5th Birthday Cake

Perhaps you already know this, but last week Smiley turned 5 (no?  click on the link to see some pics).  As a family we celebrated her birthday quietly by driving 4 1/2 hours in the car back to our home from Great Grandma's house after a fun weekend of family time and a bit of pheasant hunting.  She chose where we stopped for lunch ~ Subway ~ and opened presents when we arrived back home.

We tend to not do "friend" birthday parties until the kids are a bit older but since both mine and hubby's families mostly live in different states, large family parties tend to not happen either.  However, this year, my parents were able to come up for a visit and my brother and his family were able to come down.  So, a small party was planned.  And you can't celebrate a birthday without a birthday cake.  However, when you are five, it can be very difficult to decide on what kind of cake you want.  After going through the typical character cake ideas... Dora, Princesses (which I made for her 3rd birthday), Doc McStuffins and Fairies, Smiley determined she wanted a rainbow cake.

Whoo Hooo!  I was excited :)

So, we got baking!

I started with 2 boxes of white cake mix ~ disregarding the box instructions, I doctored them up by mixing them with (use 1/2 of these amounts for only 1 box of cake mix):
1 C Vegetable oil
1 Cup Water
16 oz sour cream
8 eggs
2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding mix

Once the batter was throughly mixed, I:

• Split the batter evenly (about 1 3/4 cup of batter per cake) into 6 different bowls.
• Added a different rainbow color of food coloring to each bowl.  I used a small blob of Wilton's  concentrated gel icing color to each bowl (I used no taste - red, orange, yellow, kelly green, blue and purple).
• Mixed the coloring into the batter very well.
• Poured the batter into 6 different, greased (I also line the bottom of my pans with parchment paper cut to size)  8" or 9" round baking pans (lets be honest, I only have 2 pans, so I repeated this step 3 times)

• Baked each cake about 18 minutes at 350°
• Removed from the oven, cooled about 5 minutes in the pan then removed from the pan to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
• Once they were cool, I wrapped them in Saran wrap and stored the in the fridge until the next day when I was ready to frost and assemble the cake.

Fast forward to the next day:

I made up some frosting:

3 sticks softened, unsalted butter
3 8oz packages softened, cream cheese
3 lbs confectioners sugar
* Using my stand mixer, I mix the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, then gradually add the confectioners sugar.

*I left my frosting white (actually off white in color due to the color of the butter) as I wanted the inside of the cake to be the star.

Time to assemble:

• I started by leveling each cake ~ using a serrated knife, I sort of shaved the top of each cake to make sure they were straight across and not rounded/raised in the middle.
•Then I began to stack and layer:  (I wanted this cake to go the "typical" rainbow route)   purple - frosting - blue - frosting - green - frosting - yellow - frosting - orange - frosting - red then frosting across the top and down the sides of the cake.

I had purchased some long, stick like sparkle candles as well as a tall #5 candle, but I thought I needed more decor for the top of the cake.  I headed to my craft room and pulled out some fun paper.  Using the colors of the rainbow, I created a bunting to stick into the top.  I did this by cutting the paper into a diamond shapes, then folded and glued each one over a piece of black string to create a double sided flag.  I attached the ends of the string to 2 bamboo skewers and stuck them into the top of the cake.  Ta dah ~ a super simple cake decoration.

I also added some colorful sprinkles to the top of the cake for a little hint of color as well.

We brought the cake out, sang happy birthday to Smiley, let her blow out the candles, and got ready to enjoy a little cake and ice cream.

Our guests were very surprised to see that the inside of Smiley's plain looking birthday cake was not so plain at all, it was a beautiful rainbow of color.

And me, I had fun telling everyone to  "Taste the Rainbow"

Princess Cake

Smiley had decided she wanted to have a "Minnie" themed birthday party.  Just like last year :)

Then she decided she wanted a "Dora" themed party.

Then  "Princess"

Then a "Dora, Minnie Princess" party.

Ultimately she decided on a "princess" party.

I had a feeling this is the route she would take which was good, because I had "pinned" some cute princess cupcakes ~ cute and super easy!

source ~ my pinterest via Jennycookies.com

Then, I made a mistake.

I asked a 2 year old, if she wanted cupcakes or a big cake for her birthday.

Of couse she replied,  "A BIG cake Mama!"

Bring on the internet and the millions of princess cakes to go along with it!

I gave her 5 choices:

#1

Source 

#2

Source ~ Pinterest

#3

Source 

#4

(Source)

#5

(Source)

Well, which one did she pick?

# 2

I admit, #2 was probably my favorite, but I was secretly hoping she would go for #3 or #5 as I figured they would be the easiest :)

And while I liked #2, the tiara wasn't my favorite, so once again, I relied on handy dandy google to see me through!

