• You can decorate the birthday cake to match the theme of the party.feiern image by Silvia Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  Birthday cakes are a special tradition no matter the age of the recipient. They can be baked in a wide array of shapes and sizes and decorated in innumerable ways. The cake does more than feed the birthday girl and the guests--it provides something to appreciate visually and signals that it's time to sing the birthday song and blow out the candles. The perfect cake can be decorated to match the theme of the birthday party.
  
  

Cupcake Crafts

• Some pre-teen birthday parties center around craft projects. Cupcakes can be decorated to match the craft project's theme. Use a platter or tiered cake plate to display the cupcakes. If the craft is tie-dying, frost the cupcakes with swirls of psychedelic icing colors. If the craft involves flowers, use her favorite colors to decorate the cupcakes with flowers. If the craft is making jewelry, use candy necklaces and bracelets.
  
  

Beauty

• Many pre-teen girls like to play with makeup, jewelry, hairstyles and skin care. If the birthday party theme is along these lines, a cake can be carved into the shape of a bottle of nail polish. The top can be iced black or white, and the rest can be decorated with bright red icing and red glitter sprinkles.
  
  

TV Shows

• A pre-teen girl may have several favorite TV shows to choose from. The birthday cake can be carved into the shape of a microphone and covered with glitter sprinkles to represent "American Idol." Candles can be placed on the round part of the microphone and a birthday message can be written along the handle. If your pre-teen girl loves "Survivor," green icing can be used to make vines and leaves for a jungle scene. Plastic lizards, fish and monkeys can be added to enhance the theme. Add a message along the lines of the theme, such as "The tribe has spoken--Happy Birthday!"