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Ok…I am all about keeping it real on this blog! Since my blog is still in it's infancy…I haven't really showcased my weaknesses yet! I definitely don't want you all to think that I am flawless! 🙂 So here is a little glimpse into an area of creativity that I totally STINK at!
Let me back up a little bit…as a child my mom usually made our birthday cakes. She did a great job and I remember being impressed with the cakes as a child. When I became a mother I wanted to make special cakes for my children's birthdays…just like my mom did! So when my oldest turned one I made him a jungle themed cake. It wasn't overly extravagant and it turned out ok. It wasn't Pinterest worthy to be sure…but it passed my low standards!
As time went on I tried again a few more times and had some pretty big failures. Cakes that were just hilarious to look at and really didn't even taste decent. Finally a few years ago I stopped succumbing to the pressure I was putting on my self to be a “perfect” cake baking mom! I just started to order cakes or cupcakes from people who have actually been blessed with the ability to decorate cakes! It was a big load off my shoulders!
For some crazy reason…when my youngest (and last…unless God plays a funny joke on me!) child turned two back in January I felt the urge to make her cake. When I mentioned my plan to my husband…he looked at me like I had sprouted horns and grown a green tail! He politely asked me why we didn't just order a cake from a very qualified baker that we love to use…. I told him that I had a plan and it was a simple cake and I was sure it would turn out fine! He just smiled at me…
I had found a picture of some simple cupcakes on Pinterest. My daughter's favorite thing right now is M&M's…so I wanted to do a M&M theme for her little family party. Instead of just making regular cupcakes, I decided to buy a Giant Cupcake Pan. I should have listened to my gut…and made the small, regular sized cupcakes! 🙂
Picture I found on Pinterest of Cute Cupcakes
I got really lucky (ha, ha, ha) and the Giant Cupcake Pan that I bought didn't have any directions in the box. I looked online and found several conflicting articles about how much cake batter was needed. Now the box said that it only took one cake mix. Looking back…I am guessing it meant one cake mix for the bottom and one for the top. I had only bought one mix…so that is what I used!
I poured my cake mix into the pan and it hit me…I had forgotten to use non-stick cooking spray beforehand. Oh well…it is a nonstick pan…it won't be a problem. WRONG! The cake did stick to the pan. It wasn't nearly enough cake batter and so the Giant Cupcake was about half as tall as it was supposed to be. I pried it out of the pan and figured the frosting would cover the rough areas!
You can see by the Pinterest picture that I wasn't trying for a very hard or complex design. I was going to use pink and green frosting and then add pink and green M&M's to the top. Sounds so easy….
Here is what I ended up making…..yes…you can laugh. I won't be offended. I had quite a laugh myself when I finished this little work of art!
The first question that my family asked was….WHAT IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE? There were many interpretations of this cake….NONE of which was Giant Cupcake! There was Smurf House….there was Mushroom….once I added the 2 candles to the top…I thought it looked like some kind of Alien Aircraft!
If you could have seen the back of the cake, there was a crater where my little one grabbed a handful of cake when I had my back turned. I tried to fill this area in with frosting…but it never really looked right!
The good news is that my sweet daughter DIDN'T care that I made her a Smurf House for her birthday cake! You can see by her adorable grin (still covered in chili from dinner) that she is delighted with this cake and can't wait to eat those M&M's off of it!
I guess the moral of the story is this….I totally stink at cake decorating…and that is OK! I tried…I can honestly say that I tried to make a pretty homemade cake for each of my 4 kids at least once….none were great…some were horrible…but I made an effort! By the way…I have asked my family to FORBID me from trying this venture again unless I take an actual course in cake decorating!
As a mom….I am not perfect and I am not good at everything. I am still figuring out my own strengths and weaknesses! I have come a long way and can LAUGH at myself now….and other people can laugh at me…without me freaking out or crying!
So…I ask you two questions today. FIRST….what do you think this “cake” looks like? SECOND…what is one of your weaknesses…because we all have some?!?!
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I can’t decorate a cake to save my life. Yours turned out better than mine ever have haha. It’s totally the thought that counts and of course the taste. My husband always say it doesn’t matter what it looks like, it all goes to the same place.
So true…I didn’t actually eat any of it! 🙂 But others said it was edible!
Thank you for the laugh, I am still smiling 5 minutes later after taking a detour to subscribe to your Newsletter etc. I followed the Linky from Meet Up Monday, the picture on there makes the cake look good. As I was reading your post I was like ya, ya, ya whatever, you did a good job. Then wham, I saw the picture up close and hahaha it’s hilarious. Jump on over to my blog to see my wekness(es), my Hellbilly hammock fail was the best. Thank you for sharing this post.
I am glad I could give you a laugh today Andrea!! I know that we all got a good one at my house!! Thanks for looking around..I will be sure to swing by!!
