Happy Birthday Pa

This year was a BIG birthday for my dad. The whole family was in town (that doesn't happen often) so we had a big ol party for him. The organizers decided to go with a cowboy theme because my dad really likes old westerns.

My dad hates fondant- so his cake was my first ever fondant free cake with real live piping on it. I didn't have the tip size I would have preferred so the bandana detailing is a little large, and we knew the cake was going to be gobbled up right away so I didn't spend a lot of time making sure it was structurally sound- so don't look too closely at the pictures because there are cracks in it where it was starting to come apart a little. But it tasted awesome- and really, that's all that matters, right?

And then, just to make it interesting, I found this post on Pinterest and had a go at making it a polka dot cake (my sister said it looked like cow print- I'll take it!)

Happy Birthday, Pops!

Flag Cake!

I had a great idea to make this cake for my co-workers



Mine didn't turn out quite as picturesque, but still it tasted really REALLY good. and ultimately, that's all that matters, right?

It was a huge mess and there is a lot of leftover cake scraps that someone is going to have to choke down [insert Katniss meme: I volunteer!]. I also made a lot of cupcakes with some of the remaining batter since 8 and 6" cakes don't take a whole mix.

I baked white and red cakes 6 and 8" one 8" blue cake. I cut the red and white cakes in half and layered them with a bit of frosting between the layers (my frosting is seriously like crack and even people who tell me all the time that they hate frosting and always scrape it off- they tell me that they love it).

 

For the blue layer, I evened out the cake then cut a hole in it. I cut the 6" cakes in half and then cut them to fit inside the hole. (note to self- when you are making a striped cake, make sure to put the stripes in the right order otherwise the cake loses the whole effect [face palm- stupidstupidstupid]).

 

I frosted the whole thing with a light crumb coat then gave the outer edge some stripes.

 

The outside of the cake looked really pretty if I do say so myself.

Once we cut into it- it wasn't as pretty as I planned- but still, it impressed my co workers.

Happy Fourth!

Peacock Birthdays

When I first got my job at the hospital, I spent the first few days on the computer watching snooze-fest videos about ethics and policies and blah blah blah- so to keep myself awake, I doodled cakes. This cake to be exact.

Sept 2011

This was my first attempt at a fondant character. There is a lot I would do differently now, but I think for a first attempt, he's pretty cute.

It's kinda funny to go back and look at these old cakes I've done. I haven't done many since then, but I still think I've come a long way.  This was really only my second fondant cake ever.

Speaking of peacock cakes, I don't think I posted the one I made this year for my little cousin's birthday. All Butter cream. (which would have been eaten- every last bite- except we used trick candles so 3/4 of the cake was covered in spit and/or ashes.)

Feb 2013

Referee Cake

My older brother is a Ref for high school and city league football. So for his birthday he got this:

Oct 2011

Because I know some people who don't understand football, the yellow bit on top is not a sweaty towel, it's the foul flag thingy that they throw when someone does something meaner than usual on the field.

I think.

Cheese Cake

Guess where I'm going tomorrow!? Disneyland!!! So I thought this cake would be appropriate for today!

My sister asked for cheesecake for her birthday. So this is what she got.

Jan 2011

Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Ok Ok, this is just a small cake, we actually did get her cheesecake. sheesh.

I don't want this post confused with this  other post. from a few years ago. Different kinds of cheese.

Train birthday

This was my first and probably last attempt at a sculpted cake. What a pain! It was fun to do- but I definitely don't recommend doing sculpted cakes with flimsy cake mix cakes. They definitely need to be a kind of sturdier cake. There were a lot of dowels running through this cake to keep it together. I think I had to work the day of the party because I don't remember being there when he saw it and when it was cut. But I seem to remember my mom needing to warn everyone to watch before they took bites that they weren't eating wood!

Jan 2011

It was my oldest nephews 5th birthday- and boy howdy did that kid LOOOOVE trains.

Everyone stop and have a moment of silence for the Ding Dong wheels. Sigh... I miss Hostess.

Birthday Experiments

These two cakes were just simple birthday cakes I made. I was experimenting.

The snowflake is piped royal icing and was transferred to the cake- not piped onto the cake.  The "roses" on the side I was trying to make look like ribbon rosettes, but they were too bulky and ended up tearing down the side of the cake. I think next time I'll thin the fondant out. A lot. and work on the draping. It's not something I've mastered yet- as this is the only time I've attempted it and it was like, two years ago.

Dec 2010

This cake was an experimentation with my cake cricut. I was aiming for a damask look- but I apparently had a brain fart and forgot what damask looks like.

Dec 2010

This one was just a let's-get-the-heck-out-of-winter-even-though-it's-still-winter cake. Just trying to bring spring a little early that year. I don't think it worked, but it was a fun cake anyway.

Jan 2011

Ball Pit Birthday

I don't seem to make as many cakes these days as I used to. But I was trying to show my blog off to someone last week and realized that most of my cakes never made it on here. So I guess since I'm in the mood to post something- and I can't think of anything interesting to write about on my other blog, I'll work on a few cake posts.

Over two years ago now my little nephew had a first birthday! For his birthday his parents got him a ball pit- that was the theme of his birthday I guess. Because everyone contributed to it. That kid had a fuller ball pit than any local McDonald's.  So naturally, his cake went along with the theme (we all know how much the Baker's love to theme everything)

I made the little balls tumbling down the side of the cake- with a few of them bouncing away.

Dec 2010

And of course a fondant replica of my nephew sitting in his ball pit. :)

Jones Baby Shower

"The colors and red, teal and grey. And she likes elephants."

Those were the instructions I was given- here is what they got!

It's all fondant, even the little elephant.

Congratulations Kelli!