Stephanie's Tombstone Birthday Cake

It is great to have fun with cakes. Ideas begin to flow and one has to take note of them to not forget them. If you are like me, you forget a few things. It is something that occurs to everyone. The cake below was a present for a friend's birthday which was one day before Halloween. The two occasions led me to decorate the cake in a way that represented both. I have come to realize that not everything is perfect and that things can really go wrong in the process of making and decorating cakes. I have had my share of failures, but one learns from their mistakes. I have made adjustments to recipes and in the techniques that I have used. These changes have helped me become a better cake designer.

The cake below has a tombstone with the birthday girl's name and two messages from friends and her girlfriend that I decided to place on it. Although there were many things I wanted to incorporate into the cake, time is always an issue. One cannot rush through the process. Things will be left out and more mistakes will be made. That is why, one has to take their time, plan accordingly, and expedite. Sometimes, disasters can be for the best, believe it or not. For example, the rose in the middle of the cake was intact when it arrived to the party. During the placement process, one of the petals fell down. Although this was a mishap, it actually added a bit more personality to the cake. The cake was successful. It was the center of attention, next to the birthday girl. Friends were taking pictures, asking questions, and enjoyed eating it. It was a wonderful feeling knowing that I created it. The expressions on people's faces was well worth the time and effort.

Mat's Guitar Birthday Cake

As time passes by, I am more intrigued by the fact that I enjoy making and decorating cakes. This has become a hobby and a passion. I love the art of being able to create art out of cakes. The final outcome, the taste, aroma, the detailed decorations, and the people's reactions are priceless. There is nothing like the feeling of seeing someone's eyes light up when they receive a customized and one-of-a-kind cake. It makes me feel good knowing that I can do that in someone's life and makes the hard work well worth it.

Saying this, I decided to make a cake for my boyfriend's birthday. It did take some thinking on my part and a bit of planning to decide what kind of cake to create for his special day. Asking what kind of cake he wanted was like pulling teeth. I decided to make my own recipe and named it "Kevin's Blue Suede Cake". The cake process (preparing, baking, decorating) took about 8 hours. After several breaks and a sore back, I finally accomplished to finish this special delight for the special day. Below are a few pictures of the outcome. Hope you guys enjoy.

Here is Mat's Birthday Cake

Below is Mat cutting into the Birthday Cake

Cake served with Vanilla-Caramel Icecream