My birthday is in December. The 20th in fact. Though I’m sure my parents tried the best they could, I never really felt like my birthday was MY DAY, ya know? Between Christmas shopping to be done and just general holiday craziness, that day always felt like an afterthought. Now that I have my own kids ( that I specifically planned around the holidays, sort of ) I make sure they feel like it’s their day.
This year I saw something on Pinterest for Valentine’s Day and adapted it for his birthday. He really liked reading the things I wrote and instead of tearing through it, he crept under it all.
Another thing I do is to have them pick their menu for the day. I print it up and place it on the table where they sit. I also decorate their space for the day.
Then there’s the decorating of his backpack and lunchbox.
Then there’s the cake.
O THE CAKE.
Every year I say I’m going to go with a store bought cake, and sometimes I do as long as I can find one that fits his character love for the moment.
And when I can’t? I make them.
And when I make them? I think I’ve lost my mind EVERY time.
Skylanders is my son’s current obsession. If your kids haven’t heard of them? You’re lucky. It’s a relatively new craze and the party emporiums have yet to come out with party stuff for them. So that left me making the cake this year.
This cake ::grabs depends::
I mean really? How the eff am I going to go about making that? I only deal with frosting. The soft stuff.
Anything stiff scares me. Like fondant.
Yet, I don’t think I could make this look good at all unless I used fondant.
So…..I did.
I used fondant for the first time ever. I fondanted today. And I tweeted as I did.
I bought fondant and as I read the directions I am seeing 2 too many “Sold separately” items that I don’t have.
You know that thing that’s like “I’ve never worked with fondant but how hard could it be?” feeling? I’m at that point. #StayTuned
If you ever decide to work with fondant, you should ask yourself first “Do I REALLY love myself?”
I’m about 5,365 viewings of the @Charm_CityCakes show short of being able to deal with fondant.
Dear fondant, I’ve toilet trained two cats and 2 children in my life. I WILL OWN YOU.
That’s right fondant. Say my name.
I conquered fondant like it’s my birthday.
Happy 9th Birthday Braden.
You are totally worth it. All.
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instead of using the store bought fondant get a bag of marshmallows and some powdered sugar put it in the microwave about 2 minutes till it looks like it is about to blow up and then when cooled slightly roll into a ball, put some powdered sugar on your work space and roll it out! much cheaper and easy to work with!
Making this exact cake this week for my son’s b-day. You did a fabulous job! I am dying to know how you got that perfect stone pattern, please share your secret! I can’t get over how perfect that cake looks!
you totally owned that cake!!! way to go! i can’t wait to give fondant a try. i fully expect lots of swearing and triumph ;)
A couple things. One. You rule. Two. My kiddos birthday is December 21st. He feels your pain. Three. Said kiddo is obsessed with Skylanders also, so I’m doing my best to make him an amazing Skylander cake to go with his Skylander party. Barf. Anyway. I just did a test run of fondant and also made it my bitch. But it’s my light lavender smooth bitch. How did you get it that awesome color?? And how did you do the stone pattern? Teach me fondant master!
I just emailed you, and I suppose this will be an email too. :)
That Cake Is Awesome!
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Oh my gosh! I want to be a kid and live in your house! This is awesome! And I can totally relate to your birthday woes. Mine is December 26th (thanks, Mom).
Love the cake! What kinds of things did you write on the paper attached to the crepe paper?
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I wrote compliments like "You're a great brother" "You are funny" It really started his day making him feel great.
LOVE IT – all of it!!!
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Wow! Wow to the cake and the whole day. Will you adopt? Ok how about for just one day a year?
You are insane. It turned out awesome. Totally holding you captive for tips if ever I go crazy enough to try that nonsense myself.
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This is the most awesome post with "i don't like anything stiff" written in it that I have ever read.
plus you are my mom hero.
Cort's bday is Dec 10 and he has never felt like it's HIS day either. So I do bdays up 'round these parts. But I have never dabbled in the fondant. You just set the bar.
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You are Woman!! I am significantly impressed. Of course, I can't even make cut out sugar cookies look edible…
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Gorgeous!! You kicked fondants butt!
Amazeballs. Holy crap. If I didn't already want to be you when I grow up, I do now.
That cake is AWESOME!!
Wowzers! You made the little guy, too? Are you a super cake hero from the planet Caktron? Dayum. That's impressive!
O gosh NO! That is an actual play figure that I gave him as a gift. So when I brought out the cake he was probably more impressed with that figure than my cake but ya know. whatever.
Love it.
I love it. We have a huge Skylanders obsession going on in our house, too. Your birthday traditions are wonderful!
You are the best mom ever. For realsies.
First, I expected nothing less of you: amazing as usual! Second, can you IMAGINE what you and I could do if we teamed up for a cake challenge??? I am shuddering on everyone else's behalf just thinking about it.
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Looks great! So bummed I missed the live tweeting.
That is amazing!!! All of it!!!
::STANDING OVATION::
Holy Weird Little Action Figures! That is amazing and much better than my first foray into the land of fondant. So smooth.
I also had birthday issues growing up. I thought I was the only one that did so much personal decorating for each kid. I also got myself into the tradition of making each kid their own PERSONAL cake in addition to the cake for the guests. I love the memories, though. They are worth it. But I am very glad one is born in December and one is born in July. I need the recovery time. Ellen
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I am impressed! My sister and I tried to tackle fondant once and it was an epic fail.
Awesome! That cake is amazing.
My husband is the cake maker in our house and he tries to use fondant…. tries.
Holy crap that is awesome!
::speechless::
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Wow.
That is all.
Dude. You’re the cake master. I bow to your fondant prowess. I used to work about four blocks from Charm City Cakes, I like to think that I absorbed some cake magic through proximity. Sadly, pretty much every time I make a cake that theory is proved wrong. Dammit.