40 simple cake recipes for holidays, birthdays, or any occasion.

Presenting playful cakes for kids that are easy to make and taste great. Straight-forward recipes paired with achievable cake decorating instructions makes preparation a breeze. The decorating steps are even simple enough for kids to join in the fun.

Start with one of four foolproof basic cakes to serve as your foundation (yogurt cake, chocolate cake, lemon cake, or vanilla sponge cake), choose your recipe, and get started From the simplest cakes to the most "complex," every single recipe is suited for even the most novice of bakers: truly a piece of cake.

These creative cake themes for birthdays and holidays include a Rainbow Roll, Tarzan's Jungle, Santa Claus, Halloween Graveyard, Polar Ice Floe, Candy Train, Circus Animals, Race Track, Pirate Ship, Hedgehog, Roaring Lion, Psychedelic Caterpillar, and many more

Juliette Lalbaltry is a food stylist who develops and writes recipes for magazines, her blog (juliette-lalbaltry.fr), and various company brands. She lives in Paris, France.

Delphine Constantini is a culinary photographer based in Paris.