Baking for My Son's Birthday Party: Tips and Tricks

[pamperedlinda]

......Have you ever thought of entering cake making contests?

Oh heavens no! I can't come up with this stuff on my own....but I'm a great copy-cat!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Hey Paulette, I don't see anything when I click on the link.....

I don't see anything either - and I wanted to see the hardhats! Whaaaa!:cry:

 

[chefkristin]

Can I just say WOW!!!! Copy cat or not that still takes a ton of talent!!!!

 

[jrstephens]

Your Clifford is phenomenal!
How do you feel about doing red cakes? What kinda frosting do you use? I tend to shy away from red cakes because I find the red I was using years ago stained everything. What frosting recipe do you use? My 5yo is a Spiderman fan and I would love to do a cake for his bday but am afraid of the stain factor.

THANKS!

I tried tinting some red but it did not work. Walmart has red icing I think it is Cake Mate that was perfet Clifford Red. It is already mixed up and in a package that you can buy tips to attach to it for the stars. It tasted really great too and not that awful taste you get from too much food coloring. It did not stain anything. What little red that was on my hand washed right off. Not like when I tried to tint my own with two bottles of dye that still did not have it Clifford red, UHHH!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Hint for coloring frostings: buy the Wilton's GEL COLORING!! You use a small amount (I just stick a toothpick down into the gel, and then smear it into my frosting...if you need more coloring, just use a new toothpick.) and they seem to last forever! Plus, because they are so concentrated, you get vibrant colors without adding any liquid (as in, liquid foodcoloring) to your frosting which can change the consistancy! They even sell this in the craft section of WalMart!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Hint for coloring frostings: buy the Wilton's GEL COLORING!! You use a small amount (I just stick a toothpick down into the gel, and then smear it into my frosting...if you need more coloring, just use a new toothpick.) and they seem to last forever! Plus, because they are so concentrated, you get vibrant colors without adding any liquid (as in, liquid foodcoloring) to your frosting which can change the consistancy! They even sell this in the craft section of WalMart!

Definately! You mean the ones in the little jars - right? I used the gel colors that come in a tube one time and after using the entire tube I still didn't have a dark enough color. Of course I was trying for Santa Clause red at the time. Those little jars are the BEST!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Definately! You mean the ones in the little jars - right? I used the gel colors that come in a tube one time and after using the entire tube I still didn't have a dark enough color. Of course I was trying for Santa Clause red at the time. Those little jars are the BEST!

Yep! The little jars with the screw off white lids! It's a thicker consistancy and much more concentrated color than the "gel" color that comes in the tubes...that stuff is really close to "regular" food coloring liquid. You still have to use quite a bit to get vibrant colors so it can change the consitancy.

I have never tried for RED frosting, though...Jennifer may have the right answer for that one: buy it! LOL

 

[Jennie4PC]

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd97/bjbroderick_photos/IMGP1317.jpg


Here is the cake for my daughters 1st birthday. the frosting was a little to soft so the stars didnt work out the way I wanted them to, plus it was way hot and we did her party at the park

 

[Jennie4PC]

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd97/bjbroderick_photos/IMGP1317.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

 

[dannyzmom]

THANKS!

I tried tinting some red but it did not work. Walmart has red icing I think it is Cake Mate that was perfet Clifford Red. It is already mixed up and in a package that you can buy tips to attach to it for the stars. It tasted really great too and not that awful taste you get from too much food coloring. It did not stain anything. What little red that was on my hand washed right off. Not like when I tried to tint my own with two bottles of dye that still did not have it Clifford red, UHHH!

Ok - I am going to have to go look for this stuff!!
My DS#2 would flip for a spiderman cake!

 

[chefann]

Hint for coloring frostings: buy the Wilton's GEL COLORING!! You use a small amount (I just stick a toothpick down into the gel, and then smear it into my frosting...if you need more coloring, just use a new toothpick.) and they seem to last forever! Plus, because they are so concentrated, you get vibrant colors without adding any liquid (as in, liquid foodcoloring) to your frosting which can change the consistancy! They even sell this in the craft section of WalMart!