Thank you, I would like that…
LOL…I think your cake is adorable! It may not pass certain cake expert standards, but obviously your daughter LOVED it! And, that’s what counts! You’re right, Moms can’t be perfect at everything! I really struggle with keeping dinner time at a set time. It’s a goal of mine to start eating our meal earlier to leave time for family or outside activities after, but I always end up serving it way too late! lol
That is an issue for me too Jessica! We either eat at 4:30 in the afternoon…or 7pm! Crazy! Thanks Jessica!
I think your cake is adorable and I would have to agree it looks a bit like a mushroom, so cute. As long as your daugher loved it, that’s all that matters. I’m not great in the kitchen either 🙁
Thank goodness…children aren’t as picky as adults! 🙂
A cake made with love and effort by a mama is never an epic fail. A simple funfetti was all mine had to make for me to feel special. All that fancy icing is too much anyway. EPIC SUCCESS, dear. 🙂
Thanks Leilani!
Decorating cakes is so much harder than it looks! Good news, your kiddo looks adorable and happy with the cake regardless!
Thanks Lauryn!
I was going to guess a mushroom from Mario! I’m not good with decorating either but I do enjoy the baking process!
I think mushroom is a great guess!!
I’ve made some pretty ugly cakes in my day. But my kids have always loved them- so I consider them successful! Way to celebrate!
Your daughter seems quite happy with it, that’s what matters. 🙂
Omg, we could be twins. I love baking… but I have never decorated a cake for this exact reason. I gotta say though, yours isn’t as much of a fail as I was expecting. Don’t be so hard on yourself!
🙂 Come on…join me in the cake decorating epic fail arena! 🙂
I love this! She seems so happy with what you made! I like to cook most the time! Last time i made my own frosting!
She probably would have been happiest with just a big bowl of M&M’s! 🙂
Awww, I love it! I’ll admit that Cake Wrecks is one of my favorite guilty pleasure sites since I work in a bakery. Emmy looks pretty excited about it, so I think no matter how it looked, it was a success! And don’t forget, practice makes perfect. 🙂 I love that you can laugh at yourself – I’m the best at doing that, too!
I haven’t heard of Cake Wrecks…will have to check it out! Thanks Erica!
My cake always taste amazing but they never look good at all. You are not alone 🙂
Your daughter’s cake is adorable! It does look a bit like a Smurf alien landing but it’s just precious. I am certain it was delicious. The ones which look the least pretty usually taste the best.
Thanks Shirley!
You did not fail!! Look at her face she loves it! Thats winning on the cake right there!
I got a kick out of your title, hahaha. I am so not a cake decorator either, but I think yours turned out cute, and E for effort!? Your daughter loved it, and that’s what I think matters most! :]
Thanks Farrah!
It looks Great. At the first glance I thought it was a bug
I can see bug.. 🙂
Lol! You’re so funny. First off, you’re a thousand times better than me, haha! But I totally feel for you. I attempt to make cakes for family members each year and they just never turn out as I hope :-/ Good work 🙂
So glad I am not alone!!
Great post, thanks for sharing!
Ahh these look so good! I am a huuuuge fan of banana bread, but I’ve never had it in cookie form. These would not last long in my apartment 😉
Wow…I don’t know how that comment ended up on this post haha! Oops.
I cannot for the life of me decorate any type of cake at all! This post made me laugh, I can totally relate. I always tell my kids that as long as it tastes good that’s all that matters. 🙂
So glad I am not the only one and that I could give you a reason to laugh! 🙂
Aww I think it looks like a bright little lady bug and is still cute! I’ve definitely had my fair share of flops, too and sometimes I think they were more fun than the semi-good ones haha. Cakes or craft-wise in general. I think you should definitely try another one again soon! My weakness is singing and there is NO HOPE for that one. Thanks for linking up at #meetupmonday. I love the way you write!
Thanks Amanda! I may give it another go…something smaller and simpler!
My grandmother decorated cakes and taught me. I’m nowhere near as good as she is but I do ok. My mother taught me that if the cakes sticks to the pan and seems garbage worthy then make make a trifle with it! We have made several of these trifles by layering the cake with frosting, cool whip, pudding and/or fruit pie filling (whatever is in hand to save the day!)
That is a great idea! I will have to do that next time!
Don’t feel bad about the cake. I work as a cake decorator part time it takes newbies forever to learn how to set up and base ice (which is what the bottom bit was). If you ever try your hand again, use a pastry bag filled with icing and a star tip and just up and down the sides. Waayyyyy easier and you get a lot more icing on the cake 🙂
I stink at sewing by the way. My future mother in law and sisters are all very talented quilters and always have a new sewing project going on. I can’t even sew on a button…
Thanks for the tips! There will always be areas we don’t excel at…LOL!