This is such a fun idea to help families in your community. Learn how to make a birthday cake box to donate to your local food pantry.
Buying or making a cake to celebrate someone’s birthday may not be feasible for family’s that need the support of a food bank or food pantry. When it’s hard to feed your family, you aren’t thinking about buying extras like a birthday cake.
But all kids should have a happy birthday and helping underprivileged children with a birthday celebration is a great cause.
If you are looking for a fun service project you can do with your friends, family or community group, check out how easy it is to assembly birthday cake boxes to donate.
Birthday Cake Box To Donate
Hosting a birthday party project is pretty easy to do. Some birthday donation ideas include party decorations, special treats, small gift cards or other birthday gifts that appeal to a wide variety of kids. The best way to make a special day in the life of a child is to ensure they get a birthday cake.
A birthday cake box should include cake mix and frosting at the very minimum. Including a disposable cake pan, candles or sprinkles is also helpful. Since not everyone will have oil or eggs on hand, a can of lemon-lime soda can be included as a substitute.
Some homeless children live in a homeless shelters with kitchens but limited supplies, so having everything on hand including the pan and ingredients helps ensure they cane make a cake.
Bake a Cake with Soda?
Why a can of soda? Well a can of soda can substitute for the eggs, oil and water listed on a cake mix in a pinch. Is using a can of soda better? Nope, not in my opinion but we have made cakes with a can of soda and they do turn out ok. And if the recipient does have eggs and oil, then they just get a bonus can of soda they can drink.
How to Put Together a Cake Box to Donate
Start by buying all your cake box supplies. In my case I included a disposable cake pan, cake mix, can of frosting, package of birthday candles and a can of lemon-lime soda.
I also make a note to include about the soda, in case the recipient didn’t know about the substitution trick. Then I made a fun label to stick on the top of the cake pan, to decorate the kit and remind everyone to Celebrate With Cake!
I found the items to be very heavy for the foil pans I had purchased, so I added a small piece of cardboard underneath to stabilize them. Then when I enclosed the cake pan with the clear top, I tied a ribbon around like a present which kept the cardboard in place.
Birthday Cake Kit Printables
Do you want to print the fun Celebrate With Cake stickers or Soda Can note to include with your own birthday cake kits? You are in luck, I am sharing them with you below! You can print them as big or small as you like. Please keep in mind these are for personal use only. Thanks 🙂
Click here to –> download the Celebrate With Cake design (set of 9) or single pdf design
Click here to –> download the Soda Can Note design
Birthday Boxes for Food Panty
Beyond the essentials to bake a cake, a birthday box could also include fun plates, napkins and birthday decorations as well.
Cake Box for Food Bank
Where should donate your birthday cake boxes? I’d donate it to your community food bank or check with local churches who also run food pantries in many communities. Also check with a local soup kitchen or places like Ronald McDonald House where families stay during medical treatments. Locally in Tucson, I recommend donating to the Interfaith Community Services Food Bank.
Birthday Fundraising
Do you want to assemble a large amount of cake boxes for your local food bank? Consider using your own birthday parties to request and create the boxes. Instead of asking for a birthday present, ask party guests to bring cake box supplies in lieu of a gift.
Lindsey says
I love this idea! We’ve been baking Christmas cookies and giving care packages to the local shelter for the past few winters, but this is such a fantastic way to help people feel loved and remembered throughout the year. Holidays and birthdays can be some of the most difficult and lonely times for people. It’s my birthday month and I just placed an order of birthday cake supplies to start my new favorite birthday tradition! I’m excited for my little one to be apart of this as well. Thanks for making your sticker and soda PDFs available.
Karen says
You are welcome!! Everyone should have cake to celebrate their birthday!
Brenda Alvarez says
I love this idea! And I am an advocate for the cake plates and napkins,and disposable flatware. Some may not have those items. Dollar Tree has stepped up their game with decorations, candles, plates and napkins
Karen says
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing your idea.