Wilton also has a "no taste" red that's not quite a bright as their other reds, but doesn't have the funny taste that other reds do when used in quantity.

 

[dannyzmom]

THANKS!

I tried tinting some red but it did not work. Walmart has red icing I think it is Cake Mate that was perfet Clifford Red. It is already mixed up and in a package that you can buy tips to attach to it for the stars. It tasted really great too and not that awful taste you get from too much food coloring. It did not stain anything. What little red that was on my hand washed right off. Not like when I tried to tint my own with two bottles of dye that still did not have it Clifford red, UHHH!

Jennifer, is this the stuff you're talking about?

 

[mpkegley]

Another tip about coloring the icing is when you want dark colors, such as red or black, do them a couple days ahead of time. It gets a little darker after a couple days. You can also add a little bit of color each day, I can't really explain why it works better, but it does. When you try to add all of that color before putting it on the cake, it just makes a gooey mess, but when you add a little at a time, (over a few days) the icing seems to hold its shape better. Does this make sense? I am not a good explainer!

 

[etteluap70PC]

I forgot to mention how AWESOME all your creations were!

Linda my DD saw those butterflies and LOVED them! Guess I know what I will be doing next year!

I am working on posting pictures of my construction cakes.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Another note about frosting colors...

I have been told by the ladies at the specialty cake and candy supply store that for very vibrant reds to use a powdered food coloring. Mixing it the day before helps too to get it more vibrant. I used it last christmas and it was the first time I got a dark enough red. Although I still do not think I had mine as bright as Clifford. I was pleased with the results though. Otherwise I ALWAYS use Wilton gel coloring.

 

[dannyzmom]

I have always used the Wilton Gel colorings when doing colored cakes. My Football & Baseball though - I used tub frosting - chocolate for the footbal and classic white for the baseball. The red stitching on the baseball was out of a squeeze can. I am loving Jennifer's idea of the premade red frosting from Cake Mate. I HATE HATE HATE making red cakes and avoid it like the plague!
I am so excited now to do a Spiderman cake for DS#2's bday!

 

[pamperedlinda]

I forgot to mention how AWESOME all your creations were!

Linda my DD saw those butterflies and LOVED them! Guess I know what I will be doing next year!

I am working on posting pictures of my construction cakes.

They were fun to make. All you do is bake round cakes (8 or 9 inch....these are 8 inch) and cut them in half. Then switch the halves around so that the rounded sides touch each other then I cut them about a third of the way down and seperated a bit to look like wings. They were a little messy to frost when the wing parts were close together. I can send you up-close pictures if you want. I can't find my original instructions. I made them for a friend's daughter who wanted a butterfly theme and her mom had already bought the paper products so these two matched the butterflies on the plates and napkins. It was really cute all together.

 

[etteluap70PC]

Ok so I broke down and loaded some pics to Photobucket.

Here are the cakes I did for Ds's 2nd b-day

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff101/PCmom2/132-3255_IMG.jpg

I was pleased how they came out. Even The lady from the bakery that does all the fancy cakes (and happens to be Grandma of DD' best friend) was impressed!

 

[pamperedlinda]

They are so cute Paulette! I'm glad you posted them.

 

[jenniferknapp]

All that I have to say is that these are wonderful cakes that you are all making! My mom made ALL of our cakes from scratch, anything that we wanted!! (dalmatians, cabbage patch dolls, etc etc) they were all so special to us!

 

[lacychef]

Do you guys ever feel this way?....
Yesterday I was decorating the cake for my dd's b-day party. It was a purse & turned out really cute. (can't post a pic though cause my digital broke:grumpy: ) To decorate it, the directions said to frost, then decorate with candies to make flowers, etc. Well, my dd wanted to help of course! So of course it looked great.....but do you ever have the feeling that you'd rather your kids not help so it looks perfect? Oh well!

 

[jenniferknapp]

My mom always decorated while we were sleeping or busy doing other things, it was always a surprise of what the final version looked like until our party!

