Ok cake ladies...

[PeterPan]

How do I make this? Dd has declared it her dream cake, but I'm gonna need some help! :)

 

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Image:Princess_birthday_cake.jpg

 

And if I want to make the cakes from scratch, any preferred recipe?

[Maisy]

Start early! :001_smile: Ok, just kidding, well, not really . . . but as a fellow birthday-cake-exravaganza-maker (you should see my hula-girl from last year and the gimungus Halloween graveyard/haunted house!), I can certainly sympathize with you. Are there any instructions at all? No? Ok, here's what I'd do . . .

 

1/2) Start clipping the Michaels coupons! Cake-making can be expensive!!

 

3/4) Don't wait until the day-of to tackle this one--do it ahead in steps: Bake the layers ahead of time and freeze them, make your flowers/butterflies several days ahead. Color your cake fondant the day before you want to decorate.

 

1) Decide how big you want it to be. For example, if the bottom layer is 12 in., then get 12 in, 8 in, and 6 in. cake pans. You can make the cakes from scratch, but I always use a mix, but make the pound cake version (extra egg and box of pudding mix). For chocolate, I always use Duncan Hines devil's food (recipe on the side). Bake at least three layers for each tier--from the picture each layer looks to be more than two layers. I believe the Wilton website tells you how many cups of batter you need per layer.

 

2) Get the big box of white Wilton fondant and tint it peachy-pink with Wilton gel colors (you may have to experiment to get a color you want--I'd try pink and a *hint* of orange. Just do it all at once so it will all be the same. Yes, your hands will be tired of kneading! For the stairs, you'll have to cut out part of the layer on an angle and then "build" the steps out of fondant. Roll out the fondant and cover the cake tiers. You can build the open doors out of this as well. Place each layer on a cut-to-fit cardboard circle. Push three or four wooden skewers several inches apart into the two bottom layers (cut skewers level with the cake layer) to suppor each tier. Stack the cakes together, then use a knife to score the brick lines. Use the Wilton spray color (the canned airbrush/spraypaint stuff) to shade the castle walls.

 

3) For butterflies, tint leftover fondant with Wilton colors, or buy a box of already colored fondant--pastel colors. You can also use gum paste (I'd probably go this route)--this is a lot like fondant and it dries pretty solid--the Wilton gum paste flower kit is very handy because it has most of the gum paste tools included, as well as the flower cutters, and you have a lot of flowers to make. Use a small butterfly cutter (or make your own) to cut out the butterflies, bend them into "flight" shape and support with cotton balls or wadded up paper until they dry. This can be done days ahead. If you buy the Wilton gum paste flower kit, you can use their cutters to make the small flowers around the base of each layer. Or you could just improvise with non-edible flowers, or pipe them out of regular icing.

 

4) For the top layer columns, you have a couple of options. You can color more fondant (rose or dark pink) and then form it around a base--even a non-edible one. Pick something, like a popsicle stick or skewer that can be stuck down into the cake for stability. Shape fondant or gum paste into the turret tops and stuff with cotton or paper until dry. The middle section could be a rolled out sheet of fondant (or cardboard covered in fondant) that you've shaped and dried into a cylinder.

 

5) Make a batch of royal icing. Leave a little white (to pipe around the doorway). Color some pale yellow-green (leaf green and yellow gels--use very little color) and the rest darker green. Pipe vines onto the castle with a #2 or #3 tip. Attach flowers and butterflies with royal icing. Fill in around flowers with a small leaf tip using the darker green royal icing.

 

6) Attach tops of turrets with royal icing. Cut flags out of fondant. Write Happy Birthday with a #1, 2 or 3 tip (depending on size of flag). Attach to a toothpick and insert into turret.

 

7) To make it extra special, get some of the Wilton powdery sparkle glitter in pink (this is not cake sparkles. It's like very fine glitter but I can't remember exactly what it's called). Paint it on the turrets and top layer piece with a brush and a little water.

 

8) Is that it? Then sit back and watch her eyes light up! She'll think you're amazing!

 

Alternatively, you could get the Wilton castle kit. It comes with all the pieces you need to make a castle cake, and it would probably be far cheaper and easier.

 

Hope that helps! Let me know if I left something out!

[muffinmom]

Or you could do what I did and hire it out this year!

[3littlekeets]

How do I make this? Dd has declared it her dream cake, but I'm gonna need some help! :)

 

http://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Image:Princess_birthday_cake.jpg

 

And if I want to make the cakes from scratch, any preferred recipe?

 

 

I'd be turning to Publix ;-), but it is gorgeous! Good luck!

[Jann in TX]

Wilton has a great castle 'kit'...look in your Sunday paper (and sometimes online at the Michael's website) for the Michaels or Hobby Lobby coupons... they are great money savers--but the kit is not that expensive.

