Birthday Cake: another year another bear
Birthday Cake is the best. While my reading lately has not been inspired, well except for the latest Alex Delaware novel by Kellerman, my baking has truly been over the top.
My daughter turned 3 on Thursday and we invited 20-some kids and their parents to a little get together. Bouncehouse, goody bags, the works. And cake. The cake, to me, is important. It is important that I make the cake myself. It's a vanity and I hardly had the time for it this week BUT I was not to be denied.
For the sake of background let it be known that I live in an area where bakery cakes are the norm. Grocery store cakes are generally not used, but real bakery cakes.
I took a cake decorating class earlier this year, but I wasn't good and there wasn't a lot that it could help me with making my teddy bear cake. The teddy bear cake is easy. I found the idea online (or course) and modified it to my own desires (of course.)
So, the fun. I had to bake the cakes at night because at work, where it's usually pretty low-key, this week, ONLY this week out of the entire year, I have to work longer hours. Yep. The week that I need to bake 2 cakes and throw 2 parties. Did I mention 2 parties? Yeah, one for family after the bachanal for toddlers.
For those interested I baked 2 cakes. 1 yellow cake-8"round, 2 layers (Better Homes & Gardens) and 1 devil's food cake-9" round 2 layers (same book.) those who bake regularly will see the flaw in the cake, especially if you read the recipe. Yep. The yellow cake recipe actually makes more in volume. If I had been thinking I would have made it the 9". Oh well. There is a drastic chin on my bear. Luckily, children don't care and adults are too polite to notice.
Ears and paws are made of cupcakes. For those keeping track, I've now baked 3 batches of cake. I cheat on the frosting. I used canned. Yes, I know for purists it's like I spat on the cake, but I've really never made frosting any better than the can. Send your recipe I'll give it a try.
I'm at work right now (it's Saturday and I'm installing software), and tonight I go home to make another batch of cupcakes (count is up to 4) and get ready to prepare 1 more bear for eating.
The last bear was a pink panda. My daughter likes pink. While not original, I don't care. It's what she likes. Maybe I'll just do a brown bear for this one...
AND just so that you know, it was yummy. The kids loved the cake and thought it was spectacular. The adults pretended that they wished they were so talented. It's very nice of them.
Maybe, just maybe next year I won't manipulate my daughter into asking for a teddy bear cake...or not.
Birthday Cake is the best. While my reading lately has not been inspired, well except for the latest Alex Delaware novel by Kellerman, my baking has truly been over the top.
My daughter turned 3 on Thursday and we invited 20-some kids and their parents to a little get together. Bouncehouse, goody bags, the works. And cake. The cake, to me, is important. It is important that I make the cake myself. It's a vanity and I hardly had the time for it this week BUT I was not to be denied.
For the sake of background let it be known that I live in an area where bakery cakes are the norm. Grocery store cakes are generally not used, but real bakery cakes.
I took a cake decorating class earlier this year, but I wasn't good and there wasn't a lot that it could help me with making my teddy bear cake. The teddy bear cake is easy. I found the idea online (or course) and modified it to my own desires (of course.)
So, the fun. I had to bake the cakes at night because at work, where it's usually pretty low-key, this week, ONLY this week out of the entire year, I have to work longer hours. Yep. The week that I need to bake 2 cakes and throw 2 parties. Did I mention 2 parties? Yeah, one for family after the bachanal for toddlers.
For those interested I baked 2 cakes. 1 yellow cake-8"round, 2 layers (Better Homes & Gardens) and 1 devil's food cake-9" round 2 layers (same book.) those who bake regularly will see the flaw in the cake, especially if you read the recipe. Yep. The yellow cake recipe actually makes more in volume. If I had been thinking I would have made it the 9". Oh well. There is a drastic chin on my bear. Luckily, children don't care and adults are too polite to notice.
Ears and paws are made of cupcakes. For those keeping track, I've now baked 3 batches of cake. I cheat on the frosting. I used canned. Yes, I know for purists it's like I spat on the cake, but I've really never made frosting any better than the can. Send your recipe I'll give it a try.
I'm at work right now (it's Saturday and I'm installing software), and tonight I go home to make another batch of cupcakes (count is up to 4) and get ready to prepare 1 more bear for eating.
The last bear was a pink panda. My daughter likes pink. While not original, I don't care. It's what she likes. Maybe I'll just do a brown bear for this one...
AND just so that you know, it was yummy. The kids loved the cake and thought it was spectacular. The adults pretended that they wished they were so talented. It's very nice of them.
Maybe, just maybe next year I won't manipulate my daughter into asking for a teddy bear cake...or not.
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