I ended up making a gum paste tiara using the template from this website.

The process I used was pretty much the same process she used.  

I found an old utensil holder, taped my template onto it, then parchment paper over top of that.

I tinted my gum paste with pink gel color, rolled it into fairly thin "snakes" and placed it over my template. Having 2 templates is a great idea.  One flat on your workspace to guide you and one taped onto your rounded object.  To get the gum paste to stick to the parchment paper, I would dip a small paintbrush into water then paint the water onto the template before sticking the gum paste onto the template ~ it worked fabulously.

When I was finished, I set the whole thing aside to dry.  The longer you give it to dry, the harder it will become (although after awhile the color does begin to fade a bit).  Since my "snakes" were fairly thin, mine dried pretty quickly.  I let it set for about 25 hours before putting it on the cake.

I thought it turned out GRRReat!  (channeling my inner Tony the Tiger)

Now onto the cake

I did 4 layers total

2  ~ 9" round cakes one of each white and chocolate cake

2 ~ 6" round cakes one of each white and chocolate cake

For the white cake, I used a recipe I had seen on pinterest called ~ Wedding Cupcakes.  Obviously I didn't make cupcakes, but I used the same recipe.  It was a really easy recipe ~ basically you doctor up a boxed cake mix.

And the end result was fantastic!  My kids LOVED it!  They said is tasted like yummy marshmallows!  Definitely a recipe I will remake!

The chocolate cake cake was also a box mix.  I doctored it up like I typically do ~ Add follow the directions on the box, but add in and additional egg, 1 small box of instant chocolate pudding and 3/4 cup of sour cream.  The result is a super moist, delish cake!  A favorite at our house.

Between all of the layers and for the "crumb coat" before I put the fondant on, I used my very easy "go to" Vanilla Buttercream Frosting recipe.

Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended, then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more (you can add more cream as needed to get the consistency you want)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I put the cake together with the buttercream ~ alternating layers (and no making fun that they aren't even ~ they still taste good!!!).

Then covered the 9" layers with Marshmallow Fondant (recipe found here)

And then the 6" layers.

Next, I stacked them up.

Colored some of the left over fondant with gel colors and decorated it in a similar pattern to our "idea cake", by cutting out circles and stripes, rolling little balls, and by making more "snaking" to use as trim and flowers.

The result:

A DELICIOUS cake fit for a princess!

Seriously people.... If I can do it ~ so can you! :)

Someday Crafts

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

I have been doctoring store bought cake mix for a few years now ~ adding in sour cream and dry pudding mix mostly (see here and here).  

And this chocolate cake is no different.

This is Actions favorite cake ~ he has requested for 3 years for his birthday and I am happy to make it for him.  

(Action is so little in this picture!  Cute little 9yr old ~ Check him out here with his chocolate cake at the age of 13!)

Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small package (3.9oz) instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 cup (8oz) sour cream (I use regular sour cream ~ it's dessert after all)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

* Mix all of the ingredients together.  Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, medium for about 2 minutes.  The batter will be thick.
* Pour batter evenly into two greased 9" round cake pans  (I also line the bottom of the pans with a
   sheet of parchment paper cut to size.)
*Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes ~ test for doneness with a toothpick
* Cool in pans for 10-15 minutes, remove cakes from pans and place on cooling racks to cool
   completely.

You can also make cupcakes ~ the recipe does make a thick batter so plan on scooping it into your muffin tins.  I use paper liners.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Frosting:

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened, baking cocoa
1/2 cup milk, room temperature

* Beat the butter, powdered sugar and cocoa until mixed.  Then add milk, beat until smooth.

Cake Assembly:

Place one of the cakes on a plate.
Top with frosting.
Place 2nd cake on top of the frosting layer.
Use remaining frosting to coat the top and sides of the top and sides of the cakes.

Serve:  

Cut into slices and serve with vanilla ice cream, which in my opinion is the perfect compliment for all of that chocolate.  Oh and top with strawberries, because having a little fruit with this delicious chocolate cake makes it healthy.......right?

 or

Enjoy!!!

Spicy, Sweet, Moist, Yummy Carrot Cake

Our 13th wedding anniversary was a couple of weeks ago.  It happened to fall on a Tuesday night.  A Tuesday night that was also booked with basketball practice for Action and Volleyball games for Sassy.  That meant a quick dinner at home before the activities began.  Being the um... the wonderful wife I am, I made a few of hubby's favorites for dinner.  The main course was penne with prosciutto an easy pasta dish that the both of us like.  But dessert, dessert was something I haven't made in a very long time.  Something I know the hubs likes.  A dessert I made for him while we were dating.  Carrot Cake.

