Cake Genius

So my little teeny weeny baby boy turned 1 year old on Sunday.  How did that happen?  Everyone tells you that 'time flies' when you have a baby.  They're right.  It does.  

Anyways, having successfully negotiated a year of parenthood without leaving Joel behind in the bagging area in Asda I also seem to have acquired SUPERHERO CAKE MAKING SKILLZ!

I really wanted to be able to make Joel's birthday cake myself.  I have been enjoying reading a few mummy blogs as my bedtime reading over the past few months and have marvelled at some of the amazing birthday cake creations on show.  I decided that making a cake for Joel was important to me.  My sister in law works in a bun shop that sells the most beautiful home made treats, but I was determined not to exploit my links.  I wanted to fly solo, research and make it myself.  

My husband was his usual supportive self.  'Wise up, are you sure you can actually make it?  But have you ever actually made a cake before?  I'm not sure you actually know whats involved.  No, forget it, just ask Laura to make us one, then you know it will actually be good.' 

Blah, blah, blah, bore off Mr Negative.  His lack of faith in my baking skills only spurred me on.  

There is no doubt, if Phil's friend Laura made the cake it would be AMAZING.  She has her own baking business, 'Downie's Brownies and Cupcakes' and sells her treats at St Georges Market on Sunday mornings.  My news feed on Facebook of often full of photos of her cooking up a sugar-filled storm of gorgeous brownies, cakes and cupcakes.  I am known to be a fan of the wee coconut buns with the jam stuffed in the middle...but NO!! I was determined to do this myself.

TAADAAA

I only flippin did it, I baked a real life cake!  Everyone actually ate the slice I gave them too.  And no one boked.  Hurrah!

OK so it's confession time, so I did make the cake but it was actually dead easy.

It all started with a slightly last minute panicked Facebook message to my lovely neighbours.  In order to make a cake, I needed to tools...

Magda to the rescue, she let me borrow her mixer/beater.  Let the baking begin!

Beat together 200g of butter and 200g of sugar.  Easy.

 Beat in 3 eggs.  One egg at a time.  Easy.

Fold in 200g of flour.  Easy.

Split mixture between 2 cake tins and bake for 20 mins and hey presto!

Wait for two cakes to cool.  Sandwich them together with plenty of jam. The cake is ready to decorate!

I made the icing with cream cheese and yogurt.  Two packets of cream cheese and a pot of yogurt.   (There may be a wee teeny chance that my icing was too runny and I text Laura in a panic.  After some expert advice I was back on track.)

I used yellow food colouring and orange food colouring for the icing.  I used chocolate buttons for the eyes and Mikado biscuits for the face detail and whiskers.   

Phil was seriously impressed.  And the cake tasted all the more sweeter knowing that I proved him wrong.  In your face doubting husband! (Just don't tell him how easy it was, deal?)