Somehow, four years have zoomed by me and our little Lolly is turning a year older next week.
The obligatory girl’s birthday toadstool cake has been requested (since about December last year), so I am heading out to the shops today to stock up on lollies for the decorations.
Anyone made this cake and have any tips? Any do’s or don’ts not listed in the recipe book? I must say, I find it hard to believe I will end up with something that looks as good as their photo, from following the instructions. I dunno….. I’m sceptical. And I’m no fan of those heart shaped candies, aren’t those the ones that chip your teeth if you try and bite them? (I’m a biter, not a sucker, same as Lol, so I can imagine her hacking away at one and I can’t do it to her – I plan to use chocolate coins for the path instead)
Obligatory four-year retrospective to come, on the other blog *taps nose*
And for good effect, let’s all just take a reminder look at what the LGBB will be doing to assist the process: Here
gorgeous cake!
Cool cake, and it's probably not as hard as it looks. Lolly won't care anyway, as long as there is some resemblance!
Do you have a lolly shop nearby? If it were me i'd get some of those mega smarties instead of the heart shaped jaw-busters for the top(ya know, to keep in with the colour theme and all that)
Also, call it cheating, but my rule of thumb is that when i'm baking for school lunches etc, it's 'bake from scratch' all the way. HOWEVER…if I have to go to all the trouble of decorating the thing, I use a cake mix for the cake.
I reckon Greens Vanilla Cake is the best. It's a cinch to bake, cheap, tastes the most like home-made and saves you worrying about stuffing it up!
Good luck, and I'd love to see the result of your effort!!
This is so cool! Is it bad to want a cake like this for my 43rd birthday next year?
Only advice I have is don't leave it out when you have finished. My mother make me an awesome cake for my 7th birthday but the cat ate it. I'm still having therapy because of this.
LOL Vicki ;P
Good luck!
Kirrily, I always look at that cake in the book and hope I will ghet to make it one day!
I agree with Charlene, the Greens vanilla butter cake mix is good. I've used it in the past but this year for Elke's I chose to make a butter cake from scratch and I actually prefer the packet mix – firmer and moister – easier ot manipulate.
Also, if you can't get those horrid chalky heart shaped lolloies you could really go all out and get the precoloured mouldable icing (I'm sure you can get it at supermarkets – if not you can get it white and colour it yourself) roll it out and use a heartshaped playdough cutter or something to cut. You can apply it to frosting by using a little bit of water brushed/dabbed on the back:D
I know you can do it – you make the fluffy teddy bears, remember!!
Danni: I know! I would have adored one of these as a kid
Charli: Cheat shmeat. Packet mix, if you're doing a fandangle number like on this one, is the way to go. I agree. Green's packet mix. Right-o! Thanks for the tip *scribbling on shopping list*
Vicki: I tell you what, those cats, man, they are so naughty. Our cat would be up there eating it. I nearly snorted my coffee out my nose, though, reading your story. I'm sorry. I know that was rather heartless of me. I should think you are definitely owed a fairy toadstool cake for your 43rd, no question.
Bridgie Didge: Oh my word, the fluffy teddy bear, I did too! LOL. And I have to tell you, I actually sat up straighter in my chair reading your suggestion about the mouldable icing. OMGOMGOMG why didn't I think of that! The possibilities with shape cutters would be endless! Thank you!
Great minds think alike. Apparently the LGBB and miss Schmoo like the same things. I've just made this cake last month for Miss Schmoo's birthday.
Turned out okay. We didn't use the love hearts. We actually grabbed some cake topper things from Woolies of fairies and flowers.
The only thing with all of those cakes is make more icing. I never seem to have quite enough when I make the exact amount they say.
As for cake mixes I have to say I only ever use homebrand for these types of things as it rarely gets eaten (hmmm maybe there's something to be said for the cake mix. Bwhahahaha) so the dog doesn't seem to mind! LOL
Oh and good luck! A little time consuming but well worth the effort and far easier than the damn disco ball I tortured myself with for Miss AJ!!!
Cjtato: I don't knock home brand mixes! I use them, if not baking from scratch. Cannot even imagine how one makes a ball from a cake…. You genius! (I'll bet you stuck close to the recipe for that one!)
Oh. My. God. Does that cake have a building permit? Surely it needs one! It looks incredible. It's my birthday next month… you're never too old, right?
