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

[janetupnorth]

This one Kacey?

 

[Kitchen Diva]

This one Kacey?

Yes, thanks Janet

And, Anniebee! Your cakes are amazing! If it wasn't a sin to be jealous, I'd be UBER jealous of your cake making and decoration skills!

Way to go, you rock!

 

[AnnieBee]

Thanks Kacey! Did you see this one? It's a recent one, and a current favourite of mine

 

[pamperedlinda]

We celebrating DS birthday today. Here's the cake (fyi - it's supposed to be a Blue Angel's Fighter Jet)

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc293/lindachild/001-4.jpg

 

[AnnieBee]

OK, I have a few recent cakes that I haven't posted here yet... Here goes!

The first was just for fun to try out stripes. The second was a baby shower cake for a chinese lady. It is the year of the ox, hence the topper. Unfortunately our camera had not been working well, so the colours are not great in the picture.

The last one was for my son's 4th birthday, the day after the big cake was due. I was a bit "caked out" and not overly inspired... Oh well, he liked it!

 

[AnnieBee]

And finally, I made cupcakes yesterday for my little DD's 2nd birthday. I had a couple of things I'd been wanting to try out, so it was fun to have an excuse to do them!

 

[candiejayne]

I love both of the different kinds! Looks like you DD loved them too!

 

[etteluap70PC]

My little guy just turned 4. Here is his cake... it is actually multiple small cakes made in a silicone mold. He loved it!

 

[pamperedlinda]

very cute Paulette!

 

[etteluap70PC]

Thanks Linda, I really liked you airplane too! My DS would think it is pretty cool!

 

[fikibiff]

Wow, there have been some really nice cakes posted since I last looked here. Love the cupcakes. Here is my latest cake. i was for my son's 5th birthday. He is obsessed with the X-Box 360 game Sonic Unleashed. This is basically a screen shot of the game. I had him play it and then literally took a picture of the TV screen and recreated it in cake. The large guy laying down and his club are made out of rice krispy treats and covered in candy clay. Sonic the hedgehog, the walls, plants, rocks and yellow diamonds are all made of candy clay and the cake itself is covered in buttercream. He loved it.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Great job Nikki!

 

[chefshawna]

Great cakes everyone! I need to upload some more of mine!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Wow...the cakes are beautiful! And your boys are so adorable! Great job!

 

[chefshawna]

Here is a cake I did for my niece's 14th birthday, it was the first cake of this size that I had done before. It was white and blue royal icining with silver dust and rolled fondant numbers. The top layer was intentionally slanted and the numbers were made to look crazy. Oh, the theme was Winter Wonderland, her birthday is in December. It didn't come out as clean looking as I had wanted, but she loved it, which is all that matters!!

 

[AnnieBee]

Wow Niki, that is AMAZING!! You did a fantastic job! I bet your son absolutely loved it!

What size was the cake? It looks huge!

Shawna, your cakes looks great too, the colours are so pretty, and I love how you did the numbers!

 

[fikibiff]

It was HUGE. I used 2 full sheet cakes (one chocolate and one funfetti) and cut out the circle, half from each. We had lots left over, but Zack, and his dad, loved it.

 

[AnnieBee]

Here's my latest... It was for my DH's 30-something(!) birthday. Strawberry yogurt cake with strawberry buttercream. Yum!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Here's my latest... It was for my DH's 30-something(!) birthday. Strawberry yogurt cake with strawberry buttercream. Yum!

Okay - that is SO cool!

But even more, I want the recipe for Strawberry Yogurt Cake w/ S-berry Buttercream!

Annabel - you do such amazing work - have you thought about doing this as a job?

 

[AnnieBee]

Becky, I have to admit that the cake was not from scratch - I knew I couldn't pull off that and the decorating, plus, I didn't have a good recipe for a strawberry cake (which is what DH requested) so I thought it would do!

I used a betty crocker white cake mix, 3 egg whites, 1/3 cup oil, 3/4 cup water, 6oz (2/3 cup) strawberry yogurt. Mix all ingredients, pour into two greased and floured 9" pans. Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

I actually did 2 mixes, and divided it between a 8" and 10" (3" tall) pans. Because they were extra thick, I baked at 325F for about 45mins (I think!).

