Cake Challenge Accepted

Before November comes to an end, I had better update my much-neglected blog. Last year this time, I had well over 40 entries, this year's been a bit slow with too many distractions. Having said that, the baking hasn't stop and I've had the lovely opportunity to work on some amazing cakes. The last two months in particular posed some cake challenges that I was more than happy to accept.

The Lego Cake
This is a special request from my boy who turned 5. He made the leap from Duplo to big boy Lego some months back under the enthusiastic tutelage of his father. Once he got the hang of it, his appetite for Lego building became insatiable. He was eagerly fixing up sets that were for well beyond his years. Papa B has competition now and the house has become Legoland.

So Mama was summoned to make a Lego cake for his birthday and he wanted this specific one he saw online. I was nervous that if I didn't construct it right, I'll have a house of Lego junkies on my case.

Happy Birthday Jake

Still Can't Let It Go
Apparently the fascination with Elsa, Anna, Olaf and all things Frozen has yet to thaw. I still get a good number of request for Frozen cakes. This one in particular really pushed me to extend my construction skill. The castle is the piece de resistance on this two-tier cake. Made from foam core, cardboard and sugar gum paste, I managed to save the day when the Frozen cake toppers were all out of stock!

Happy Birthday Tricia

The 80th Birthday Cake
I was asked to design a cake for a sweet dame turning 80. Usually for older ladies, I would play it safe and go with flowers or simple piping designs. This time, I was given a picture of the celebrant in her most favourite spot - in a recliner in front of the telly. Life is good at 80.

Happy 80th Birthday

Christmas is round the corner and 2014 will soon be a wrap. I started out the year so strong with so many plans, but with only a month to go, I'm sad to say I've yet to achieve what I set out to do. Ah well, I can plan and hope again in 2015. Stay tuned won't you.

Sofia the First

Wow! I made some Sofia the First cupcakes recently and had it posted on my Facebook page. Overnight, the post reach surpassed all my previous posting with a healthy number of likes and kind comments. Thanks so much guys. The petite princess in purple offered so many wonderful design elements  to work on that it was simple pleasure to make.

This also made me realised how many of you actually like Sofia the First! I know her because it's on Disney Jr. and it's one of few princess cartoons my boys would watch, if not the only. It is also easy to like Sofia, she's kind and spirited but not cloyingly sweet, just enough to make some awesome cupcakes. Heh.

Here are a few emblems that brings out the essence of Princess Sophia...

Her purple amulet

Clover pattern on her dress

Every princess needs a tiara

It's an extremely purply affair, a sort of powdery lavender that is most fitting for Disney's latest bug eyed princess. Here's Sofia herself in cupcake (literally).

Sofia the First 

I made little printouts of Sofia, had them cut out and mounted on toothpicks, then stuck it atop the cupcake and used the fondant ruffle technique for the skirt. Little round discs of fondant were ruffled piece by piece with a ball tool - something I have to confess that's strangely therapeutic to do - and arranged it all around each cupcake.

HRH Cupcakes

I've had wonderful feedback and was told Mummy H who ordered this was totally pleased as was the birthday girl. From the response I've been getting all around, I think Sofia has just gained a few more fans.

Terrific Toppers

So there were a few more cakes that were put together quickly, thanks to the terrific toppers that were provided by mummies for their little one's special day.

Sophia the First
Lauren (who also got a My Little Pony cake) got to celebrate her birthday in school with Sophia the First! I love that new Disney princess series, even my two boys enjoy it when it comes on Disney Junior. Since they will never request for a Princess Sophia cake, I'm glad Mummy K asked me to help her with one. She managed to get the toppers, not an easy task since the series is so new. I just had to bake the cake and set the scene for the toppers.

Happy Birthday Lauren

Chugginton
Isaac (who also got Peppa Pig) received his new Chuggington toy atop a chocolate cake. I got this idea online - I especially loved how the shrubbery was created using the scallop cutters and layering the pieces together. I did that all along one side of the cake. Then made a little railway and just one prop, a street lamp. Choo-choo-chugga-chugga!

Happy Birthday Isaac

Lion King
This request for a Lion King cake got me researching for safari-inspired cakes! There were some beautiful examples of cakes online with the African landscape, including some painted ones of Serengeti sunsets...amazing. For this cake, I made a simple rectangle cake and a rock mount that we can perch Simba on. I used floral wires for the fondant leaves so they could stand upright to break up the flat green cake surface. These toppers are some of the best I've seen anywhere, the quality is excellent. Mummy A had them ordered online from US.

Happy Birthday Kaitlyn

Did you know The Lion King is 20 years old? The feature film debut in 1994...an oldie but a goodie!

Oh Toodles!

A mummy I knew from childhood got in touch with me when she saw I was baking children's cakes. It's always so nice to hear from old acquaintances who are now mothers, all looking for cakes for their little ones. Mummy A's little boy was going to celebrate his 1st birthday with not one but two Mickey Mouse cakes!