Hmm! Well glad you asked! If you can recall, I made this for one Big Miss's 4th birthday last year. I think I got the hearts for stepping stones (sister lives near lolly factory, as I couldn't find them in any old shop). I used the little silver lollies on the roof of the mushroom I think, but I have seen smarties used as well which looked really nice and colourful. But I do think those heart shapes get softer after being in icing for a while, soaks up the moisture.
Packet cake mix ddefinitely the way to go, and don't scrimp on icing, any leftover can be used on cupcakes, the more icing the better to cover any mistakes…. and it's hard to make more later in just the right shade as previous stuff if you need more.
Mouldable icing is a great idea, but when I did it once (and never again) I had a heck of a time getting the colour rolled all the way through the icing smoothly. Aching hands! Maybe it was the brand I bought, that's just me, not trying to deliberately usurp your plans!
Anwyay, good luck! It is a relatively simple one for sure. Can't wait to see it……….
I made this one for Miss K's b'day last month!
Tips
Cake mix is great, except that you will need to cook the cakes if using pudding steamers a touch longer than the recipe states (that or I just filled up the pans too much
Heart lollies – could not find anywhere, I ended up getting premade icing, adding the colour and cutting circles from it from a sml cookie cutter and a shot glass
Do NOT melt the butter (oh gawd, can't believe I am admitting I did that here!!!) my first batch of icing literally RAN off the cake. Not good for the stress levels. I found room temperature butter and using the recipe for butter icing at the back of that book the best!
We stuck a skewer from the top thru to the cardboard to stop it falling. I am a little unco in the kitchen!
I used green coconut as grass for the tray & picked up cheap tinkerbelle figurines from Woolies for the top and around the base!
Check it out if you dare LOL (remember it's a field mushroom, we left the uneven edges on to make it more authentic – purely intentional!!!!)
http://carrose-creations.blogspot.com/2010/06/fan-fairy-tastic.html
Steve: don't know about a building permit but it may need to be condemned by the time I'm done. Who knows? Structurally, I cannot see how it's going to work as I stare at this little nub of a 'toadstool stem' cake I've got here, compared to the weighty top storey. Dear God help me.
Allie: are you kidding? DO I REMEMBER?? Lol's only been saying "I want a cake like Big Miss's" ever since Christmas!! Don't worry… I remember. Thanks for that about the mouldable icing colouring. Perhaps I won't aim so high and will make them white shapes
Car: That looks fan-fairy-bloody-tastic, that does! And the green coconut is a brilliant idea. Gorgeous. Oh how exciting!
Ooh, I forgot, I second Car's idea of the skewers to hold the two bits together, as mine was, as indeed yours will be a travelling cake. Don't want any mushroom lids capsizing in the car!
Oh, and I stuck the tiny marshmallow mushrooms together with regular icing, and then stuck them to the board with that as well. Pretty sure I stuck the fairies down as well, due to the travelling issewe.
Good luck! Hope it doesn't dominate your day or evening!
Hey, it just occurred to me that colouring small amounts of that kneadable icing would be much easier than the huge batch I was trying to colour all one pink for that bloody carousel cake. Also if it is a bit warmer that might help too, so don't let me put you off!
(I just found it really hard and took a long time to get it spread evenly through a big batch without it looking marbled twas all…..)
Allie: Ooooh you give me hope again (for the coloured roll-out icing). I am really excited about the decorating part. Craptastically nervous, but still excited all the same.
If you manage to whip that up I'm recording you as my official idol!
My best cakes have always been my lamington cakes. Stacks of lamington pieces sprinked with smarties. Works a treat for the littlies (and no cutting!)
x
Oh, by the way, the trick to getting the frosting so bright is to pick up some powdered or confectioners colouring from your local baking shop. I'm pretty sure spotlight stocks them too. The water-based stuff you buy at the supermarket just doesn't have the same bright result.
Also, before you ice your cake, it's a good idea to pop it in the freeza for half an hour or so, that way it is less likely to crumble into the icing, and the icing won't melt so fast
I wish there had been instructions for that one but it was a loosely followed vague recipe I found.
Let's just say there is a reason there are no photos of it! However, all the 7 year olds loved it so I must have made it look remotely similar to a disco ball.
Bwahahahahaha.