 

I like to make drop flowers (tip 224 and tip 3) out of royal icing. Make these a few days ahead and they are GREAT time savers--just use a dab of icing to hold in place.

 

The cake in your picture uses fondant icing... fondant rarely tastes good--but it does look good and is fairly easy to work with.

 

Here is a link to the Wilton site and a 'castle making' contest--look at the winners--lots of ideas there!

 

I usually use cake mixes--I love Betty Crocker French Vanilla... I do not add or change the recipe in any way--and I always get raves about my cakes and how moist they are. I do use cake pan wraps that help make level layers and add extra moisture--they are my best secret weapon in cake making!

 

 

Happy decorating!

[melhouse]

Start early! :001_smile: Ok, just kidding, well, not really . . . but as a fellow birthday-cake-exravaganza-maker (you should see my hula-girl from last year and the gimungus Halloween graveyard/haunted house!), I can certainly sympathize with you. Are there any instructions at all? No? Ok, here's what I'd do . . .

 

1/2) Start clipping the Michaels coupons! Cake-making can be expensive!!

 

3/4) Don't wait until the day-of to tackle this one--do it ahead in steps: Bake the layers ahead of time and freeze them, make your flowers/butterflies several days ahead. Color your cake fondant the day before you want to decorate.

 

1) Decide how big you want it to be. For example, if the bottom layer is 12 in., then get 12 in, 8 in, and 6 in. cake pans. You can make the cakes from scratch, but I always use a mix, but make the pound cake version (extra egg and box of pudding mix). For chocolate, I always use Duncan Hines devil's food (recipe on the side). Bake at least three layers for each tier--from the picture each layer looks to be more than two layers. I believe the Wilton website tells you how many cups of batter you need per layer.

 

2) Get the big box of white Wilton fondant and tint it peachy-pink with Wilton gel colors (you may have to experiment to get a color you want--I'd try pink and a *hint* of orange. Just do it all at once so it will all be the same. Yes, your hands will be tired of kneading! For the stairs, you'll have to cut out part of the layer on an angle and then "build" the steps out of fondant. Roll out the fondant and cover the cake tiers. You can build the open doors out of this as well. Place each layer on a cut-to-fit cardboard circle. Push three or four wooden skewers several inches apart into the two bottom layers (cut skewers level with the cake layer) to suppor each tier. Stack the cakes together, then use a knife to score the brick lines. Use the Wilton spray color (the canned airbrush/spraypaint stuff) to shade the castle walls.

 

3) For butterflies, tint leftover fondant with Wilton colors, or buy a box of already colored fondant--pastel colors. You can also use gum paste (I'd probably go this route)--this is a lot like fondant and it dries pretty solid--the Wilton gum paste flower kit is very handy because it has most of the gum paste tools included, as well as the flower cutters, and you have a lot of flowers to make. Use a small butterfly cutter (or make your own) to cut out the butterflies, bend them into "flight" shape and support with cotton balls or wadded up paper until they dry. This can be done days ahead. If you buy the Wilton gum paste flower kit, you can use their cutters to make the small flowers around the base of each layer. Or you could just improvise with non-edible flowers, or pipe them out of regular icing.

 

4) For the top layer columns, you have a couple of options. You can color more fondant (rose or dark pink) and then form it around a base--even a non-edible one. Pick something, like a popsicle stick or skewer that can be stuck down into the cake for stability. Shape fondant or gum paste into the turret tops and stuff with cotton or paper until dry. The middle section could be a rolled out sheet of fondant (or cardboard covered in fondant) that you've shaped and dried into a cylinder.

 

5) Make a batch of royal icing. Leave a little white (to pipe around the doorway). Color some pale yellow-green (leaf green and yellow gels--use very little color) and the rest darker green. Pipe vines onto the castle with a #2 or #3 tip. Attach flowers and butterflies with royal icing. Fill in around flowers with a small leaf tip using the darker green royal icing.

 

6) Attach tops of turrets with royal icing. Cut flags out of fondant. Write Happy Birthday with a #1, 2 or 3 tip (depending on size of flag). Attach to a toothpick and insert into turret.

 

7) To make it extra special, get some of the Wilton powdery sparkle glitter in pink (this is not cake sparkles. It's like very fine glitter but I can't remember exactly what it's called). Paint it on the turrets and top layer piece with a brush and a little water.

 

8) Is that it? Then sit back and watch her eyes light up! She'll think you're amazing!

 

Alternatively, you could get the Wilton castle kit. It comes with all the pieces you need to make a castle cake, and it would probably be far cheaper and easier.

 

Hope that helps! Let me know if I left something out!

