You're how old?

There seems to be a rash of birthdays towards the end of summer. We decided to combine my two older children's birthdays into one party to celebrate. First, we have Audie... he turned 7 this year and is a BIG fan of Ironman. So much so that he dressed up as the metal-clad character for Halloween last year.Chloie turned 6 this year on the first day of school. Poor girl, she just doesn't understand yet. She wanted a strawberry cake that looked like a wedding cake.Our final birthday exhibit is from a friend at work. Her mother turned 60, and she wanted a cake with flowers and this little heart-felt message.

At the Luao

This is what happens when you sign up to make a pineapple upside-down cake for a church function, and are asked to make extra because some of the others couldn't make cakes. These ferns and flowers all came from plants growing around the house, and the purple butterfly bushes smell heavenly! This was your standard recipe for pineapple upside-down cake, one 9x13 and one 1/2 sheet size. I used 4 5"-pillars and two 3/4" tubes for support of the upper layer, and green florist variety water picks for the flowers. I couldn't see spending a lot of money for the white ones when I could cut the spikes off of the green ones and work just fine for cheaper.

Teacher of the Year

Do you remember the Heritage High School thank you cake? Same wonderful friends, this time to congratulate Coach K (what she goes by). Coach K coaches tennis, volley ball, and basketball at Heritage High School, and was voted this year's teacher of the year. This was a 1/4 sheet yellow cake with regular butter cream icing on it. I rolled out a thin sheet of fondant and painted the wood grain and court lines. The balls (if you can say that without blushing) were made from tinted fondant and the lines added with a food-safe marker.

I'm told she thoroughly enjoyed her cake, which never fails to put a smile on my face!

Walker's Skate Park

OK, so this was a lot of fun! Not only did I get to make a rockin' cake for a cool little boy, but I also got to play with fondant and gum paste!

The little skateboarding dudes are out of molded gum paste. Mom gave me a set with a male and female adult, a 10 year old boy and a 6 year old girl mold (archaic Wilton you should see the book that came with it hehehe). I chose the boy and started molding. Once the little guys were molded, I posed them and let them dry before I put details like hats, helmets, skateboards and hoodies on them. Then I painted them with food coloring and let them dry. I baked two white cakes in a 1/2 sheet size, filled and stacked them, then carved the center of the park out of the top layer. I used the extra cake to build up the back side of the park, then covered it with grey fondant. I had fun with the graffiti! I graffitied his age on the far side and "Happy Birthday" on the flat part out front. Walker's mother gave me a picture of him (the one they used for the invitations to his party) so that I could make one of the little guys look like him.

I did get to talk to the birthday boy the next day at church. He said he really liked it! I tell you what, that made my day and all of the work put into this cake worth it!

Preach My Gospel

For those familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, you'll probably recognize this next image...

I volunteered to make this cake for the Missionary Zone Luncheon on 2/5/09 where all of the missionaries from the tri-state area get together for lunch. The image is from the cover of the missionary handbook Preach My Gospel and depicts the Savior just before his baptism with John the Baptist.

Up until the night I decorated the cake I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I had an impression that it should be "Preach My Gospel" related, but I didn't know exactly what. I ended up painting the image onto rolled fondant with brown food coloring and a paint brush. The cake itself was a butter yellow recipe and it was iced with plain white butter cream. I placed the fondant in the center and covered the edges with a line of green icing with a star tip, then piped a shell border with the same tip and icing.

I had to drop the cake off at a friend's house for transport to the luncheon. Believe me, I was disappointed that I couldn't be there (I have a day job), but Carolyn tells me that the missionaries loved their cake... they wouldn't let anyone cut it until they took pictures.

Sassy Pixie

OK, so I'm a little behind in my posting, but I hope you'll agree that this is well worth it.

That's right, folks, our favorite sassy pixie is back to wish someone a happy birthday!This was a yellow 1/4 sheet cake with Tinkerbell on the top. Sofia liked orange, so I made her flowers to match. To make Tink, I used the same "icing drawing" that I used for many of my other character cakes, but to give her that sparkle, I dusted her wings and the cake around her with cake sparkles. Instead of a shell or other piped boarder, I opted to give her a garden of flowers around the edge of the cake. If you caught that, her name is Sofia (with an F). While I was talking to her mother about the cake, I was in Weis Market and I thought she said "S"... lesson learned here? Always verify details through email.

Any way, here is a picture of the pretty pixie who's birthday it was. I was very happy to find out that in spite of the misspelling, he loved her cake. I promise I'll spell it right next time!

Misc. Cakes

Here are the last few cakes that didn't quite fit in any other category.

