Birthdays are special occasions that are universally celebrated with cakes to mark the special day. In Beijing, there are tons of bakeries around that not only sell breads but also specialty cakes for all occasions. The entire process is pretty straightforward, and we’ll walk you through it below.

There are many options for bakeries around Beijing, and the biggest chains--Weiduomei, Holiland, Golden Phoenix, 85C, and Paris Baguette--are all consistent and generally the same in terms of price and selection. More upscale bakeries like Divina Cakes, Sweet Tooth, and Pantry’s Best are more expensive, but considering they use high quality ingredients for their unique creations on a made-to-order basis, it may be worth it for very special occasions. There are some alternatives though, like ice cream cakes from chains like Baskin Robbins and Dairy Queen, that combine their signature ice cream with cake. For children and adults, the variety of cakes in Beijing is nothing to be disappointed about.

If you’re a customer who isn’t interested in selecting a personalized cake, the limited amount of readily available cakes for purchase may do, but for many who only eat cake once a year for this special occasion, consider personalizing a cake order. Start by visiting a bakery and asking for the cake order catalog. Cakes are made on premise, but require at least one hour in advance to make the cake. Most cakes in Beijing are of the round-type variety, and pretty small. So if you’re used to ordering rectangular sheet cakes from abroad, you may be disappointed to find maybe just a couple of choices of small rectangle-shaped cakes. Next, choose the type of filling, usually fruit or a variety of cream filling. Finally, choose how the cake will be covered and decorated. You may of course have “Happy Birthday _____” or “生日快乐!” written in icing to top it off. Cakes are a little more expensive in Beijing, so be prepared to spend 250-400 RMB for a cake.