Barbie Doll Cake

Last Sunday the wonderful Isabelle D'Arcy celebrated her 6th birthday.   Isabelle plans on having a party with her friends in the coming weeks following the return to school and so her Birthday Cake will be made for this party.

 

However, the day of her birthday was to be marked by a small gathering of family and I offered to make a 'simple' surprise cake for the day.

 

Myself and Margaret (Isabelle's mother) have been talking about making a Barbie Doll Cake for over a year and this seemed like the ideal opportunity to try it out.   Margaret gave me one of Isabelle's Barbie dolls, which I wrapped in cling film and inserted into the middle of the cake.

 

The beauty of this cake is that you can make it as simple or ornate as you wish depending on personal taste and the amount of time you have to spend.   Regardless of the design you choose getting a Barbie Doll Cake should thrill any little girl.

 

Isabelle is a lover of a jam sponge and for an added surprise, I made the sponge pink to match the Barbie dress.   I was delighted with the results and learnt a lot from the experience.   Margaret and Isabelle were pleased with the final design too.  

Barbie Doll Cake, 30th December 2012

Barbie Doll Cake, 30th December 2012

Barbie Doll Cake, 30th December 2012

Scooby Doo Cake

On the 30th of December 2011 my best friend's eldest daughter, the gorgeous Isabelle, turned 5.  

 

Isabelle was a big Scooby Doo fan and since the day after her 4th Birthday the theme of her 5th Birthday Cake was firmly fixed.  

 

The Scooby Doo theme never waivered throughout the year.   As the party was over the Christmas holidays I was happy in the belief that I had loads of time to create a great cake.   The big mistake was that every day I convinced myself of this fact and actually did nothing about making the cake. 

 

So the 29th of December 2011, I spent in my kitchen elbow deep in all things Scooby Doo and Sugarpaste.   Thankfully, everything I did worked well as I battled time to have a cake worthy of the imagination of the Birthday Girl.

 

The final cake was a huge hit with Isabelle and worth every minute I spent on it.

 

 

Scooby Doo Cake, 30th December 2011

  

Scooby Doo Cake, 30th December 2011

Scooby Doo Cake (carving of the mystery machine), 30th December 2011

 

Moshi Monsters Cake

My good friend and work colleague, Ashley, has a lovely little daughter, Ava, who was 6 this November.  

From Ava's first birthday my gift every year has been to make the Birthday Cake.   As my cake decorating has evolved over the past 3 years, Ava's Birthday Cake has stepped up in decorative terms.

The cake has always been left to me and a surprise for the Birthday Girl.   This year I decided to attempt a Moshi Monster Cake, as I had heard that this was something Ava was into.   Not knowing anything about Moshi Monsters I had to do some research before I could begin the process.  My niece very kindly lent me some of her Moshi Monster cards to use as reference.

The final cake was one I was very pleased with and more importantly Ava was thrilled with her cake.  In particular she loved the 'blood' dripping from Zommer Monster.

Moshi Monster Cake, 9th November 2012

Moshi Monsters Cake, 9th November 2012

Halloween - Wizard's Shrinking Spell Cake

This cake is the first novelty cake I ever made, while attending cake decorating night classes in a local VEC.

It was the creation of this cake and particularly the modelling of the wizard that made me think that perhaps I might not be too bad at this decorating lark!

The cake was complete around the time of my brother's birthday so I gave this to him as a birthday cake.   Needless to say my Niece and Nephew were totally in awe of this cake and soon began to place orders for their birthdays.

My journey of cake decorating beyond this one are documented on this blog for all to share.

Halloween -Wizard's Shrinking Spell Cake, October 2010

Halloween - Witch's Brew Cake

This Halloween I thought it would be nice to make a festive cake for the nearest and dearest children in my life.   I had the same idea last year but time ran out and I didn't get to make it.   So this year, on the Bank Holiday Monday, I decided to indulge myself and spent a great day in the kitchen.

 

2 cakes were required -1 for my nieces & nephew (Ciara, Alan & Aoife) and 1 for my best friend's girls (Isabelle & Emily)- and I decided to make the same for both houses.

 

 

After the cakes were assembled, I then got to deliver the cakes to both families and enjoy the reaction of the kids.  Both families were thrilled with their surprise delivery and I was amazed by the various imaginative stories which they came up with for how the witch fell into her magic brew.   This really is the best part of making cakes and the reason why I put all the time and effort into my cakes.  

