Shutter Love Tuesday: Cake (A Day Late)

Whoops. I'm a day late here, but I can't help but share the cake Lorelei decorated for her Uncle's birthday (which was yesterday). Can you guess what it is? It's a snake cake! Tiny snakes covered the dirt hill for her Uncle's birthday! Maybe I can try to update this to show you the cake she made for her grandpa a while back. Too cute.

Pat a Cake Pat a Cake Lorelei Baked Me a Cake

So being the mommy and the one who bakes the cakes for the family I just assumed I would either buy a cake (for the girls to enjoy of course) or bake it myself. Before I even let that marinate Lorelei offered up her baking expertise. She was super excited and wanted to bake her mama a cake!

Here is a little preview of how wonderful the cake was. Hannah enjoying every bite of her slice of yummy cake! It was delicious and beautiful.

Here is Lorelei giving off her mischievous grin. She could not believe I was giving her permission to crack an egg. She quite enjoyed the idea and enjoyed the cracking even more. She was very gentle and it took a few whacks to get the job done, but the joy was evident the whole time!

CRACK! She didn't even get a shell in the mix. Of course we cracked the eggs first before putting anything in the bowl. I can thank my girlfriends and mother for the advice on that one.

Eeeer. I helped with this part just a little bit. I also had to help with measurements and reading the directions of course. You should have seen her face when I handed her everything and said go ahead. She was so sad. "But mom I can't do it all by myself." Don't worry it didn't get her down for too long. As soon as we got started she kept telling her sister that she was baking her mommy a cake. So proud.

Decorating the cake is a serious job. She did want to make me a ladybug cake, but I was not prepared with everything to accomplish that goal. Maybe next time.

My beautiful cake by my three year old daughter. Candles and lighting by my wonderful husband. I even got to hear "Happy Birthday to you. You live in a zoo....." Of course she thinks it's a compliment because monkey's are cute and smell like bananas. ;)

Elephant Cake: Better Late Than Never

My oldest turned three over a month ago, but I wanted to share with you the cake I made for her birthday. First I asked her what she wanted her theme to be. She at just over two and half asked back "thumb" and in a confused manner held her thumb up and stared at it. She answered "elephant." I can't remember now, but she wanted her "pointer" finger to be another animal. Too cute that girl.

After explaining to her what a theme was she still wanted an elephant to be the focus of her third birthday party. I was very worried that she wouldn't like the elephant when it finally became time, but she told everyone she was very excited about her elephant cake. She would invite everyone she spoke with and told them they could have a piece of the elephant cake too.

This is a picture of the finished product:

It's quite simple really.

To begin I chose my design and if you can see the invitation is on the table there. I made up a large elephant on a piece of my daughters plain white craft paper and let her paint it with water colors. When it was complete I wrote up the information and a joke for the back and had my husband scan, shrink and print.

Next I took my rectangular cake pan and traced it side by side on another piece of large white paper. I drew the elephant on the inside of the large rectangle to make my pattern. I chose my cake mix (Betty Crocker) and baked two cakes. I placed them side by side on this large pizza tray my parents lent me and put my pattern on the cake. I used a bread knife to slowly cut the pieces off from around my shape.
This is what the shape looked like when I was done. Not so pretty yet.

My daughter chose the color purple for her elephant cake days, even weeks ahead of time. I mixed the colors according to the box on the back of my dye. I used two cans of frosting and after thoroughly stirring I applied it to the two sheets of cake. I added a tail from a piece that had been cut off in the shaping process.

I outlined the design of the elephant to match the invitation and viola. You have an elephant. I added in The Happy Birthday sentiments to my daughter and later added the elephant cookies (which took most of the day may I add) as a corner decoration. Scroll back to the top for the completed version of this cake. It was quite yummy too!

A Birthday For a One Year Old

Today was my second daughters birthday. She turned one today. It's hard to imagine how time changes everything. It seems like I gave birth to my children yesterday while I just celebrated my oldest daughters third birthday two weeks ago as well as celebrating my youngest first birthday today. My two beautiful girls are growing up.

The day and celebration in itself was beautiful, and I am very thankful to my family who came out to spend time with us and sad for the family members who couldn't make it. We took some beautiful pictures I'd love to share a few at a later date as I am very exhausted. Exhausted by two birthdays so close together.

It is bittersweet really. I am happy that the birthdays wont be for another year because it means my girls are getting even older and more parties. Wow the parties, but it's a little bitter because the celebrations are of course over. The cakes have been baked and eaten. The fun has been had and the pictures have been taken.

I will remember and cherish my children and these days always.