Birthday cake advice

[abcdefg]

My lady friend is coming over to visit day after tomorrow and I want to buy a birthday cake to celebrate her 29th. 

 

Would it be inappropriate or strange or upsetting if I had the cake shop put a 29 on top of the cake? I realize ladies approaching "the big three oh" can be sensitive about keeping count. 

 

Other suggestions which might be better? Obviously I could opt for 生日快乐！but that's kind of boring. 

[Wurstmann]

In my experience they had 生日快乐 written on the cake and sometimes candles in shape of the age on top. If you google 生日蛋糕 you can find a lot of examples.

I would maybe bake the cake yourself, as all of the store-bought ones I tried in China were not very good. Pretty to look at but that's it.

[DavyJonesLocker]

i think on the balence of probabilities leaving out the age is a better way to go. 

 

I have never really met many chinese ladies that are overly happen about being 29 or 30. Most I met are somewhere between indifferent to depressed about it. Relatinship status, job position, children or lack thereoff etc all have a factor I'd imagine 

 

1 hour ago, Wurstmann said:

In my experience they had 生日快乐 written on the cake and sometimes candles in shape of the age on top. If you google 生日蛋糕 you can find a lot of examples.

I would maybe bake the cake yourself, as all of the store-bought ones I tried in China were not very good. Pretty to look at but that's it.

 

 

Yeah pretty much same experience, very artifical or synthetic flavour.  Beijing has some really good decent cakes shops though but no idea about Kunming. Any decent one in Beijing sems to a Japanese or european  brand from what i tried

[abcdefg]

Thanks, Guys. I'll leave off the numbers. Kind of figured that might be a downer. 

 

I'm not up to baking one (no oven) but I know a good bakery that I've used before on similar occasions. 

[Bibu]

congrats!

 

Might be late. Just 1 cent. ASK the cake shop, he/she is the most experienced  local guy.

[abcdefg]

Thanks, @Bibu-- Good advice! I plan to go to the cake shop this morning, consult with the experts, and place an order. 

[somethingfunny]

You only ever make the mistake of putting your lady friend's age on a cake/card/present once.

[abcdefg]

Here's the cake. It was a hit. Thanks to one and all for the sage advice. They had numbers you could stick into the top of the cake after you got it home if desired. I told the clerk I didn't want them. She understood and smiled. ￥68 well spent.

 

 

[Lu]

In Taiwan they have (had?) little question mark candles to put on the cake instead of numbers. If they don't have those in China, someone should start importing them.