 

Wow! What great detailed directions. Sounds like you've done this a time or two.:)

[PeterPan]

Maisy, you are amazing! And nope, I have no experience with fondant, no time to learn. But I think y'all are onto something with the Wilton kit. Apparently dd saw that in the store one day (without me), which is what started this whole thing. So it looks like we'll pull the ideas we like from the dream cake and use the more practical approach of the Wilton. I haven't seen the kit yet to know what it includes.

 

Dumb question. If you freeze the cakes, do you thaw them before you frost? You make them ahead, wrap (how?), freeze, then when ready to assemble you thaw a particular way and frost? I've never done that before, but it definitely might help with the time issues, being so close to the convention and all.

 

Jann, thanks for the great ideas! I've seen those cake wraps in the King Arthur catalog but never tried them. :)

[Peek a Boo]

Maisy, you are amazing! And nope, I have no experience with fondant, no time to learn. But I think y'all are onto something with the Wilton kit. Apparently dd saw that in the store one day (without me), which is what started this whole thing. So it looks like we'll pull the ideas we like from the dream cake and use the more practical approach of the Wilton. I haven't seen the kit yet to know what it includes.

 

Dumb question. If you freeze the cakes, do you thaw them before you frost? You make them ahead, wrap (how?), freeze, then when ready to assemble you thaw a particular way and frost? I've never done that before, but it definitely might help with the time issues, being so close to the convention and all.

 

Jann, thanks for the great ideas! I've seen those cake wraps in the King Arthur catalog but never tried them. :)

 

does the whole thing need to be edible? can you get some colorful plastic/ toy butterflies and fake flowers to just stick on?

 

use the waffle icecream cones for the tower roof, and cut fruit rollups into triangles for flags. use a spaghetti noodle to hold the flags.

 

i have never frozen cakes, but my friend who has always said:

let them cool completely, then wrapped them in saran wrap nice n tight. yes, let thaw before frosting.

 

 

the wilton kit is basically a bunch of plastic accessories on basic cake layers. super easy :)

[PeterPan]

Ooo Peek, you're a genius!!! :)

[Carol in Cal.]

OK, maybe not just wow.

Maybe "you're crazy/dedicated/crazy" as well.

Wow.

 

(Once I decided to make a cake with more than two colors on it for a birthday. I had never used a pastry bag before. Naturally I thought it would be easy, just follow the lines, right? So get this. It was a Thomas the Tank Engine cake. 12 colors IIRC. And I decided that to save time I would not sift the powdered sugar (on the 'they've got to be kidding' theory. Uh, no. They were not kidding.) So the fine point lines stopped and started whereever a lump in the powdered sugar showed up.)

[PeterPan]

Oh, don't be too impressed, I haven't made the cake yet, lol. Besides, this is not a solo event. Dd is old enough to do some of this herself, so that's part of the plan, an educational experience. ;)

[Peek a Boo]

(on the 'they've got to be kidding' theory. Uh, no. They were not kidding.)

 

yeah... i've fallen prey to this theory on a few different areas of life. same results. ;)

[Serendipity]

If you haven't already, you've got to see this website. It even shares directions for making your own 'bake even' strips!

 

http://www.baking911.com/cakes/101.htm

 

Best Wishes...

 

:)

[KatieJ]

[ (on the 'they've got to be kidding' theory. Uh, no. They were not kidding.)

 

HUbby fell prey to this theory last night and I ended up with a bruise on my forehead.

 

He was installing a bathroom fan and he was in the attic with the fan and the venting hose. Directions said to duct tape the venting hose...he thought they were kidding and bought a hose clamp. He is in the attic and the hose wont' stay attached while he moves it into position. So I get him the duct tape and toss it up to him in the attic. So far so good. He gets it taped into place and drops the tape back to me. I don't catch it...I bend over to pick it up and SMACK my head on the bathroom counter!

 

It still hurts today!

 

Anyway..I had to laugh in spite of it all.

[Alessandra]

You have got such good advice -- all I'd add is that, when you are in the crafts store, you might want to pick up a copy of Wilton's latest annual publication -- there are loads of good tips there, if you prefer a book to a website. I certainly agree with pp that you could buy some sort of butterflies & flowers to add, rather than try to make them yourself.

 

I've only used regular Wilton decorating frosting (it comes ready to use in a can -- if using, get more than you think you'll need)), not fondant (no expert here). I found the cake colors mixed in best when frosting was at room temperature. For applying the frosting, I use two bowls, so I have a second chilled bowl waiting, if the first gets to warm/runny.

 

Good luck!

 

Don't forget to buy a cardboard base and a box for the cake when you are in the crafts store.

You may want a wire cake trimmer to even out uneven cake tops -- check with the experts.

Edited April 15, 2009 by Alessandra