Finished pancake birthday cake with sprinkles and candles

This cake project succeeded where last year’s attempt at a galaxy cake had failed. We were celebrating a birthday at the beach with minimal kitchen facilities — only a kettle, microwave, fridge and some cutlery and plates. Traditional baking was out of the question, so I needed to get creative.

After wandering around a supermarket for inspiration, I landed on the idea of a layered pancake dessert. It turned out to be the perfect solution for an on-the-road celebration.

Ingredients

Ingredients laid out: pancakes, Nutella, banana, sprinkles, and candles
  • Piklets or pancakes (pre-made or homemade)
  • Nutella
  • Banana
  • Sprinkles
  • Candles
  • Lighter
  • A display surface (such as a chopping board)

Method

Pancakes being prepared for layering

  1. Place your first pancake on the chopping board or display surface.

  2. Spread a generous layer of Nutella over the pancake, then add sliced banana on top.

  3. Place another pancake on top and repeat the Nutella and banana layers. Continue stacking until you have six pancakes in total.

    Assembling the layered pancake cake with Nutella and banana

  4. For the top pancake, spread Nutella across the surface and press sprinkles into it.

  5. Add candles to the top and light them.

Completed pancake birthday cake with lit candles ready to serve

The result was a big step up from last year. The cake was consumed layer by layer and remained tasty when reheated the following day. Not bad for a birthday celebration with nothing more than a microwave and a bit of supermarket improvisation.