 

[pamperedlinda]

Do you guys ever feel this way?....
Yesterday I was decorating the cake for my dd's b-day party. It was a purse & turned out really cute. (can't post a pic though cause my digital broke:grumpy: ) To decorate it, the directions said to frost, then decorate with candies to make flowers, etc. Well, my dd wanted to help of course! So of course it looked great.....but do you ever have the feeling that you'd rather your kids not help so it looks perfect? Oh well!

I feel for you Lacy! DS always wants to help me.....I feel guilty when I don't let him....but boy can he make a mess!

 

[dannyzmom]

Ok so I broke down and loaded some pics to Photobucket.

Here are the cakes I did for Ds's 2nd b-day

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff101/PCmom2/132-3255_IMG.jpg

I was pleased how they came out. Even The lady from the bakery that does all the fancy cakes (and happens to be Grandma of DD' best friend) was impressed!

Paulette - they're fabulous!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Do you guys ever feel this way?....
Yesterday I was decorating the cake for my dd's b-day party. It was a purse & turned out really cute. (can't post a pic though cause my digital broke:grumpy: ) To decorate it, the directions said to frost, then decorate with candies to make flowers, etc. Well, my dd wanted to help of course! So of course it looked great.....but do you ever have the feeling that you'd rather your kids not help so it looks perfect? Oh well!

Glad to hear I am not the only anal person on here! (Oh! Did I say that out loud?!?:blushing: Don't take offense Lacy!!)

 

[etteluap70PC]

Do you guys ever feel this way?....
Yesterday I was decorating the cake for my dd's b-day party. It was a purse & turned out really cute. (can't post a pic though cause my digital broke:grumpy: ) To decorate it, the directions said to frost, then decorate with candies to make flowers, etc. Well, my dd wanted to help of course! So of course it looked great.....but do you ever have the feeling that you'd rather your kids not help so it looks perfect? Oh well!

Ummm Yeah! All the time!

I did let DD do the "dirt" sprinkles on DS' cake. But that was it. Luckily Grandma and grandpa brough snowmobiles so DH took her out on them for the first time. She had WAY more fun than decorating cakes!

Oh and Thanks Carolyn!

 

[lacychef]

Ok, good, glad I'm not the only one! (& no offense taken Kelly!) I usually do decorate them when my girls are asleep, but Sunday I didn't. & my dd would have been mad if I didn't let her help!

 

[chefann]

My sister was at Michael's with her youngest, who's 4. The 4yo turned the corner, and gasped. "We neeeeeed this!" When my sister turned the corner, she saw the new castle set Wilton has out to make fairy princess castle cakes. She got it (it was around $18), and has already used it once. It comes with an idea sheet that includes Halloween and Christmas ideas. She's plannign to use it for my BIL's b'day as a "standard" castle, and put a dragon in front (BIL loves dragons).

Romantic Castle Cake Set - Wilton

 

[jrstephens]

Hint for coloring frostings: buy the Wilton's GEL COLORING!! You use a small amount (I just stick a toothpick down into the gel, and then smear it into my frosting...if you need more coloring, just use a new toothpick.) and they seem to last forever! Plus, because they are so concentrated, you get vibrant colors without adding any liquid (as in, liquid foodcoloring) to your frosting which can change the consistancy! They even sell this in the craft section of WalMart!

I think something was wrong with mine. I used the entire jar of the gel and it was still not Clifford red - it was a redish pink. Then I added another thing of red dye I had in the cabinet and still the same.

 

[chefann]

I think something was wrong with mine. I used the entire jar of the gel and it was still not Clifford red - it was a redish pink. Then I added another thing of red dye I had in the cabinet and still the same.

There are different reds available. (Maybe yours was a mis-labeled pink, too). The no-taste red doesn't have the weird taste associated with lots of red dyes. But it's not as vivid as the Christmas Red.

If you can find a specialty cake decorating supply, they sometimes have powdered colors available. AB's used them on Good Eats, and has mentioned that they are great for vivid colors, although they can be very hard to find.