Tuesday, January 5, 2010

How NOT to Ice a Cake

If you asked Michaela Byrd yesterday, she would have happily told you it was "Hayla's Birt-ay." 


If you don't speak toddler, that translates to "Michaela's Birthday." 


Having a child with a birthday so close to Christmas can be tough. Most people are partied/presented out by now. We're planning a small party later this month, but today was all about Michaela Byrd and her family. I took her to Panera for a chocolate chip bagel in the morning while Natalie and the rest of us celebrated the return to preschool.


I planned to bake a cake for my newly turned 2 year old, and realized around 3 pm yesterday afternoon that I had not baked it yet. While my girls turned to blobs in front of the TV amused themselves, I got to work with my friend Betty Crocker. 


{Before you read the rest of this post, I must beg of you to please not send it to Cake Wrecks.}


Clearly, I am not an icing pro.



In fact, I am pretty sure Michaela Byrd herself could have done a better job at icing this cake, were she able to resist the temptation of licking the knife.


I got distracted by something shiny as I was icing the "dots" around the perimeter of the cake, and they veered off the edge somehow. 



Lucky for me, I have two little girls who are voracious cake eaters and not so much connoisseurs of icing aesthetics.


After opening a few presents, we sang the traditional birthday song, though it received tepid reviews:

(She cried because I wouldn't let her pick up the entire burning cake with both hands. I am such a mean mother.)


But all's well that ends well. If our rendition of "Happy Birthday to You" was dismissed, the cake itself earned 5 stars.






And my little food critic would know, after all!


{Bon Appetit, Y'all!}

post signature

21 comments:

  1. amanda, check out this site about the chalk markers. http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/the-farm-chicks-book-review

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy Birthday Michaela! Cake looks yummy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LOVE this!! Stopping in from SITS, you seem like someone I could totally relate to, so I'm following now. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Awww happy birthday to Michaela!!! The cake looks delish!

    ReplyDelete
  5. If the cake was edible that's good enough for me! Besides, it kind of looks cute!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I personally think the cake was iced with great skill, it looks very cool. I would never be able to do that!
    Stopping by from SITS. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy Birthday "Hayla"! Wow, 2 already...time goes by very fast! I remember you getting preggers both times right around the time when the two of mine were born. So, there was a lot of excitement in the family for a new soul to be born! The cake looks very yummy! I'm a pretty good cook, but don't do baking well!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The cake turned out cute! And hey, if it's chocolate, you're halfway there already. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are such a meanie - ha! I think the cake is beautiful and what fun memories! Happy birthday to your cutie.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh, happy birthday to your little munchkin. How mean of you not to let her play with fire though. It WAS her birthday.
    Mr. HH's birthday is Sunday and even as a grown up (and believe me, I use that term loosely when referring to him) he gripes about how close his b-day is to the holidays. Ugh.
    Your cake looks fantastic. Icing smicing. It's all about the taste!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Happy Birthday Michaela Byrd. Your cake looked yummy. (good job Mom, homemade is always better than boughten.)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Cute blog Amanda and glad you stopped by mine!
    That cake is just precious and you'll have the memories in photographs. Plus, it really doesn't matter what it looks like, as long as it tastes good right?

    ReplyDelete
  13. That cake looks delish - and I think it turned out oh so charming. Definitely NOT a cake wreck ! Happy Bday to your lovely girl!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cute cake...darling little B'day girl!!! Tell your little on "HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY"!

    Blessings,
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, this baker agrees that your cake looks yummy!!!

    : )

    Julie M.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think your icing skills are pretty danged good! My cakes always end up lopsided with crumbs in the icing, but they taste good and that's what counts.

    Happy 2nd Birthday to Michaela Byrd!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Big 2 to Michaela!

    I think the cake looked great, but, more importantly, it looked like it tasted delicious! Good Mommy.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Mean mommy! Ah ha ha. MY little dude cried cuz his hands got icing in them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. That cake is NOT a cake wreck!! it's darling and looks delicious!!

    Happy 2nd birthday!!

    ~TidyMom

    ReplyDelete
  20. You crack me up!! Makes me want to eat cake!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. ROFL that picture is too precious. Happy Birthday!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear your feedback! Please feel free to leave comments...just don't send me spam asking me to buy stuff off your website! I've got three kids and no money to purchase your magic weight-loss pill or bust enhancement, or whatever else you might be selling. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you! :)

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.