Halloween - Witch's Brew Cake, 31st October 2012

Explosion Parcel Cake

This week my brother turned the ripe old age of 40 and my sister-in-law asked if I would make a cake to mark the day.

 

He decided he didn't want a party so it was just cake and candles with family on Wednesday evening after work.   As I'm incredibly busy at work these days, I didn't have time for elaborate decoration.  I've been looking for an opportunity to make an Explosion Parcel Cake for some time, so this was the perfect occasion.

 

Knowing I wasn't going to make it home in time to join the celebrations, I dropped the cake over to my sister-in-law on Tuesday night.   I was delighted to hear that it got the desired WOW reaction the next morning from my nieces and nephew and let's face it, the cake was really made with them in mind (sorry T.J.)!

 

 

My brother was delighted with the cake too, but wasn't very pleased with the 'old man' reference on the side of the board.

 

A great cake for a fantastic brother.   Happy Birthday T.J.

 

Explosion Parcel Cake, 24th October 2012

 

 

Explosion Parcel Cake, 24th October 2012





 

Explosion Parcel Cake, 24th October 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rugby Ball Cake

When asked to make a rugby ball cake for Max, I was delighted with the opportunity to try something new. 

I initially thought about buying a special shaped cake tin, but decided that it would be better to try and carve the cake.   Shaping the ball was definitely the most difficult part of creating this cake.   My best friend called around for a chat as I was carving the cake and offered a very helpful second opinion.    

 

Max wanted a specific Canterbury rugby ball recreated in cake and his Mum sent me some photos to use as reference.   I was very pleased with the final cake and even more delighted by Max's reaction.

 

When I delivered the cake Max was thrilled with it and even said that it looked like I had taken a real ball and placed it on the board.   It's reactions like this that every baker wants when they make a cake.

 

The cake was a huge success with Max's friends.   I think it was a hit with the dads and uncles too!

 

Rugby Ball Cake, 30th September 2012

Rugby Ball Cake, 30th September 2012

Rugby Ball Cake, 30th September 2012

 

Spiderman Cake

The 30^th August 2012 marked a significant day for my adorable nephew, Alan.   Not only was it his 5^th Birthday but it was also his first day at school.  

For the past year there has been only one superhero which Alan has wanted to adorn his cake - Spiderman.   

When thinking about this cake and how it would look, the main thing I wanted to achieve was for it to shout Spiderman from a distance.   A spider’s web on the cake board and the use of vibrant colours helped achieve this.

I really loved how this cake turned out and think it was very fitting for Alan's big day.   He was thrilled with his cake. 



Spiderman Cake, 30th August 2012

 

Spiderman Cake, 30th August 2012

 

Obstacle Course Cake

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of making a cake for Robyn, a lovely girl who was due to celebrate her 10^th Birthday.

Robyn is very sporty and her party included having an Obstacle Course in their back garden.   So with this in mind the design direction was clear.

With the Olympics still very much at the front of everyone’s mind I wanted to include a running track and use a gold medal in the design.   A few tyres to jump through, a net to crawl under and a wall to scale and the obstacles were in place.  

Robyn lives in a small townland called Turnings so signage depicting the ‘Turnings Games’ was also added.

On the evening of the party I received a lovely message from Robyn’s mum thanking me for the cake which was a huge success at the party and most importantly Robyn loved it.

Obstacle Course Cake, 27th August 2012

Obstacle Course Cake, 27th August 2012

Ben 10 Birthday Cake

This week last year my Nephew, Alan, turned 4.   I had been dabbling in cake decoration for about 9 months by then, so this was my first opportunity to make a cake for him.   Since December 2010 Alan had firmly decided that he wanted a Buzz Cake for his birthday.  Over the months that followed I was gently reminded on a regular basis that ‘you’re making a Buzz Cake for me’.  

So with all this advance notice and the eagerness of an aunt not wanting to disappoint a very excited little boy, I did my Toy Story research and spent many a quite time day dreaming about potential design options.   This involved trying to balance the desire for the maximum WOW factor with the reality of my then skill levels.

2 weeks before the big birthday I dropped by to get final confirmation on the cake theme.   To my surprise I learned that Buzz had been relegated and Ben 10 was now the hero of the day!   Not knowing a thing about Ben 10, I rushed home, grabed the remote control to Sky + a few episodes and settle in for a crash course in all things Ben.

With my new found knowledge of the world of Ben 10, I decided the Ben character and his watch would be the main focus of the design, with other elements added to bring it all together.   This was a most enjoyable cake to work on and it also allowed me the opportunity to experiment a little.   It was my first attempt at adding sugarpaste on wire to a cake design.   I was very pleased with the extra dimension these added to the design.  

