Monster Truck Cake and Golf Cupcakes

A friend asked me to do a cake for her son. I asked her what he likes and she replied: "Baseball or Monster Trucks, he can't decide yet." So I'm praying, "Please say baseball, say baseball."
The next day, he had decided on a monster truck. Grave Digger, specifically. I have no idea what Grave Digger looked like or what I'm supposed to do... so after a couple days researching Grave Digger and cakes, I decided to try a 3D cake.


I started off with freezing the cake, and little by little I cut off piece by piece. After carving, I filled between the cakes and frosted with buttercream. I used pre-made black fondant (Satin Ice) and found that it was just enough to cover the cake. The green fondant flames are a pain in the butt to put on. There were moments that I had to walk away from the cake because the flames definitely tested my patience. In hindsight, I think the truck was a little on the fat side. The donut wheels barely fit in the box I had prepared for transporting the cake. But overall, I think the cake went well.

I also made golf cupcakes for another birthday. It was the first time I used a grass tip. I need to practice my grass frosting.

Wizard of Oz Party

I'm such a slacker. My friend's daughter had her 4 year old's birthday party last month and I am just now finally getting around to posting it. I had posted it on Facebook but then forgot that I had given away my blog address to other people who are not on Facebook.

I helped my friend Jenn plan and decorate this Wizard of Oz party. I pulled off so many ideas online, I should have kept track of who's ideas were from where to give them credit... So, if to anyone reading this and you think I got the ideas from your blog, please comment below and I will give you credit for it! I apologize for my slackerness.

Anyhoo, here's the cake:

There is a fondant rainbow on the side that was supposed to be standing up behind Dorothy to the "Emerald City" but it didn't dry hard so I had to improvise.

Here's Tin Man... Isn't he cute?

Here's Scarecrow:

The Cowardly Lion (my husband molded him, and he wants everyone to know that he should get full credit for it. There, babe, happy? ;) )

Dorothy with Toto:

The witches legs with the ruby slippers (the reason why Dorothy is barefoot)

Rainbow cake:

Party Food:

Ruby Sippery Slippers

Melting Witch Punch

Glenda's wand-wiches (PBJ)

Emerald Grapes


Munchkin Carrots

Scarecrow's stuffing

Party Decorations and Details:

Food Tags

Handmade crepe peonies

Birthday Banner (letters with red glitter)

Pinata

(sorry I don't know how to do the mark on the N)

Yellow Brick Road and Rainbow Balloons:

Scarecrow (Mark), Glenda (Jenn)

and Dorothy, the birthday girl (Cora)

They are too cute for words, aren't they?

cakes of the past and present

I made my 1st wedding cake when I was only 16. I stayed up all night baking cakes, rolling fondant, throwing away a cake, rebaking, frosting, and hiding flaws with coconut. I unfortunately do not have a picture of that, I don't even remember who I baked it for. I don't have any pictures of any cakes I did before digital cameras became the norm. I've decorated cakes sporatically in the next 12 years, but I renewed my interest in cake decorating the just in the past 2 years.

Anyway, without further ado, here are the cakes that I have done the past 2 years. Forgive me, facebookers, for the redundancy of the pictures. I have several people asking me to blog about it and are not on FB. (bear with me with the sucky camera and my cell phone camera)

Laycee's 1st birthday cupcake + smash cake. with chocolate paw prints and bone-shaped confetti

Chamryn's 1st Birthday cake [May 2008] with pink and green frosting with hibiscus picks and matching smash cake.

Spongebob cake for Laycee (a friend's daughter) [Dec 2008] -- I totally suck at buttercream frosting decoration and lettering! I need to take Wilton cake decorating classes!

Cupcake Elmo cake for Alix (another friend's daughter) [Dec 2008]--do you know how hard it is to make a red frosting totally RED? Pat made 4 trips to Michaels for me... eventually spraying everything with the food coloring spray to make it really red. (see the overspray on the cake plate)

Wedding cupcake for my sister-in-law's friend, May 2009

Yo Gabba Gabba Cake for Xander, Grayson and Chamryn's 2nd birthday party. The party was featured on the Gabbafriends.com (a Yo Gabba Gabba fan blog) here.

Fondant shoes (to match real baby shoes) for Kim's baby shower

Kim's baby shower cake [May 2009] -- I have to say by this point, I am loving fondant!

Chamryn's 2nd Birthday Party [May 2009] -- my first attempt at a topsy turvy cake

Cake Pops and Marshmallow Pops (inspired by Bakerella) for Chamryn's party

USA cake [June 2009] -- made for my mom's neighbor, Monica, who recently became US citizen!

Topsy-Turvy cake attempt #2 -- For Janet's sister's birthday. It got a lot of "Is it supposed to look like that?" comments, apparently, some Indiana have not gotten caught up in the Ace of Cake bandwagon... yet. :)

I'm making a Wizard of Oz as gift next week. I can't wait!

I'm sure Patrick can, since he gets stuck helping with clean-up after every. single. cake.

(I love you, babe!)