Back to School

I love the creativity in designing and making cakes/cupcakes for my kids birthdays, but I didn't really have the know-how to create the visions I come up with in my head.  So back in March 2009 I signed up for my first Wilton cake decorating class.  While I loved learning all of the decorating techniques, I quickly began to realize that beginning cake decorating and perfectionism do not go hand in hand.  I don't think I was ever more frustrated in my life.  Every new technique I tried never came out looking like the picture in the booklet.  But with a little bit a lot of patience and practice, I was able to create this for my  final cake project.

It took me 2 years to go back and take the remaining Wilton courses.  I'm not really sure why I waited so long...in fact I really wish I would have taken the classes sooner.  I learned SO much from them.  And just to think of the cool cakes I could have created if I had just known the techniques....

These were my first attempt at gum paste pansies.

My final project for the Flowers and Cake Design class.  They are jumbo cupcakes decorated to look like flower baskets.  I'm not overly happy with them, but that's partly because I had to create them in what I consider a backwards order.  I think they would have looked better had I been able to do the basket weave on the bottom first and then finished doing the tops.

This was my final cake for the Gum Paste and Fondant class.  I wanted to put cut out stars shooting out of the bow as well as a couple around the sides, but I ran out of colored fondant and couldn't justify the cost.

In the Beginning...

I'm not completely new to baking.  I'm one of those people who refuses to buy a cake from the store because, I'm sorry...you can make it at home for a lot cheaper.  And by no means am I saying my cakes are better....I fully admit that store bought cakes are way better looking than mine, but like I said, the cheap me always wins out.

My first true cake attempt was for Maddie's first birthday.  The theme was bees so I tried to make 2 beehive cakes with bumblebee cupcakes.

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We're just going to skip over Maddie's second birthday.  The cupcakes were nothing special and the tooth mishap at the park made it so the display was never put together. Really, you aren't missing anything.  

For Lizzie's first birthday, I stuck with the bug theme...this time ladybugs.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of the display.  This is the best picture I could come up with....I know, not too great, but the ladybug cupcakes were really cute...you just have to take my word for it. :)

For Maddie's 3rd birthday, it was all about Dora.  My cake decorating skills really hadn't progressed much so I made a cupcake scene and slapped some Dora figures on it.  Voila!

I was rushed to make the cupcakes for Lizzie's second birthday.  With not a lot of time to get them done, this was the best I could do for a Mickey Mouse birthday party....and of course, I spiced it up with some Mickey and Minnie figures.

To celebrate her 4th birthday, Maddie insisted on The Backyardigans, but it had to be the volcano sisters Backyardigans episode.  Thus, the volcano cake surrounded by flower cupcakes....oh, and must not forget the figures!

Mickey was still Lizzie's number one guy as we approached birthday 3.  Again, I was pressed for time to make the cupcakes and I was having to come up with something different for the same theme used the year before, hence Mickey and Minnie cupcakes with mini Oreos for the ears.

I figured it was time to step up my cake decorating skills, so I took a Wilton cake decorating class.  While my first cake isn't the most elaborate, it shows a move in the right direction toward a store-bought-cake look.  This is the resulting High School Musical megaphone with musical note cupcakes.

I can finally say I was not pressed for baking time when Lizzie's 4th birthday rolled around.  The theme:  Grease.  The cake: a record with star cupcakes for accent.  While it was nothing elaborate, it was my first attempt at using fondant for decorating and making homemade chocolate butter cream icing.

Phineas and Ferb was all the rage in the house as Maddie turned six so it only made sense that this would be the theme.  Since I am a huge fan of cupcakes at kids' parties, I made some beach themed cupcakes with fondant surf boards to go along the Backyard Beach we were creating.  Still, we couldn't have a Phineas and Ferb party without a Doofenshmirtz cake, so I recreated the pink, triple-tiered cake.

And finally we reach Lizzie's 5th birthday, which I have to say was my best cupcake attempt yet.  The original theme was supposed to be unicorns but I was having one heck of a time coming up with cool ideas for a birthday party, so I convinced her to change to Scooby Doo.  I found the design for these cupcakes online and was actually able to replicate them without too many problems.