How to Get a Birthday Cake on Sims 4: A Simmer’s Guide
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So, you’re throwing a party for your favorite Sim and need the centerpiece of any good celebration: the birthday cake! Don’t worry; it’s a relatively straightforward process. The primary way to get a birthday cake in The Sims 4 is to bake one. Your Sim needs sufficient cooking skill and access to either a fridge and stove, or an oven/stove combo. Navigate to your refrigerator or oven, select “Bake a Cake,” and then choose either the White Cake or Chocolate Cake option. Once the cake is baked, place it on a countertop or table. Finally, click on the cake and select “Add Birthday Candles.” Now you’re ready to age up your Sim!
Baking the Perfect Birthday Cake
Before you can light those candles and sing “Happy Birthday” in Simlish, you’ll need to understand the cake-baking process.
Skill Levels and Recipes
The good news is that White and Chocolate cakes are available at all cooking skill levels. This means even a Sim who’s never held a spatula before can whip up a birthday cake. However, as your Sim levels up their cooking skill, they’ll unlock other cake recipes that could make your celebration even more extravagant.
The Baking Process
- Click on the Refrigerator or Oven: Select either the refrigerator or the oven in your Sim’s kitchen.
- Choose “Bake a Cake”: A menu will appear. Select the “Bake a Cake” option.
- Select White or Chocolate Cake: Choose either the “White Cake” or “Chocolate Cake” option.
- Sim Bakes Cake: Watch as your Sim gets to work, mixing, stirring, and eventually placing the cake in the oven.
- Take Cake Out of Oven: Once the cake is baked, your Sim will take it out of the oven.
- Place the Cake: Now, select the cake and place it on a countertop or table.
- Add Birthday Candles: Click on the cake and select the “Add Birthday Candles” option. If this option doesn’t appear, see the FAQ section below.
Alternative Options and Cheats
While baking is the traditional route, there are a few alternative ways to get a birthday cake:
- Ordering from a Caterer: If you’re throwing a large birthday party, you can hire a caterer who will often bring a cake. Use the phone to hire one.
- Cheats: If you’re desperate for a cake and don’t want to go through the baking process, you can use cheats to spawn one in.
- Mods: Mods can introduce new ways to acquire birthday cakes, from ordering them online to finding them in the world.
Troubleshooting Cake Issues
Sometimes, things don’t go as smoothly as planned. Here’s some help:
My Sim can’t bake a cake!
Check if there is something already in the oven. Replace the oven with a new one, if there are issues.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about birthday cakes and aging up Sims in The Sims 4. Understanding these will help you throw the best possible birthday bash!
1. How do you get birthdays on Sims 4?
Sims 4 birthdays are triggered when a Sim is approaching their next life stage. You can plan a birthday party by using the in-game phone to select the “Plan a Social Event” option and then choosing “Birthday Party.” However, simply having a birthday cake is often enough to initiate the aging process.
2. Why can’t I add birthday candles to a cake in Sims 4?
The reason you can’t add birthday candles could be related to the number of slices on the cake. The “Add Birthday Candles” option appears if the cake has 8 slices. If it has 12, take four servings until there are only eight slices remaining.
3. Why do my Sims not have birthdays?
If auto-aging for your played Sims is turned off in the game options, your Sims will not age automatically. Turning auto-aging off disables automatic birthdays. You can still use a cake to manually age them up (except for Elders).
4. Can you age up a Sim without a birthday cake?
Yes, you can use the age-up cheat if you don’t have time to bake a cake. Open the cheat console (Ctrl+Shift+C), type testingcheats true, and then cas.fulleditmode. Now, you can manually adjust the Sim’s age in Create-a-Sim (CAS) through a mirror or dresser.
5. Why can’t pregnant Sims age up?
Pregnant Sims cannot age, die, or experience any life-changing events until they give birth. This is a game mechanic to prevent complications during pregnancy.
6. Can you use wedding cakes as birthday cakes in Sims 4?
Yes, you can with the use of mods. There are mods available that allow you to use wedding cakes as birthday cakes.
7. How do you cheat on Sims birthday?
To cheat on a Sim’s birthday, use the cheat console (Ctrl+Shift+C), enter testingcheats true, followed by cas.fulleditmode. Then, interact with a mirror or dresser and choose “Plan Outfit.” This opens CAS, where you can manually change the Sim’s age.
8. Can Sims age up without a birthday cake?
Toddlers, infants, and all human Sims can age up automatically, even without a birthday party. You’ll get a notification when their time in the current life stage is up, and they will age up at the end of their birthday.
9. Do baby Sims age up on their birthday?
Yes, baby Sims will age up automatically on their birthday if you let time run its course. You’ll receive a notification when they are ready to age up.
10. How do you get twins on Sims 4?
To increase the chance of having twins or triplets, you can have your Sim eat Fertility Treats (purchasable with Satisfaction Points), tune the lot with lot traits that improve getting pregnant such as “On a Ley Line”, or listen to kid’s radio while pregnant, as well as Fertility Massages from the Spa Day Game Pack.
11. What happens when a Sim has a birthday?
When a Sim has a birthday, they age to the next life stage. A Sim will automatically age at the end of their birthday.
12. Can pregnant Sims have birthdays?
No, pregnant Sims cannot age up until they give birth. The game prevents aging during pregnancy. However, if you have mods like MCCC, you can turn on aging for pregnancy, but birthday celebrations may not work correctly.
13. How long do babies stay babies in Sims Freeplay?
Sims FreePlay is a separate mobile game from Sims 4. In Sims Freeplay, babies usually turn into toddlers after about four to five days.
14. How many babies can you be pregnant with in Sims 4?
Without cheats, you can have a maximum of three babies at a time. However, with cheats, you can input any number of babies you want, up to seven but household is capped at eight!
15. Can Sims give birth?
Yes, Sims can give birth! At the end of the third trimester, your Sim will go into labor. You can choose to have the baby at home or go to the hospital.
More Simming Resources
For more information on the Sims and educational games, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org, where you can find research and resources on learning through games and simulations. Here’s that link again: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
I hope this guide has helped you understand how to get a birthday cake and celebrate birthdays in The Sims 4. Happy Simming!