FABULOUS KIDS BIRTHDAY CAKES

I always love making Andrew and Hailee's birthday cakes instead of ordering a premade one from the bakery or grocery store because I have so much fun with it. I must admit that I don't always have as much time as I would like to spend on them, but I do the best I can with the time I do have. In February, I made a "pirate ship" cake for Andrew's 6th birthday and it really turned out cute. I just used my imagination pretty much and went to the dollar store and picked up a package of plastic pirates (there was even a cannon, barrels, and flags in the pkg.) for decorating the cake with. I baked a sheet cake, cut it into the appropriate looking pieces, and played around with stacking it, etc... until I got it the way I wanted. I took wooden shish-ka-bob skewers from the kitchen and snipped off the pointy end, and made paper flags, poked the skewers threw and stuck in the "ship" cake. I used brown frosting for the sides of the ship and ran a knife through it to get the "woodgrain" effect. Andrew, as well as everyone else at the party loved it. Last year it was a "race car" cake, the year before was a "John Deere tractor" cake (that one was amazing, I must say) with the farm, barn and all. I even made the top of the cake looked "plowed" just like a field with rows of "planted" veggies (which were actually candy corn(orange) pushed into the frosting "dirt" with a little green frosting piped on top to resemble carrots, rows of "cabbages" were also "planted in the frosting "dirt" using the same green frosting piped in little swirls to resemble tiny cabbages. Needless to say, it was a big hit at the party, and almost too cute to cut! For Hailee's 4th birthday last year, she requested a "tea party" themed birthday party, so I thumbed through the "birthday cake cook book" to get some ideas. There wasn't a teapot cake featured in there anywhere, but after looking at a few princess cakes, butterfly cakes, and cute "purse" cakes, I came up with something. It turned out really nice and she loved it. I just basically made a sheet cake, trimmed it into the shape of a tea-pot, with handle, spout, and all, and then had a ball with the frosting and decorations. Using pink frosting for the background, I piped white frosting to outline the tea-pot, and to make the "lid". Adding some glittery sprinkles and fancy (but easy) swirls here and there, it was very cute. I even made a few little "tea cups" and "saucers" with the left over trimmed off cake. It was a big hit at the party and she bragged to everyone that her "MiMi" made it! I was in histarics while watching all those little girls looking at me like I was some kind of "hero" or "celebrity" or something. Hailee's birthday is coming up again in June and I wonder what it will be this year.....a butterfly, a Barbie, a princess.....who knows with her, it could even end up being "Spider Man". LOL!! I really like this doll house one and think I will show it to her to see what she thinks. It reminds me a little of a "gingerbread house, except decorated a little different. Anyway, I came across these cute ones and thought I would share them with everyone. If you check out the Parents Magazine website, you will find these two along witha few more and they even provide step by step instructions (and a video) of how to make them. So head on over and try one for your little ones next birthday party. He or she will think you are "the greatest" and you too could become a "celebrity" for the day at their big bash!


Erin