Candy Garden: a pastel cake in a sunny lollipop garden
Candy Garden is the only birthday cake set in daylight. A bright blue sky turns pink at the horizon, where a faint rainbow and a sun sit low, and cotton candy clouds drift by. On a pastel meadow there are sugar-coated jelly bean hills, spiral and round lollipop trees, candy canes and jelly beans in the grass. Butterflies flutter around the cake and soap bubbles float through the air. The cake fits right in: a pink ceramic stand with jelly beans on the rim, a ring of macarons on the top tier, little hearts on the sides, two swirly lollipops on top and candy-cane striped candles.
It is the sweetest choice for young children, whether that is a niece, a godson or a grandchild. It also works for grown-ups who love pastels or have a famous sweet tooth. When you make it you pick a colour for each tier, the candles and your message. If it is for a small child, you might send the link to a parent so they can open it together.
What does the recipient experience?
- They tap 'Open your gift', choosing to open with or without the microphone if asked.
- A pastel gift box wobbles three times and pops open, balloons rise and their name appears in the middle of the candy garden.
- The cake spins in on its pink stand and the candy-cane candles light one by one. The garden dims, they make a wish and tap the button.
- They put the candles out by blowing at the phone, or by holding down the 'Hold to blow' button.
- Instead of fireworks, sweets fall from the sky: wrapped candies and jelly beans tumble down and bounce on the meadow, with sparkles in the air. Confetti and streamers drop and the birthday song plays.
- Your message opens on a card; they can thank you with one of five emojis or watch it all again.
What can you choose?
Choose each tier's colour separately from strawberry pink, mint, lilac and lemon. Make the whole cake one shade or mix it, for example a mint base with a lilac top. For the candles, pick a number from 1 to 9, or type their age to get number candles. Their name, yours and your message appear on the card at the end.
When to send it
A birthday template that shines at children's birthdays: plenty of colour and movement, nothing spooky and nothing too loud. Kids tend to love the blowing part, and if a parent would rather not turn on the microphone, holding the button works just as well. It's also an easy pick for an adult friend who loves pastel colours or never says no to dessert.
Common questions
Are there no fireworks in Candy Garden?
No. Because it takes place in daylight, the celebration rains wrapped sweets and jelly beans from the sky instead, which bounce on the grass and fade. Confetti, streamers and balloons are there as in the other cakes.
What else sets it apart from the other cakes?
There is a whole candy world behind the cake: lollipop trees, jelly bean hills, cotton candy clouds, a rainbow, butterflies and soap bubbles. The other cakes are set at night or in a dark room.
Can a young child open it on their own?
The steps are simple: tap a button, make a wish, blow. There is still some text to read, though, so opening it together is more fun for a child who can't read yet.