They came out nice and moist, and quite fluffy. I was expecting it to be a denser consistency, more like a pound cake.

To make the buttercream, I used 4oz Butter, 12oz powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbsp water. This is my standard buttercream (I made a double batch for two cakes). You can add vanilla, cocoa, orange or lemon extract/oil/juice if desired. For strawberry, I warmed up some strawberry jam in the microwave, pushed it through a strainer to get rid of the seeds, and mixed into the buttercream. I used as much as I needed to get a nice strawberry flavour. I guess you could use jelly, but I like jam better!

I split the cakes and spread some warmed strawberry jam on the top of the bottom layer, then spread butter cream (I don't like it too thick) on the underside of the top layer, then sandwiched them together, then I covered the top and sides (thinly) with buttercream. YUM!!

I have thought about making cakes as a job, sometimes I think it would be pretty fun, but it is really hard to do with the kids around, I end up doing alot of the decorating in the evenings (I usually make the fondant and buttercream and cakes during the daytime). And the cakes are very time consuming! I have been commissioned to do some for friends though, and I will keep doing that.

Also, I would REALLY need to take some classes and learn how to do things better, I am really SO far from being able to do the things the professionals do! I would love to take a proper course and learn how to make all of the beautiful flowers!!

 

[LeslieSGI]

Those pictures are gorgeous! What a great cake!​

 

[chefshawna]

Becky, I have to admit that the cake was not from scratch - I knew I couldn't pull off that and the decorating, plus, I didn't have a good recipe for a strawberry cake (which is what DH requested) so I thought it would do!

I used a betty crocker white cake mix, 3 egg whites, 1/3 cup oil, 3/4 cup water, 6oz (2/3 cup) strawberry yogurt. Mix all ingredients, pour into two greased and floured 9" pans. Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

I actually did 2 mixes, and divided it between a 8" and 10" (3" tall) pans. Because they were extra thick, I baked at 325F for about 45mins (I think!).

They came out nice and moist, and quite fluffy. I was expecting it to be a denser consistency, more like a pound cake.

To make the buttercream, I used 4oz Butter, 12oz powdered sugar and 1-2 Tbsp water. This is my standard buttercream (I made a double batch for two cakes). You can add vanilla, cocoa, orange or lemon extract/oil/juice if desired. For strawberry, I warmed up some strawberry jam in the microwave, pushed it through a strainer to get rid of the seeds, and mixed into the buttercream. I used as much as I needed to get a nice strawberry flavour. I guess you could use jelly, but I like jam better!

I split the cakes and spread some warmed strawberry jam on the top of the bottom layer, then spread butter cream (I don't like it too thick) on the underside of the top layer, then sandwiched them together, then I covered the top and sides (thinly) with buttercream. YUM!!

I have thought about making cakes as a job, sometimes I think it would be pretty fun, but it is really hard to do with the kids around, I end up doing alot of the decorating in the evenings (I usually make the fondant and buttercream and cakes during the daytime). And the cakes are very time consuming! I have been commissioned to do some for friends though, and I will keep doing that.

Also, I would REALLY need to take some classes and learn how to do things better, I am really SO far from being able to do the things the professionals do! I would love to take a proper course and learn how to make all of the beautiful flowers!!

Do you make your fondant from scratch? I always buy the white and then just color what I need, but it is so expensive. If you make your own, is it hard? I'm like you, I don't have much time for the decorating, although I love it! It's hard to get the kids to leave me alone for the time needed to concentrate on cakes!

 

[chefshawna]

This is a graduation cake I made for a girl at work, their caps are all black, not very exciting, but it's what the college chose! I wish I would have gotten a better picture of the tassle, but they wanted to cut it and I didn't have time to get my usual hundred pictures! lol

 

[chefshawna]

Here are the butterfly cupcakes I made for a wedding shower and the wedding. I hand stenciled all the butterflies using candy melts. You can't tell very good, but the wings are pointed up like they have just landed on the cupcakes.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Here are the butterfly cupcakes I made for a wedding shower and the wedding. I hand stenciled all the butterflies using candy melts.

