Feature image source: blog.bitsofeverything.com/2013/02/3-cake-and-printable.html

Sometimes things just come in 3sss

Shaping your cake into a number is a simple matter of having three types of baking tins, DONUT, ROUND or SQUARE

However you choose to do it – the cake is always the focal point of any party. Whether it is a DIY or outsource, it is guaranteed to be memorable.

Here are three of my tried and tested:

1. Master 3’s Birthday – Cake theme… SPIDERMAN

I remember pouring over the details and making sure I got everything as close to the picture as I could… Only problem, the use of red food colouring. To say “a drop” became a teaspoon in an understatement!

No worries, the kids still loved the cake – in fact, they were literally bouncing off the walls like Spiderman himself. The colour red not only adorned their faces and pinkies but also their clothes. Most importantly, it actually slightly resembled the real thing.

If only knew then that the trick is prepare and colour the frosting one or two days before needing it then store it in the fridge. Apparently the frosting will turn a deeper shade of red as time passes and by simply stirring it really well gets it back to a creamy consistency plus the colour is absorbed without bleeding on consumption.

2.  Master 6’s birthday – Gluten free phase

Call me cruel, but our household birthday policy for our kids was always… “if it falls on a weekend, its a party – during the week its an after school play with closest mates”. Understand, this was not a hard and fast rule.

Master 6 and his 6 best mates come home to run amok and enjoy party food. One mate in particular with a sweet tooth drags himself away from the fun to enquire when the cake will be ready? Chocolate gluten free cake is produced, song is sun, candles blown out, cake is served and the first bite for poor sweet tooth buddy was clearly below par… “this is disgusting!”

Funny thing is my kids were also going through an ironic phase whereby if they really liked something they’d say, “this is disgusting…YUM!” So, I waited grinning with pride, and waited… and waited, before realising the “YUM!” part was not ever going to come. Besides which, the look on his face said it all.

My grin became a genuine chuckle – you’ve got to love the honesty of kids.

3. Daddy’s DIY by the kids

By now I’ve learnt that if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em – or at least get them to DIY (and take the fall).

A birthday surprise for Dad, was making a basic square cake (NOT gluten free), plenty of icing or frosting, a bag of party mix lollies – or dad’s favourites – and if possible take a pic of the kids preparing their masterpiece and whack it on the top amongst the kid’s lolly decorations (whatever is left after they’ve had one for them and one for the cake!)

SIMPLES

Success or fail of epic proportions – the finished product will always be the icing on the cake of the party.

 

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