Birthday cake ideas that are niether chocolate nor fruit.

Coffee....Cinnamon...caramel...together.

oops, here's the link: http://www.food52.com/recipes/11618_tender_yellow_cake

You can start with sdebrango's fabulous Tender Yellow Cake as a base, and frost as you like, with vanilla, caramel, coffee-toffee or other icing...

strawberry shortcake. have fun!

I went to birthday tonight and they used those "joke" candles. That would relight after trying to blow them out---all fine and well good fun. But be warned. Even when you have those things 'out' they can relight after you take them out---so put them in some water.

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone. The cake is for a mixed crowd of kids and adults, though probably it will be mostly adults eating it. Now I have the opposite problem and have to decide which to make!

May be I am not too modest, but you can take a look at my cake: “Smetannik” (Russian cake with sour cream frosting). I made this cake a month ago for a friends’ birthday party and all the guests loved it. I even posted new photos of the cake which were taking at the party.

I love almond cakes: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/06/almond-cake-recipe/

You can also make any type of white or yellow cake with a frosting of your choice--cream cheese, cinnamon, and caramel come to mind. Red velvet and coconut (Ina Garten has a good one) are other alternatives.

Or what about an olive oil or polenta cake? This olive oil rendition looks beautiful: http://food52.com/recipes/3682_blood_orange_olive_oil_cake_with_candied_pistachios
Just leave out the orange zest, since you don't want fruity. You can sub regular OJ for the blood orange juice called for. This, in my mind, wouldn't make it a fruity cake; you shouldn't be able to detect it much.

For a polenta cake: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/04/david-lebovitzs-polenta-cake-with-olive-oil-rosemary-recipe.html

Would a coffee cake fit the bill? I generally don't think of it as party food, but I love anything with a crumb topping.

Pound cake all the way. With ice cream? None better.

You don't say whether this is for adults or children. Might make a difference on responses.

How about a Baked Alaska? And use sparklers instead of Candles. (light them with a blow torch after it comes out of the oven). But then again you can't blow out sparklers.

Coconut and lemon party cake? Dorrie Greenspan said this is the ultimate party cake. You can omit the raspberry preserves if it breaks you rules

http://www.rcc.edu/academicPrograms/nursing/files/VNinfosheet2011.pdf

What about an angel food cake with a flavored whipped cream or ice cream.

You could do a caramel cake, almond cake, spice cake, or a maple pecan cake. Just some ideas.