Find the best birthday cake in NYC

Layer cakes are fun and all, but for some birthday honorees, ice cream is the way to go. The Brooklyn ice creamery gets its name from a Walt Whitman poem, and this decadent birthday cake definitely captures the poet’s joie de vivre. A rich brownie base is spread with fudge, then covered in vanilla-bean ice cream; another layer of fudge forms the base for a layer of  salted-caramel ice cream. Whipped cream and sprinkles are a final, joyous flourish.

(6-inch cake for $45, 9-inch cake for $65)

Another fun departure from the standard layer cake comes from this adorably old-school bakeshop with three NYC locations. A simple but delicious combo of chocolate wafer cookies layered with plenty of cocoa whipped cream, the cake is chilled for a smooth, insanely rich treat that guests will clamor for.

($55)

This favorite of the cupcake crowd also bakes up gorgeous layer cakes. Our favorite is the pistachio: three moist, nutty layers of pistachio cake slathered with buttercream and sprinkled with chopped nuts.

(7-inch cake for $38, 9-inch cake for $54)

This Brooklyn stalwart offers a range of birthday cakes, from simple layer cakes to fully customized designs. When we’re jonesing for the former, we opt for Betty’s flawless red velvet, three layers of moist cocoa-tinged cake layered with impossibly fluffy cream-cheese icing.

(6-inch cake for $50, 8-inch cake for $75)

When you’re throwing a themed celebration, sometimes you need a really out-there cake. Whether you’re looking for a cake version of a designer handbag, a bottle of bourbon or a baby-blue electric guitar, City Cake’s talented baker-sculptors will be able to create it for you. These cakes come at a price—typically a $500 minimum for 25 servings—but for a hyper-specific bash, they can be the ideal showstopper.

($500 and up)