Cake's Off The Menu: Birthday Dessert Ideas For Children Who Hate Cake!
If your child doesn't like cake, then you might wonder what types of dessert to get them for their birthday. Well, if you're taking them out to eat at a family restaurant, then you are in luck. You will have lots of options besides cake to choose from.
Below is a list of restaurant desserts that would make wonderful birthday desserts.
Semifreddo
If your child likes puddings, then this is a wonderful dessert to get. If you're going to an Italian restaurant, then this is a dessert you might find on the menu. The name means partially frozen. It is made with gelato and whipped heavy cream. The texture is much lighter than puddings. It is often flavored with chocolate, though lemon is another common flavoring. Often times a small pine nut cookie will be served alongside the semifreddo.
Cannoli
These are popular Sicilian desserts that you will find in most Italian restaurants. They are made by deep frying pastry dough into the shape of a tube. The shell is then dried and cooled. It is then filled with a sweet mixture of ricotta, mascarpone, and sugar. It is often times flavored with fresh lemon zest. Some restaurants will add chocolate chips to the two ends of the shell.
Cannoli have become very popular for celebrations. It's not uncommon for a restaurant to decorate them with birthday candles.
Linzer Torte
If your child likes jam, then this is a perfect dessert. This torte is made with a short crust that is rich with butter, crushed almonds, lemon zest and egg yolks. This crust is rolled out and filled with raspberry or plum jam. The torte is then covered with an intricate latticework crust. This is a great treat for children who love pies and jams.
Chocolate Soufflé
This is definitely a dessert to get at a restaurant. They can be tricky to make at home, so it's a good choice to get when you're out to eat. They are wonderful indulgent, but also really fun.
Soufflés often get pigeonholed as a type of dessert that only sophisticated foodies will enjoy. This is absolutely wrong. They are airy, while still maintaining a sweet richness. The flavor is of chocolate, not some exotic flavor that will seem foreign.
So, if your child loves chocolate, then they would love a soufflé.
Mille-feuille
These French pastries are also referred to as Napoleons. They are made by layering puff pastry with pastry cream. Typically is it a three level design. The top layer has a white icing. A secondary icing, chocolate, is drizzled onto the white icing to create a beautiful design. You can have the waiter place birthday candles in the pastry before bringing it out.