a-Cake one."
This fall, 30 years after the first baking party, Kaye reprised the theme for the fourth birthday of Marcy's daughter, Chloe. Though Grandma's now a pro at effortlessly leading kids through a sticky, flour-dusted afternoon of stirring and sifting, she swears that even moms who fear a Duncan Hines mix can handle a baking party. "And if something does go wrong with the cake, don't worry," she says. "Children love to see that adults are fallible. Ask for their help and have a laugh." Then have a delicious (however fallen or burned) bite.
Next Page: How to throw your own cake-baking bash