The two cakes were going to be for two separate parties as celebration was spread out over a day - a.m. session and p.m. session. I totally get that; I did that with my boys' birthdays too because we wanted to group our guests such that we can entertain them adequately.

We discussed the design options for Mickey. As you can imagine, there are loads to choose from and every single one looked wonderful - that's the thing with Mickey Mouse, it's a design that always works; it's timeless!

In the end, Mummy A got a very cute plush and some great Mickey character toppers for the two cakes. For one, we had the Mickey plush hugging a cake. Simple enough but when you get the colours right, it's such a very happy cake!

Mickey hugs a cake

Emmanuel's First

Mickey hugs a rich and moist chocolate cake layered with chunky Oreo cream cheese frosting. I love how the red fondant cover complements the plush toy, which admittedly did all the work. All that was needed were some stars, Mickey's emblems and the No.1.

For the second cake, I borrowed from some designs Mummy A sent me - the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse design. Again, the toppers did all the work and I just set the scene for it.

Happy Birthday Emmanuel

M-I-C-K-E-Y MOUSE

He's the world's most famous mouse! You may be 2 or 20-years-old and you may love Mickey in varying degrees over time but he retains an everlasting appeal synonymous with the happiest place on earth. So naturally, he's bound to be requested on birthday cakes.

For one four-year-old boy, it's a box of Mickey cupcakes that his dear mummy ordered with request for some ideas that were too cute not to attempt. She wanted a box of 20 cupcakes with various designs of the Disney character. Mickey mouse is all about the white gloves, white-buttoned red trousers and those unmistakable big ol' ears. And that's just what I did (in fondant).

Meeska Mouska Mickey Mouse

I was told the birthday boy's favourite colour is green so I had to find a way to sneak that in - have his name spelt out in green fondant fonts! 

Riven

I made these fondant disc a couple of days before delivery so they will dry out nicely as toppers. It also gave me the opportunity to place them in the box for a look at the final arrangement.

Empty spot for special design

Riven's mummy asked if candles can go onto the cupcakes, I know what she meant... after all, what's a birthday celebration without the candle-blowing right? While there is absolutely nothing wrong with candles on a cupcake, I did however proposed to make one bigger cupcake (or a small cake) so they can still have the usual cake for blowing out the candles. Since she loved the design of the large Mickey head and ears cupcake, I made a bigger one for the middle of the box.

It's actually made of 2 cupcakes

Large Mickey head in the middle

Happy Birthday Riven

Everyone knows Mickey Mouse but here's some trivia on the famous little rodent.

1. Mickey was first conceptualised as a dog, cat, cow and horse! 

2. Mickey's birthday is 15 November 1928 (that makes him what... 85!)

3. Apparently, intelligence officers used "Mickey Mouse" as a password amongst themselves during WWII. 

4. Mickey's ears were dubbed "one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th and 21st centuries" by Time Magazine.

5. Mickey Mouse launched the career of Ryan Gosling! (God bless Mickey)

Lightning McQueen

The little boy who introduced Thomas the Train to my Jake has a new toy interest - Lightning McQueen from Disney's Cars. Jake's cousin, Justin turns 4 and luckily for his mum, she did not have to endure another year of Thomas birthday party. So Aunty Debbie was tasked with baking a Lightning McQueen cake!

Before I started work, I contacted my baker friend Dawn who made a Lightning McQueen cake some months back. Now if you remember, Dawn is my fellow baker mum who helped me on the Penguin cake last year. Dawn's cake decoration skills is easily the very best that I've seen anywhere. Pure perfection. I had hoped some tips from her would help me along the way. She sent me a step-by-step via WhatsApp from Shanghai where she is based, thank you so much Dawn. Here's a peek at her amazing work... check out the contours!

A perfect Lightning McQueen by Dawn

So I went about building this cake. The baking part was easy - a moist chocolate cake with Oreo cream cheese filing. I had to stop myself from eating the bits that were carved out while making this cake! 

Yummy undercarriage

Rough outline of McQueen covered in fudge

I tried so hard to follow the tips and advice given for this cake. It was a challenge carving a car out of a block of cake, which was recommended. I found myself piecing together the car for the contours instead. So between meeting the requirements of a moist cake and the details required for the car to take shape, this was my best effort.

Lightning McQueen!

Adding in the details was the real fun part especially the round disc on the bonnet. I used it to imprint the birthday boy's name! 

Here's looking at you kid

Ok so it's not really an accurate shape of Lightning McQueen, mine is more like a family saloon than a sports car but the signature windscreen eyes and engine grille smile did the trick. And not forgetting the lightning stripes on the door!

Vroom!

A Lightning McQueen that he can eat

It made the birthday boy's day and that's all that really matters. Happy Birthday Justin!