The finished product was a huge success and Alan was thrilled with his cake.   All things considered I don’t think any of my Buzz ideas could have had as good a reaction as this one did.

I’m currently in the middle of this year’s 5^th Birthday Cake so drop back over the coming days to see how it turns out. 

Ben 10 Birthday Cake, 30th August 2011

Ben 10 Birthday Cake, 30th August 2011

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Robot Cake

In June of last year I was faced with the challenge of having to make a boy’s cake for the first time.   It was an 8^th Birthday Cake for, Alan, a lovely boy who liked the birthday cakes I’d previously made for his two younger sisters.

Alan requested a robot theme for his cake.   With this brief in hand, I put together a Robot Cake with a retro feel.   Reflecting Alan’s love of Lego, I also added a Lego man with some work tools and modelled some little robots (one matching the party invitations).

I was delighted with the final cake and, more importantly, Alan and his friends were very impressed with his Robot Cake.   

Robot Cake, 6th June 2011

Robot Cake, 6th June 2011



Little Einsteins Red Rocket Cake

On Saturday my good friend’s eldest son, Fionn, was 3.   At this great age, Fionn is now fully aware of the fun and enjoyment that comes with celebrating your birthday.   He has been talking about and looking forward to this day with great excitement.  

With this in mind his parents wanted to make his party extra special.   I was very pleased to be asked to make the cake.   Fionn is a big fan of Disney’s Little Einsteins cartoon and the Red Rocket was suggested as the cake theme.  

I wasn’t familiar with Little Einsteins so needed to do some Disney Channel research.     Given the shape of the Red Rocket, I decided to attempt to make the cake as the rocket.   Cake carving is not something I've done much of and so I was a little unsure of how this might turn out.   The carving went very much as I had hoped and I was delighted with the shape I managed to achieve.

I wasn't able to attend the party to see Fionn's reaction to his Red Rocket Cake, but his mum sent me a lovely message saying that it was a huge hit and he insisted on having some for his breakfast the following morning.  

Little Einsteins Red Rocket Cake, 30th June 2012

Little Einsteins Red Rocket Cake, 30th June 2012

Actual Little Einsteins Red Rocket

Baker in the Kitchen Cake

Last week Ciara, a very sporty girl with a keen interest in baking and cake decorating, made her Confirmation.   Her parents wanted to get her a special cake to mark this significant day and I was delighted when her mum asked me to make the cake.

The request was for a novelty cake, as opposed to a traditional Confirmation themed cake.  Having discussed Ciara’s various interests we agreed on creating a cake based around a Baking theme.

From the outset I had a very clear idea of how the cake would look and wanted to reflect Ciara baking in the kitchen.    I felt the cake would look best if the colour scheme was keep to limited but strong colours. 

Ciara and her mum collected the cake the evening before her Confirmation and were delighted with it.

Baker in the Kitchen Cake, 24th May 2012

Baker in the Kitchen Cake, 24th May 2012

Baker in the Kitchen Cake, 24th May 2012

Baker in the Kitchen Cake, 24th May 2012

Cowboys and Indians Cake

Last Sunday my nephew’s best friend celebrated his 5^th Birthday.   His mum asked if I would make the cake and suggested a Cowboys and Indians theme.

This was an exciting brief and I immediately thought of adding cow hide pattern somewhere in the design.   As the idea came together, I decided that the cow hide should be on the cake board.   From there I went about adding a cowboy and incorporating a wigwam, with a cheeky little boy peeking out.    The cactus and the Wanted sign added the finishing touches.

The Birthday Boy’s mum loved the Cowboys and Indians Cake when she called to collect it.  

Cowboys and Inidans Cake, 20th May 2012

Cowboys and Indians Cake, 20th May 2012

Babies in the Bath Cake

Last weekend a great friend’s youngest girl celebrated her 3^rd birthday.   My birthday present was again the cake.  

This year the Birthday Girl, who loves all things baby, decided that she wanted babies on her cake.   “One will be laughing, one will be crying, one will be angry…..”   Unusual brief!   

The Birthday Girl knew what she wanted (a baby cake has been on her wish list for the past 6 months), so it was my task to try and deliver.   I must admit that I struggled for some time figuring out how to get the right visual impact, without the cake looking too much like a baby shower or christening cake.   3 days before the party I settled on the idea of babies in a bath and from there the cake design evolved.

I drew baby face discs, showing various emotions, and added them to the outside of the cake so that “one will be laughing, one will be crying, one will be angry…..”

