One of the key recipe developers of the iconic Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book has explained exactly how the 106 recipes were made, and surprisingly, said it wasn't an instant success.

Pamela Clark, now 75, worked as the chief home economist at the Women's Weekly test kitchen from 1969, planning meals that were then photographed for the magazine.

The idea of creating separate soft cover cookbooks started in the late 70s and became extremely popular, with the Sydney-based grandmother saying they were 'constantly reprinting them'.

'There was talk of doing a children's birthday book but people didn't think it would go well but I was in there fighting for it because I was interested in making the cakes,' Pamela told FEMAIL.

Pamela Clark (left), now 75, worked as the chief home economist at the Women's Weekly test kitchen from 1969

In the middle of 1980 the book was released but it didn't 'immediately run off the shelves'

'We worked on them for a couple of years in between the other cookbooks. Sometimes we would be midway through when the food editor would say it looked 'fantastic' and needed to be shot that moment.'

Pamela said that this is the reason most of the recipe photos look so 'rough', because they are prototypes in the process.

In the middle of 1980 the book was released but it didn't 'immediately run off the shelves'.

Pamela stayed decidedly quiet during this time, because it had partially been her idea, but she reasoned most people wouldn't buy the book unless they were preparing for a birthday - it was a smaller market than the AWW's other cookbooks.

'Gradually it took off. It's a bit of an honour really. Who would have thought this daggy cookbook would became an Aussie icon,' she said (Pamela pictured right)

The best part about making birthday cakes, Pamela said, is that just about anyone - skilled or unskilled in the baking department - will give it a try

But within a year it began to pick up in sales overseas, namely in the UK where the brand was expanding, and before long Australians were also searching for it on their local newsstands.

'Gradually it took off. It's a bit of an honour really. Who would have thought this daggy cookbook would became an Aussie icon,' she said.

'I remember at the time there was a comedian in Melbourne who even mentioned the book in his routine.'

The most popular design was the ingenious castle cake, which featured smarties and licorice and was the perfect choice for a little princess in your life.

Back in the era where food styling involved placing the cake on a clean bench, Pamela always used packet mixes to create the baked goods, including the ones in the book, because the consistency would be the same across the board.

Back in the era where food styling involved placing the cake on a clean bench, Pamela always used packet mixes to create the baked goods (The AWW test kitchen pictured)

One of her favourite cakes to make is the Dolly one (pictured) because it's so feminine and can be altered in a multitude of ways

What are Pamela Clark's best baking tips? 1. The balance of ingredients are really important, particularly if you want to replicate a photo. 2. Know your oven and whether it runs a little bit hot or a little bit cold so you can adjust the temperature accordingly. 3. Understand the intricacies of the cake pans you own. Some will develop big crusts around them, for example, and others won't. 4. Measure correctly. You can't just 'wing it' when you're not a professional. 5. Read the recipe a few times before you start. People tend to think you can get away with a lot while baking but you can't. Advertisement

'We wanted the exact sizes to write the recipe and a consistent height and depth. That was the main focus,' she said.

Her favourite ones to make were the Dolly cake with a marshmallow skirt and the swimming pool cake with musk stick ladder rungs.

She has put each together 'plenty of times' for various birthdays and continues to create recipes from the book for her two granddaughters.

You'll never find Pamela recreating the tip truck cake though, which she said is a 'shocker'.

'It's defying gravity with the tip part... it's cake for goodness sake it can't hold up everything,' she said.

One of Pamela's other favourites is the swimming pool cake (pictured) because it was made on a whim and then photographed for the book

You'll never find Pamela recreating the tip truck cake though, which she said is a 'shocker'

The best part about making birthday cakes, Pamela said, is that just about anyone - skilled or unskilled in the baking department - will give it a try.

She recalls a neighbour of hers once calling over, pleading for Pamela's help with her daughter's intricate cake so it would be the perfect surprise.

The end result was just what she wanted but the most interesting thing about the experience was how evident it was that 'people who aren't good cooks would take on difficult tasks for their child'.

'Parents will stay up all night making these cakes. Sometimes their partner joins in to engineer it... it's all about the love for the kids,' she said.

She believes the first thing any child looks for on a cake are the lollies on the top, so as long as their favourites are in full view, they will be pleased

Forty years later mothers and fathers are 'hacking' Woolworths and Coles mud cakes and creating masterpieces without working from scratch, something Pamela commends.

She believes the first thing any child looks for on a cake are the lollies on the top anyway, so as long as their favourites are in full view, they will be pleased.

With 500,000 copies sold over four decades there is no missing how popular the birthday cook book was for a generation of parents.

From March 18 to 25 the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will be hosting 'Take the Cake' exhibition at the NGV to showcase the designs made famous by this best-selling cultural touchstone.

March 18-25 at the NGV Australia, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will be hosting ‘Take the Cake’ exhibition to showcase the designs made famous by this best-selling cultural touchstone.

Pamela will be in attendance cooking her famous Dolly cake and a number of the best recipes will be on display.

You can learn more about the event by clicking here.