Ahoy mateys! If you need to create a pirate cake, this page can help with tips and ideas. Read on to learn how to make a pirate cake.

• A pirate cake can encompass a wide range of cake designs. Whether you're looking to craft a pirate ship, a chest of gold, or a treasure map, you'll need to assemble your supplies and decorate the cake.

(Creative Commons photo by Punk Jr.)

• A basic cake can be frosted and decorated with pirate symbols quickly and easily:

1. Cake mix

2. 9 by 13 pan

3. A cookie sheet or large piece of cardboard covered with foil to serve as a base

4. Chocolate frosting

5. A spatula or knife to spread the frosting

6. A large flat work surface, such as a table, to spread out while decorating

7. A skull and cross bones stencil

8. A skewer or knife to trace around the stencil

9. White frosting or confectioners sugar to fill in the stenciled areas

10. A pastry bag with tip or sealable bag with the corner sniped off

11. Your choice of decorations, such as gold candy coins or pirate figurines

1. Bake a cake in a 9 by 13 pan, cool, and place on the prepared base.
2. Frost the cake.
3. Lightly place the stencil on the cake, and trace around the inside of the stencil.
   1. If using confectioner's sugar, fill the outlined area before removing the stencil.
   2. If using frosting, remove the stencil, and carefully pipe the frosting in to the outlined areas using the pastry bag.
4. Add additional decorations as desired.

1. Freeze the cake before frosting to minimize the potential for crumble pox.

2. Consider baking a foil wrapped coin in the cake as a prize.

3. You can substitute a skull and cross bones made from poster board for the frosting decoration. Just make sure to remove it before slicing the cake.

4. Use a small stencil to make pirate cupcakes.

• If you'd like to branch out to more elaborate pirate cakes, here are some ideas:
  • Flickr: Pirate Cake Slideshow

• • Coolest-birthday-cakes.com: Coolest Homemade Pirate Cake Photos and How-To Tips
  • FamilyFun.com: Pirate Ship Cake
  • Cake Works Central: Pirate Hat Cake

• Introduction
• Step 1: Basic Pirate Cake
• Step 2: Pirate Cake Tips
• Step 3: Pirate Cake Ideas and Recipes