Monday, 7 August 2023

Birthday Cakes

One of my favourite, yet most challenging things about preparing for the kids' birthdays is deciding on and executing a special birthday cake. Their cakes have largely been based on their obssession of the time. Pinterest and YouTube are amazing for ideas and techniques; the days of flipping through the Australian Women's Weekly birthday cake magazines are far behind us. It has been exciting, albeit slightly stressful, to challenge myself to learn new techniques and increase my knowledge each year, even if sometimes I feel like I learn more about what not to do next time, than what works well! I also need to point out here that most of the below cakes are based on other people's incredible creations that I have adapted and combined with other ideas.

So, here they are, in descending age order, the good, the mehh and the fails :)


2023: Max 15 (!!) - Rainbow Candy Cake
Max requested the same Lolly cake as his 13th, but I wanted to do something different - it was well received nonetheless. I love the look of the M&Ms when placed vertically - completely different from the rounds. Filled with Skittles.







2022: Finn - Marvel
Fondant on buttercream. This was (almost) a labour of love! Having just watched the full gamut of Marvel movies, and series with my kids, I feel like I now know these characters intimately (more than 35 movies/series over a couple of months). Sculpting is definitely not a strength of mine, but I was pretty happy, nevertheless, with the way they turned out.








2022: Max 14 - Stranger Things
Printed sugar sheets on buttercream. I didn't love the look of the white sugar sheets against the cream buttercream. Would definitely do this differently next time.






2021: Finn - Panda








2021: Max 13 - Lollies
Ganache on buttercream.



2020: Finn 10 - Star Wars
I did it! I actually made another spherical fondant cake and I'm pretty thrilled with how it turned out!








2020: Max 12 - Percy Jackson/Greek Gods
Another nerve-wracking fondant cake. I genuinely wonder how many cakes it takes to feel comfortable working with fondant. 




2019: Finn 9 - Oreo cake
Close to 10 packets of Oreos in this for our chocolate-loving boy



2019: Max 11 - Hagrid’s Hut




2018: Finn 8 - Minecraft cake
Jelly, rice bubble slice and chocolate cake



2018: Max 10 - Chess Party
White chocolate mud cake with chocolate chess pieces. First time using chocolate moulds. I had originally planned to do a full-sized 8x8 chessboard, but after the moulds arrived in the post, I realised that it would turn out to be a 40cm square cake - perhaps somewhat excessive!



2017: Finn 7 - Pirate cake for a Pirate Parrrrty - see more here
A buttercream and fondant combo - using a super wide tip
 to apply buttercream and smoothing using an actual turntable, not a makeshift Lego one 😁


2017: Max 9 - Hobbit Hole Cake
First time using a grass tip - I love the look of it and have used it on numerous cakes since.
This coincided with a trip to Hobbiton for Max's birthday - photos here.



2016: Finn 6 - Paw Patrol’s Rubble cake
So simple, yet so effective


2016: Max 8- Golden Snitch Cake, see Harry Potter Party here
My first (and quite possibly only!!) spherical fondant cake and first time using ganache

I didn't have a turntable at this point, so improvised one out of lego, chopping board and edible glue :)



2015: Finn 5 - Climbing Wall cake
My first real cake fail - covering it took longer than expected and I had to leave for the school run - by the time I got back, the fondant had dried out and was no longer workable. I have no idea why I decided to cover it in sections, instead of like a normal fondant cake... Fondant anxiety?
I also learned that black fondant looks rather unappetising!

 2015: Max 7 - Captain America’s Shield cake
I actually used stencils to get the shapes precise, instead of winging it, as I all too often do, and was happy with how it turned out.



2014: Finn 4 -  Pirate Ship cake
One of my favourites

 2014: Max 6 - Lego cake for a Lego party (see post here)
My first time using fondant, ever, and tbh, I still hate working with the stuff!




2013: Finn 3 -  Train cake
Definitely the last time I'll use a shaped cake mould - so frustrating to get it out, despite copious greasing of mould

2013: Max 5 - Rocket cake
The sparkler cake that set off the smoke alarms at the climbing gym!

2012: Finn 2 - Aeroplane
My first piped cake, first shaped cake pan
 

2012: Max 4 - Bulldozer cake


2011: Finn 1 - Echidna
My first (and, so far, only) ice-cream cake  - this one might actually be from the AWW cake magazine!

2011: Max 3 - A Pond cake
Cake with jelly water, always my favourite when I was young! 

2010: Max 2 - Marshmallow lorry
My first shaped cake, ever

  2009: Max 1 - A simple Kiwi Pavlova



And there have been a few others for the adults in my life:

My golfing-husband's cake

 Chocolate-loving-Grandpa's cake

For my Pineapple-Lump-loving husband




And if you are interested in Christmas cakes, they can be found here.