Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust

Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust is all it took to put this cake together! Bear asked for a chocolate Tinkerbell cake for her 5th birthday. I used the Rich Chocolate Cake and cream cheese frosting recipes from my ever trusty Good Housekeeping Cook Book.


This was my first layered cake with a column, so I did not have materials and was rather nervous. After waiting until the night before her birthday, at 8 pm, I searched Michaels and Walmart (the stores that weren't already closed) and did not find the column I was envisioning. I grabbed a cheap plastic cup from the cabinet and hot glued a cardboard cake round to the bottom. After frosting the base (9x13), I added forced the cup down into the cake. I piped a basic chocolate butter frosting onto the cup to form a tree trunk before placing the remaining 5" circle cake on top the base. Adding some extra green coloring to the remaining frosting before piping leaves with a large Wilton leaf tip added just the right contrast. Tinkerbell and other fairy figurines and a sprinkling of pastel flowers completed the cake.


It even survived the daunting trip across town to great-gram's apartment where family awaited. Bear was quite pleased.


Looking for more cake decorating inspiration? Check out my past cake posts or head over to
Life As Mom for a birthday cake round-up.

A Handy Dandy Birthday

Buddy received a toy workbench for his birthday this year, so we decided to throw a tool themed party. The cake was baked in two loaf pans Then stacked on each other, propped open with a couple toothpicks. If I had planned ahead, it would have had 1/2 a doughnut handle and some better (more) tools instead of the wrench we pulled from his toy box.

Brought to You by the Letters A & Z and the Number 4

Bear asked for a Zoe cake this year. Almost as easy as the Elmo cake I made last year.

Happy Birthday Buddy!

I decided to make a car cake for Buddy's first birthday. I wish I could share it step-by-step with you, but I finished this 15 minutes after guests arrived.

Basically, I baked a standard 2 layer round cake. I frosted one simply to serve guests. I sliced the other in half and stood them up on the flat cut side with a thin layer of frosting holding them together. I frosted patches of white for windows before covering the rest with blue. Oreo Cakesters made wheels, M&Ms made headlights and tail lights, and a bit of piped frosting finished up the details.

He certainly enjoyed it!

Brought to You By the Number 3

Happy Birthday Bear, I can't believe you are THREE!


Bear decided she wanted an Elmo cake. She's been talking about it for weeks. So, I let her help make it. I didn't manage to snap a picture of her crushing the egg in her fist over the bowl because it caught me by surprise. This cake should be crunch-free.

I started with mixing up one box of cake mix per package directions. Bear chose the funfetti kind. I filled one muffin cup and 2 cake rounds. Remember to bake the cupcake for the recommended time on the box and then leave in the cake pans for the additional time needed.

I used cream cheese frosting because I don't like any other kind. When the kids are old enough, I'll let them choose, but for now we use what I want. I only put a small amount on the bottom layer because I am always afraid to run out on the top.
I used food coloring gel (cool stuff) to dye about a tablespoon of frosting yellow. I cut the top off the cupcake and frosted it. If you like cake, feel free to indulge in the bottom half.

It took me a good teaspoon maybe 1 1/2 red food coloring to get an acceptable red. So, instead of enjoying hand cramps, go ahead an really dump it in instead of going a squirt at a time. You'll want the bottom half to be smooth, but don't waste your time for the rest.

Place the cupcake on top of your frosted 2-layer cake. Approximately mid cake.

I used black gel frosting to draw the mouth. Then LIGHTLY use a fork to fluff up the frosting to create "fur". Be careful around the nose and mouth not to disturb the frosting.
The easy part! Place two large marshmallows end up, above the nose. Push them down in the frosting so they stick.

Use a couple dots of the leftover black frosting to stick brown M&Ms on top of the marshmallows. Then hide it until you're ready so no one steals his eyes!