Article
Art by Sebastià Serra
Poetry,

The Perfect Cake

A funny rhyming poem about an unusual birthday gift

By Kenn Nesbit
From the February 2026 Issue

Learning Objective: Students will read a rhyming poem about a child’s humorous attempt to create the perfect birthday cake—and identify the author’s purpose.

Complexity Factors
  • Levels of Meaning
    Kenn Nesbitt’s humorous poem tells the story of a boy who tries to make a cake for his mother’s birthday. On another level, the poem reinforces the message that “it’s the thought that counts.”
  • Structure
    “The Perfect Cake” is made up of five stanzas, each consisting of four lines. The poem uses an ABCB rhyme scheme.
  • Language
    The poem’s language includes some figurative language, including similes and one rhetorical question.
  • Knowledge Demands
    Some familiarity with the ingredients usually found in a cake is needed to appreciate the poem’s humor.
Featured Skill: Elements of Poetry

Standards

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Pair this with the fiction story “Toadal Disaster.”

The Perfect Cake

Today’s my mother’s birthday.

She’s a connoisseur of cakes.

I tried to bake a masterpiece

but made a few mistakes.


I couldn’t find the flour,

so I stirred in mashed potatoes,

then turned it red as roses

by including stewed tomatoes.


I knew that eggs were needed,

but is seventeen too many?

We had no milk or butter,

so I couldn’t put in any.


The sugar was the weirdest part;

it tasted just like salt!

Her “cake” came out like meatloaf,

which was clearly all my fault.


Mom said, “This cake is perfect

and you’ve totally succeeded!

I see that it was made with love,

and that is all I needed.”

This story was originally published in the February 2026 issue.

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