If you have a friend or family member celebrating a birthday, you may want to show your appreciation regardless of how far away they are. Unfortunately, shipping a birthday cake a great distance is expensive and impractical. For this reason, some websites offer the ability to create and send a virtual birthday cake as an alternative. Using a Web interface, you can create a virtual birthday cake using a variety of customisation features and send it to someone via e-mail without spending money. Alternatively, you can print an image of a virtual cake and mail it to the recipient inexpensively.

  • If you have a friend or family member celebrating a birthday, you may want to show your appreciation regardless of how far away they are.
  • Using a Web interface, you can create a virtual birthday cake using a variety of customisation features and send it to someone via e-mail without spending money.

Navigate to the TheoWorlds.com Virtual Cake Decorator website. Click the blue Start button.

Click the left tab at the bottom of the virtual cake application to apply frosting to the cake. The colour wheel on the right side of the window allows you to select the frosting colour, and the "Tip Size" area allows you to select the width of the frosting. Click and drag the mouse pointer on the virtual cake to draw using the frosting tool.

Click the centre tab at the bottom of the application to place flowers and other pre-made decorations on the cake. Click a decoration, and then click anywhere on the cake to place it.

Click the right tab at the bottom of the application to place candles on the cake. Click a candle, and then click anywhere on the cake to place it.

  • Click the left tab at the bottom of the virtual cake application to apply frosting to the cake.
  • Click the right tab at the bottom of the application to place candles on the cake.

Click the "Done" button when you are satisfied with the appearance of the virtual birthday cake. A new window opens, allowing you to enter the information needed to send the cake to the recipient.

Type your name, your e-mail address and the email address of the recipient. Use the bottom box to type a personal message, and then click the "Send" button to send the virtual birthday cake.

  • Click the "Done" button when you are satisfied with the appearance of the virtual birthday cake.
  • Use the bottom box to type a personal message, and then click the "Send" button to send the virtual birthday cake.

Navigate to the NameThatCake.com website. Click the first letter of your friend or family member's name to continue. The window changes to display many pictures of real birthday cakes, each with a different name. If you do not find a cake with the name of the person you want to send a virtual birthday cake to, use another website.

Click the image of the cake that you want to send. A larger version of the image appears.

Right-click the image and select "Copy" or "Copy Image."

Open an e-mail application such as Windows Live Mail, Outlook Express or Thunderbird and begin composing a new message.

Right-click in the body of the message and select "Paste." The image of the virtual birthday cake appears in the message. Complete the message as you would a normal e-mail, and send it.

  • Click the image of the cake that you want to send.
  • Right-click in the body of the message and select "Paste."

Navigate to the FashionPlay.net Virtual Birthday Cake website. Begin by clicking the area next to the word "To" on the bottom of the window and typing the recipient's name. Type a personal message, and complete the field by typing your own name.

Click the virtual birthday cake to cycle between the different combinations of cake and frosting that are available.

  • Navigate to the FashionPlay.net Virtual Birthday Cake website.
  • Click the virtual birthday cake to cycle between the different combinations of cake and frosting that are available.

Click any of the decorations or candles to the right of the virtual birthday cake, and then click the cake to place the decoration. Click "Next" when you are happy with the appearance of the cake.

Print a colour image of the virtual birthday cake. Cut the image out and mail it to the recipient.