Birthday Cake

Considering that my model was a faded cake photo from the 1970 Wilton yearbook, that I've only made two other decorative cakes in my life (Elmo and the Xmas cake), and that the Wilton yearbook instructions were three sentences long (for those who are regular cake decorators), I was rather pleased with how the cake turned out.
And because I used four layers of butter fudge cake with fudge icing in between, I was even more pleased with how it tasted. I ate almost all the leftovers myself--sacrificing my own figure, really, to help the children stay on nutritional track.

Because of how lovely M's cake ended up turning out--Lovely, from my own creator perspective--I have decided that there is hope for the Xmas cake (see last years model below), and I will bravely continue on making it every year. The goal is that by the end of time it will look exactly like the cake in "Picture This" and that everything on it will be edible. Fondant, fondant, more fondant, and the "Wilton basket weave technique" will all be necessary. For this year though, I think I will work on the "smooth icing" and bordering techniques.

Here are the smallest children oohing and aahing over my cake. Ahem, I mean, M's cake.

T tried to blow out the candle.

Then he tried to dive head first into the cake. He had to be forcibly removed from my arm, and even then, he clung to my pant leg all the way that I walked to the kitchen. He cried, and squirmed, and said, "flowers, flowers, please, Mommy, flowers...." I ignored him while I attempted to serve myself, ahem, guests, but did note that he knew they were flowers without being told. Smart boy. And props again to my decorating skills. I'm pretty sure the local bakery is hiring.