Can I request a caterer to make specific dishes? Birthday cakes?

FlamingoKicker1

So, I rented out a venue to throw a birthday party and hired a caterer but she never made a birthday cake so how was the birthday boy supposed to age up and have a good party? I tried telling the caterer but there are no options for that. They are pretty NPC and don't take requests. So then I had my active sim try and bake the cake himself and all that did was get his party evicted from the premises. Of course if they had the "always welcome" cheat they could do all the cooking and no problem but they didn't have enough life points yet to buy that cheat. Do you just have to bake the cake at home before you go to the party and then just slip it out and put the candles on top when you get to the party venue?

paradiseplanet

Generally it's easier to have baked the cake yourself and bring it to the party and light it there rather than have the caterer do it. And yes, if you hire a caterer for the birthday party they will eventually show up and eventually get to baking a cake on their own. I noticed this when I forgot to bring the cake to the party lot and the caterer made a cake themselves anyway (though I quick-baked a new cake on the lot regardless).

Oh, and I choose to keep party lots either on your own home lot or non-residential lots not your own to avoid being ousted if not having the Always Welcome trait. I learned this the hard way the first time I learned of this.

Amandèle

I don't know if you use mods but LittleMsSam created one which allows you to ask someone to cook something specific

bixters

I almost never hire caterers because they're terrible. They take forever to get to the event, then they bake random things like pancakes, omelettes or chili for a formal party. And they leave half finished bowls of food laying around.
I would do what another user said and just bring a birthday cake with you, or just have one of your sims bake the cake during the party.