Otherwise Known as Mum: 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!