Oh, my, Shawna - those are beautiful! That must have taken so much time...I wish I had just a drop of the talent that those of you who do all the incredible cake decorating have!

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Here's my latest... It was for my DH's 30-something(!) birthday. Strawberry yogurt cake with strawberry buttercream. Yum!

That is BEAUTIFUL!!!! You are really talented! Strawberry yogurt cake sounds so yummy! Going to keep reading and hoping you posted your recipe! lol

Great job....too bad you're too far away, or I'd be asking you to make our cakes! = )

 

[chefshawna]

Oh, my, Shawna - those are beautiful! That must have taken so much time...I wish I had just a drop of the talent that those of you who do all the incredible cake decorating have!

Thank you!! They did take a lot of time, but it was fun! I can imagine them on alternating layers of a white wedding cake so they look like they are in flight. I told my husband we would have to get married again so I can make it!! LOL

 

[Jolie_Paradoxe]

Oh, my, Shawna - those are beautiful! That must have taken so much time...I wish I had just a drop of the talent that those of you who do all the incredible cake decorating have!

Same here Becky! For my son's 4th bday, he asked that I make him a cake from scratch.....I hadn't made one in almost 20 years! So I actually went out to buy cake tips, etc. ALL I tried to do was "Stars", figuring it was basic enough! Well, my son scratched his head and said, "well mom, we can just say they're alien guards!":blushing:

No skills here!

 

[AnnieBee]

Becky - Hope you saw the recipe. I also remembered that I added zest of one orange to the cake (wish I'd used 2!) and it was a really nice compliment to the strawberry.

Shawna - I love the grad cake and those gorgeous cup-cakes. I remember seeing the candy melt idea somewhere... was it the whimsical bakehouse or confetti cakes?? Very cute, I'm going to have to try that sometime. For the grad cake, was the top of the cap fondant on card board, or did you use gum-paste?

I do make my own fondant, but I am really only finally getting the consistancy right as I am self taught (started in september) and have never used bought fondant (it's pricey, and everyone says that the wilton tasted horrible, although I have been dying to try satin-ice). I am realising now that I had been making my fondant too firm. It is so much easier when it is softer!!! It is not hard at all (just a little time consuming and messy!), especially once you know what the finished fondant should be like, in terms of consistency. For the Cubs cake, the blue fondant was from a batch of leftover fondant, and it was too dry, and just cracked at the back when I put it on the cake... Oh well, thankfully it looked good everyelse, just that one patch was bad! I feel as though I have really learned and improved, so I guess that is good!!

Got to run,

Annabel

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Becky - Hope you saw the recipe. I also remembered that I added zest of one orange to the cake (wish I'd used 2!) and it was a really nice compliment to the strawberry.

Shawna - I love the grad cake and those gorgeous cup-cakes. I remember seeing the candy melt idea somewhere... was it the whimsical bakehouse or confetti cakes?? Very cute, I'm going to have to try that sometime. For the grad cake, was the top of the cap fondant on card board, or did you use gum-paste?

I do make my own fondant, but I am really only finally getting the consistancy right as I am self taught (started in september) and have never used bought fondant (it's pricey, and everyone says that the wilton tasted horrible, although I have been dying to try satin-ice). I am realising now that I had been making my fondant too firm. It is so much easier when it is softer!!! It is not hard at all (just a little time consuming and messy!), especially once you know what the finished fondant should be like, in terms of consistency. For the Cubs cake, the blue fondant was from a batch of leftover fondant, and it was too dry, and just cracked at the back when I put it on the cake... Oh well, thankfully it looked good everyelse, just that one patch was bad! I feel as though I have really learned and improved, so I guess that is good!!

Got to run,

Annabel

Hey Annabel,

I did see the recipe - and I'm going to be making that cake! Ummmm, well, except for the awesome decorating, that is. Mine will probably have a butter cream or whipped cream frosting. I KNOW that DH would love it, so I'll make it for Father's Day for him.

Oh - and I'm glad that you remembered you added the citrus zest. Sometimes, with those little touches, boxed mixes can taste homemade!

Hey - are you going to be up this way again any time soon?