Forget Colin (or Cuthbert) the Caterpillar – we’ve teamed up with Chris Murphy, baker to the stars, to help you make your own showstopping (and secretly quite easy) birthday cakes for the gang.

Use this large sponge cake recipe as the base for a kids’ party cake. It’s a jam-filled sponge coated with buttercream, ready for you to cover with fondant icing and decorate in any way you like.

My 4-year-old and I attended a birthday party for her classmate recently. The parents hosted about 15 kids at a ...