All in all, I was happy with the final outcome.   I wonder what next year's cake will be!

Babies in the Bath Cake, 12th May 2012

Babies in the Bath Cake, 12th May 2012

Babies in the Bath Cake, 12th May 2012

Dennis the Dog Cake

A colleague in work recently announced that she plans on moving back to her home city of Cork at the end of the month.   As her son was celebrating his 2^nd birthday this weekend I offered to make the birthday cake, as my leaving present.

I asked if he had any specific interests which I could use as a theme for the cake.   One of the things she mentioned was that he has a ‘Dennis’ which he absolutely loves.   I initially thought she was referring to Dennis the Menace but discovered that ‘Dennis’ is in fact a child’s blankie or comforter.   The idea of draping a blankie on a cake was immediately appealing.

I asked for photos of ‘Dennis’ (see below) and set about recreating his image in sugarpaste.   I must admit getting the stripes right was fairly time consuming but the end result was fantastic and worth the effort.  

I delivered the cake on Friday in work, much to the delight of my colleague.   The rest of the guys in work also fell in love with the cuteness of Dennis.

Dennis the Dog Cake, 11th May 2012

Dennis (cake) & Dennis (blankie), 11th May 2012

Dennis the Dog Cake, 11th May 2012

Dennis the Dog Cake, 11th May 2012

Dennis the Dog Cake, 11th April 2012

Actual Dennis photo from Mum

Actual Dennis photo from Mum

Pony Stable Cake

Last weekend I made a cake which was to be a surprise for a girl who was celebrating her 8^th birthday.   She loves horse riding and so her mum asked for that as the cake's theme.  

Taking inspiration from other similar themed cakes I’ve made, I put together this lovely cake with the Birthday girl’s favourite pony Twinkle as the centre piece.

Mum and big sister collected the cake and I was delighted to hear that “it even looks like Twinkle”.   The Birthday girl was thrilled with her surprise cake.

Pony Stable Cake 29th April, 2012

Pony Stable Cake 29th April, 2012

Pony Stable Cake 29th April, 2012

Carousel Cake

This week my youngest niece celebrated her first birthday.  

I’ve been day dreaming of the possibility of creating a Carousel Cake for the past year and quickly decided to take the opportunity of this milestone occasion to give it a go.   With no specific theme request I could challenge myself safe in the knowledge that if it didn’t work to plan a quick change of direction could easily be arranged and no one need be any the wiser.

This cake allowed me to try many new techniques and immerse myself in elaborate design ideas, a perfect combination if you have the time.   The ornate decoration meant the possibilities were endless and it was great to allow my imagination run wild, even if this had to be reined in on a few occasions.  

A big challenge of this cake was the construction aspect of the design.   It took some time just planning and thinking through the options but everything worked very well, much to my relief.

This was a most enjoyable cake project which allowed me to fully indulge my creativity.   The Birthday Girl didn’t fully grasp the opulence of her cake but her older sister and brother gave it the thumbs up, saying it was “excellent” before quickly reminding me of their upcoming birthdays and the cakes they would like.

Carosuel Cake 18th April, 2012

Carosuel Cake 18th April, 2012

Carousel Cake 18th April, 2012

Barney Cake

In May, 2011 a little girl turned 2.   My birthday present was the cake.  

At that time the Birthday Girl, like most two year olds, was going through a ‘Barney Obsession Phase’ and so her older sister decided that I should make a Barney cake.

With some merchandise borrowed from my niece and nephew (a musical book and a ‘Singing in the Rain’ soft toy), I set about the task of trying to create the image of Barney and friends in sugar paste.  

Modelling specific characters is not as easy as it might seem, getting the right expression can be difficult.   With this particular cake, I felt the key to getting the look right was to get the very distinctive character colours as close to reality as possible.   Mixing a specific shade of purple took some time but once I got a shade I was happy with I felt the rest would slot into place.

The Birthday Girl loved her cake and, most importantly, recognised the characters.   This was her first chance to really appreciate a day focused completely on her and it was great to see how delighted she was with the fuss and how she proudly referred to “MY CAKE”.

11 months later she is now fully aware of what's involved in a Birthday celebration and has been compiling her wish list of party treats and cake design.   For my part, I just need to focus on the cake, which will again be my present.   Keep an eye on next month’s posts to see this year’s cake.

Barney Cake, 15th May 2011






Barney Cake, 15th May 2011

  


Barney Cake, 15th May 2011

 

Barney Cake, 15th May 2011