Confession: I once baked a birthday cake so ugly my daughter cried. I’m not kidding. So for those of you without culinary arts degrees, here’s one way to make the birthday kid feel special and ensure that her cake will be exactly what she wants.

With a bouquet of food-safe edible ink markers, the Sweetapolita blog shows us how a white birthday cake became the perfect canvas for budding artists and we’re smitten!

We’ve recommended this cookie and food marker combo before, but any set will do, like these gourmet food writing markers. You can order a cake covered with white fondant from a bakery to make it extra easy–or make it yourself, of course. Or you can do fondant circles on cupcakes or white-iced cookies. How sweet would that cake be on a table with Mason jars of daisies and crayons at a party with a rainbow or art theme? The ideas are endless.

For the full story on the cake in the photo, check out Sweetapolita. But don’t worry–you don’t have to have six layers of food-colored perfection to make a seriously beautiful, one-of-a-kind cake for the little artist in your life. Even a kinda ugly cake tastes good. Ask me how I know.

Find out how to make your own colorful cake at Sweetapolita.