I shall also join this delightful club!
I do like all three starters, but Cyndaquil is my clear favorite. If in any game I have to choose between the three, then I always choose Cyndaquil. Sure, variety is the spice of life, but...well, I like Cyndaquil. I like it for the simple reason that it is a Fire-type, my favorite type.
I can't really say what I would change about the starters. Better stats for one thing, and better move sets wouldn't hurt as well.
As for cake... Cyndaquil would like lava cake, Chikorita would like fruit cake, and Totodile...any cake would be fine for that critter.