This is a recipe I got from my mom.  Where she got it I have no idea, but I do know, the resulting cake in this recipe is delicious.  You absolutely should try it.  I mean it has carrots in it people, so it has to be healthy.  Right?

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

First, the cake

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 Cups vegetable oil

3 Cups grated carrots

Directions:

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

2.  Make a well in the middle and pour in oil and un-beaten eggs.

3.  Beat 

4.  Add grated carrots and mix well.

5.  Pour into a 9x13 cake pan (I always spray mine with non-stick cooking spray)

6.  Bake at 350° for 40-60 minutes

And now, the icing on the cake.... Actually, cream cheese frosting

(don't frost the cake until it has cooled completely)

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup margarine, room temperature

3 oz cream cheese, room temperature, (not fat free/low fat)

2 1/4 Cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chopped ~ as finely as you so desire ~ Nuts (I use walnuts)

Directions:

Cream together the margarine and cream cheese.  Once smooth, add in powdered sugar and vanilla.  

Frost cooled cake, then sprinkle with chopped nuts

There you have it an easy, yummy, dessert!

And I totally got sidetracked eating a piece of this delicious cake and forgot to take a picture of it!  I guess you'll have to make it yourself to see the yummy carrotty inside! 

40 Years and sort of a long post :)

Thanksgiving, shopping, 60th surprise birthday party, basketball practices and games, church, and a surprise 40th anniversary party for my parents = a busy couple of weeks.

Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Shopping was uneventful.

The 6oth surprise birthday party was for my father-in-law and turned into a very late night 3am to be exact.

Action's basketball team won their first skills competition in basketball ~ must have to do with the coaching (yes, hubby is his coach ~ Ha!)

Sassy's basketball team lost their first game, but Sassy played some mighty good defense and ended up with 2 fouls and 1 illegal contact call.

The surprise 40th Anniversary party ~ well, that was for my parents!

40 years.

Remarkable.

Here's how it went down.....

Since myself and my 4 siblings are scattered about, we don't all get together very often at the same time.  So we definitely knew if we could all make it that would be a surprise in and of itself.

My sister rented out a room at a great restaurant and started sneaking pictures from my parents house so she could create a slide show of their 40 years together.

I got the evites sent out.  All of my Dad's brothers and his sister live quite a distance from my parents. 2 out of 3 said they were coming.  Both my mom's brother, who lives out of state and sister (who lives minutes from my parents) as well as her 2 kids and their family/significant replied they would also be in attendance.  Every thing was going perfectly.

I decided to make a replica of their wedding cake.  Keep in mind their wedding cake was small :)  Their actual wedding was small and intimate to begin with and made even smaller due to a December blizzard.

I made this "white wedding" (cupcakes) cake that I pinned on pinterest awhile ago as well as my favorite buttercream frosting ~ both I had also made for Smiley's 3rd birthday. They had a simple cake topper of a cross with intertwined rings which I recreated out of gum paste.

My friend E, who is simply fabulous came over on Friday to help me with the decorating.  Ok, fine... she did basically all of the decorating.  She's taken classes and is so good.  I can honestly say I don't do much, if any piping and would just have made a mess of the cake!

We had one picture to go by.  And it was a over flashed picture from the 70's (look for it at the end of this post).  A little difficult so we just went with what we saw.

The day of the party arrived.  A ice and snow storm had hit the area of my Uncle and one of my brothers and they were not able to make it.  Bummer.

My other brother, his wife and sons, my sister, her husband and son, as well as my family met about a block away from my parents house.  We gave all of the grandkids balloons, flowers and treats to carry up to the door and they piled into my vehicle.  My parents thought my husband and I were coming back to town for my father in laws 60th b-day party (which had actually taken place the weekend before) so they were expecting us to swing by.  When we pulled up all of the grandkids ran up to the door and yelled "Happy Anniversary"  when my mom opened the door.  To say the least my parents were surprised!

We hung out, decorated their house for Christmas and told them we had dinner reservations at 6:30.

Hubby and I left early ~ we had to get the cake there!  AND everyone else was showing up at 6 to surprise them.

We got all set up and word came that my parents had arrived.  We braced ourselves to surprise them.  And that they were!  My mom mentioned that there were probably more people there than had made it to their actual wedding due to the blizzard.  (I'm not sure I believe her though, but it was probably close).

She thought the cake was beautiful and less crooked than the one they had at their wedding reception and mentioned we got the colors just right!  I even made them cut the cake and exchange bites. :)

The slide show my sister had made was fabulous.

And the rest of the weekend was filled with laughter, family, memories and smiles ~ lots of smiles as we finally were able to get family pictures taken (another part of their surprise).  We had not had family pictures taken since I was a sophomore in college and they were for the church directory.

Ugly.... very ugly!  I can't wait to see the new ones!

Anyway, happy 40th to my parents!