Piece of Cake...Literally
By FoxxFireArt 15 Comments
Another Art
I thought I would share with everyone a few select pictures of some of the cakes that I make. On top of graphic art design that I do. I am also to main cook and baker for my family. Which makes the holidays and very busy time for me. I also have some very special desert recipes that I have made that border on the addictive, but I don't think I'll go into that here.
How it Started
I really had no experience in decorating cakes before I started a few years ago. Didn't have much of a desire to do so either. It really started up a few years back when my elder cousin, Ryan, was having a birthday party for his daughter, Allison. She was turning two years old and the first girl born into the family since my mother. My cousin and his wife discovered early that same year that Allison had a dangerous allergy to peanuts. They nearly lost their daughter to it. Well, crisis was averted and she came out fine. Now it's something that is always on their mind. I heard about this after the fact, but on Allison's second birthday party they had to scrap the cake. Ryan's father-in-law had gone to the bakery to get the cake when they noticed the sign on the wall that was a warning that all baked goods either contained or had been cooked around peanuts. They couldn't take the risk so they had to get rid of the cake on her birthday.
I thought this was horrible and the next time I saw Ryan and his wife. I told them I would volunteer bake the cakes for them so they could be 100% sure that the cakes would be peanut free. The next year in April they had their second child's two year old birthday coming up and they took me up on the offer. They told me Jack wanted a Spider-man cake and I went with that design. This is the image of that cake:
This is two sheet cakes and both were flavored as pink-lemonade (I didn't pick it) and vanilla frosting. I had gone to a local cake decorating shop to get supplies. Piping all those webbing on the cake made my hand hurt. It was funny. I spent quite a few hours baking and decorating these. At the party, Jack was a bit too over excited about his cake. They held out the one of Spider-man's chest for him to blow the candles out on. With everyone watching. He took a breath, blew, and a huge slobber of spit oozed from his mouth on to the cake. Naturally, we served the second one to the guests at the party. After this day, it's becomes a tradition to tell Jack to swallow before he blows out the candle on his cake.
There have been several cakes throughout the past few years and they had another son. I don't pick the design. They tell me what the kids request and I make it. The cakes that have followed have been.
Allison -
Barbie / Ariel / Pumpkin
Jack -
Spider-man / Sponge Bob / Transformers
Ben -
Elmo / Boz the Bear
I'm not going to bother you with pictures of all these cakes. If you'd like to see them all you can visit my devArt page. http://foxxfireart.deviantart.com/gallery/#Cakes Over the yeas I have advanced in my skills. The Ariel cake was more like a sculpted bust of Ariel out of cake. I will share another image of the latest cake I have made for Jack. These two have more of a 'comic' theme to begin with.
I get quite a laugh out of the fact that the cake I spent hours baking and decorating fell in popularity to a small thing I threw together last minute. I'm pretty sure their parents appreciate not having to worry if a birthday cake may kill their daughter. Ryan and his wife breath easier and the kids still get to have nice cakes. That's at least three good deeds in a year. lol
Their daughter has had quite a rather disturbing habit the past few years. Ever since the Sponge Bob cake, she has taken to asking to eatting the part of the cake with the character's eyes. I've told my family that as long as Allison doesn't ask for a nice Chianti with her cake I believe we will be alright. Sadly, only my mother and Ryan's wife got that joke. I sincerely hope that the audience here fairs betters.
Unfortunately, since I pretty much just make cakes for these kids. I don't really get to experiment with favors. So far it's just been vanilla and chocolate cake the boys. Allison always asks for pink lemonade. I've really been interested in trying to develop my banana bread recipe into a cake with a butter cream frosting, sliced bananas and strawberries in the middle. I just lack any opportunity to try it. Hope you enjoyed the pictures.