Exhibit #1: Pretty Pony

This cake was done for my neighbor's daughter. She and her sister loved ponies (her sister's pony had curly rainbow hair).

Exhibit #2: Pineapple Up-Side Down cake

Proof that I can do somewhat normal cakes... in a sheet pan...

Exhibit #3: Power Rangers Party

For another neighbor's kid many moons ago. This Boy and Audie were good friends AND we lived next door to each other.

Audie's Cakes

I'm not quite sure what happened to the pictures from my oldest son's first, third, fourth, and sixth birthdays are (I know, I know... bad Mommy), but here is what I do have as far as digital pictures...

Exhibit #1: Audie's second birthday

OK, so not one of my better cakes. He wanted balloons, but I felt that this just wasn't enough cake for the number of people there.Ah, now this is more like it. Audie was a BIG Pooh Bear fan back in the day. Unfortunately, summer heat and cakes with icing don't exactly mix.
Exhibit #2: Spidey says Happy Birthday

You should have seen the invitations that went with this party, but as most little boys do, Audie's favorite super hero adorned his cake. Instead of "dolling" it up with a shell boarder, I opted to extend the webbing down and around the sides of the cake. I did get to play with my nifty new letter spacing tool/press so the words were much neater (my handwriting is horrible).

Retire me Pink

I loved this woman. She was such a sweet lady, and I was sad to hear of her retirement. While planning this cake, I talked to her for a few minutes about her hobbies, favorite colors, etc. Much to my surprise, she didn't have any. She told me that by the time she got home, she was so tired that the only thing she could do was to go to church on Sundays. In spite of her short list, she still gave me the inspiration for her cake. She loved pink, and she was a Methodist, so the colors and the cross were easy...
... but then I gave her a to do list for here new found freedom.

"Now I can sit back and relax, kick my shoes off, visit friends, read a book, and see the world!"

Gone Fishin'

Every once in a while, I get to do something kooky.Again, I got to play with food-safe markers... fish and kelp later, we have a cake......with it's own hip wader-wearing fisherman......made from icing, pretzels, and a marshmallow.

Character Birthday Cakes

Bob the Sponge


Otherwise known as Sponge Bob Square Pants. My mother-in-law was little confused when she coined the term, and I can see why. I still cringe when I hear his dolphin-like cackle. None the less, my sweetheart LOVES Sponge Bob. He saw me do this cake for a friend and BEGGED me for one of his own.

Lightening McQueen and Sally

I actually liked the movie Cars by Pixar. My kids love it, too. This cake was for Damon and Amira, the son and niece of a co worker. It was all I could do to keep my kids from keeping this cake.

Father's Day

For the handy man of the house, I got to play with fondant for the first time... yay. I did manage to put a tape measure around the edge of the cake with real measurements. The neon (Yikes!) nuts and bolts were... fun, but he liked the cake, so I can't complain. This is what happens when I play with food-safe markers...

Her father apparently loves wolves, and I did my best rendition of one howling at the moon. She also asked for "from your little firefighter" written around the sides of the cake.

Message in a Cake

Some people just want to convey a heart felt message, and what better way to do it than cake?

"To a wonderful Sister who is always there for me... Love Curtis"

This was actually a Hex-a-lot II, but he had a lot to say. I finally put the roses in the middle and wrote his message around the outside edge of the cake. From what I understand, his sister's co workers still think he is a hero to this day.

"Haylee, Just because I love you, Mom"

This was a square Raspberry Cordial with a mother's love note on top.

"For the one I love"

He wanted a cake for his wife. His only stipulation besides the message? Lots of icing.

"Happy Memorial Day"

This half and half chocolate and yellow cake for memorial day says it all.

Did you miss?

This cake was for a dear friend that works on the factory floor. Her fellow QC cohorts and I plotted deviously for this cake. I knew she liked shooting, and how funny would it be to give her her own "age target"? Note 4 shots in the 10, 2 in the 5, 1 in the 1, but what's this on the line...?

Is that last one a 5 or a 1? What are you trying to say here?

Truth be told she was actually turning 52, but the reaction was priceless. In all fairness, she had a rather good sense of humor about the whole thing, and the "head" of the target was angel food so she could take some cake home to her diabetic son.

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like women and beer...

... or more importantly half naked women and your favorite beer.
I personally am not a fan of half-naked women or beer, and I can't condone the practice of either, but then again this was before I had a more discerning eye.

The cakes got the desired results, however, and both men were so pleased with their cakes that they wouldn't let anyone eat the half with the picture and insisted that they take it home to show their families.