Cakes

[DA Weaver]

I've already begun to plan my children's b-day parties for this year. Well, not a whole lot, but thought it would be fun to buy specialty pans and make each of them a special cake this year. I would like for each of my kids to have that one AWESOME b-day cake that mom took the time to make. When I was a little girl my mother used to make Raggedy Ann cakes for me and guitar cakes for my brother. Once she made a castle cake for my cousin.

Anyway, I've been checking out EBAY, looking for the same cake pan mom used to have years ago. I would LOVE to be able to make cakes for my kiddos like mom made for me.

I'm curious, is there anyone else out there who enjoys doing stuff like this? Or do you find that you're too busy, or perhaps you don't have an interest and would rather purchase a store bought cake instead?

I love cake decorating, and really would like to hold a class at church to teach the young girls how to decorate cakes, but I'm not tallented enough myself to do so.

[Joanne Vergin]

Bet you can show them the basics though.

[Diane Likens]

The most fun birthday cake I've ever made required no special cake pan, no icing tips and no real decorating skills (thankfully -- because I'm NO artist!!!). I used stuff I had on hand to make a circus-y carosel.

I love surprising my family with a cake I've decorated just for them. And I think my efforts have always been appreciated even though a monkey probably could have done a better job!

[Alisa Stoll]

This is one my brother-in-law did for a neighbor. I'm not nearly so talented.

[Anita F. Henck]

When I was pregnant with my oldest, I took a cake decorating class through the local (chain) craft store. I never was very good at making roses (nor particularly interested in it) but decided that stars would be my speciality. Like Alisa's brother's cake above, I became pretty experienced in decorating cakes baked in specialty pans all over with stars.

I've kept some the pans for future generations. I think our most-used ones included a teddy bear (how our first nursery was decorated) and a star-shaped pan. I remember also making a crayon, using regular pans.

Our youngest had so many food allergics for so many years that his "cakes" were Jello jigglers; so I bought lots of molds and cookie cutters for those. (By age one, testing showed he was allergic to wheat, apple, corn (both the vegetable and corn syrup), dairy, eggs, oats, beef, tomatoes, peanuts, nuts, all citrus, and more I'm not remembering this time of the morning.) But, he had fun birthdays nonetheless!

[DA Weaver]

When I was pregnant with my oldest, I took a cake decorating class through the local (chain) craft store. I never was very good at making roses (nor particularly interested in it) but decided that stars would be my speciality. Like Alisa's brother's cake above, I became pretty experienced in decorating cakes baked in specialty pans all over with stars.

I've kept some the pans for future generations. I think our most-used ones included a teddy bear (how our first nursery was decorated) and a star-shaped pan. I remember also making a crayon, using regular pans.

Our youngest had so many food allergics for so many years that his "cakes" were Jello jigglers; so I bought lots of molds and cookie cutters for those. (By age one, testing showed he was allergic to wheat, apple, corn (both the vegetable and corn syrup), dairy, eggs, oats, beef, tomatoes, peanuts, nuts, all citrus, and more I'm not remembering this time of the morning.) But, he had fun birthdays nonetheless!

Yeah, I've decided I can do all right with the stars too!!! I love my point that has 3 stars on it!!! Talk about saving some time!!!!

I've decided I'm going to look for an old Raggedy Ann pan like mom had when I was little. As I was looking through them this morning, my daughter saw it and I asked if she would like to have a b-day cake like I had growing up... her face lit up, and her eyes got big.. of course she wanted one. I think I'm going to look for a guitar shaped pan too. EBAY, BABY, EBAY!!! lol, unless I can find one on FREECYCLE

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Yes, I like things like decorating cakes. but have gotten out of the habit of doing it. I took a course at Dyersburg State College, when our daughter, Jeanne, had a night class. I did not like for her to be getting in at 10:30 p.m., so I went with her, and took the cake decorating course.
I learned to do quite good on the leaves and roses, and made Jeanne's wedding cake later. I also, made Robyn's cake about six years earlier, but I bought white doves to go on it, and whatever else I needed. A man told me it would be easier to work on, if i froze the layers. Also, I learned about wrapping a wet strip of cloth around the pan, to keep it from rising up in the center.

For both weddings, I made all of the girl attendant's dresses, and the brides, and a cumerbun for the ring bearer. I made all of the mints, and arranged all of the flowers.
I was TIRED. ha

[Gina Stevenson]

Yes, at one time I tho't it was fun. Another instance where there's a picture around here ... somewhere ... to be scanned. At Christmastime I did up a Holly Hobby [or was it Hobby Holly? ;)] is Christmas colors, rather than her normal blues, and did holly on the clothes. It took forever ... much longer than it takes to eat one! :cool: :laughing

[Sheya Stephens]

My husband has made some birthday cakes for our daughters... I am usually not allowed in the kitchen and it would be scary if I decided to tackle cake decorating... I am laughing just thinking about it (so would everyone else) :laughing

[Barb Bouldrey]

John bought me one of those cake pans with a smaller cake pan in the middle....to bake and make some fancy cakes. ha ha ha

My first try was a disaster. I ended up dumping it all in a bowl, adding whipped cream and calling it a punch bowl cake. It was suppose to be a round cake with ice cream inside of it. Ha ha ha.


Just a plain cake maker here. I am thankful for Walmart for Special occasions...and Dairy Queen.

Barb