The Great Birthday Cake Saga of 2008

So, a couple of weeks ago when I posted about my yearly birthday cake freak-out, many of you left comments with good cake ideas. My husband also left a comment that simply said “P”. That’s because Sophie LOVES letters, and P is her favorite letter. So, his idea was that I make her a letter P cake.

I really wanted to make her a Little Einsteins cake, but all the ideas I found online seemed WAY too hard, and as I looked at each photo, my blood pressure went up and up. I could feel my feet and fingers begin to swell! So, then I decided, maybe I would make her a cake that looked like a Magna-Doodle, because that is about her favorite toy. She lee-oves it. She loves for us to write letters on it for her and then she tells us what the letters are and then scribbles away happily until she fills the screen. Then we start the process over again. So, I decided I was going to make a Magna-Doodle cake.

Then about three days before her party, I started to freak out that it would be too hard, that it would just look like a colorful rectangle and not a Magna-Doodle, and that I would have to mix too many colors of icing (which was what about sent me over the edge last year). So, I decided my husband was right! (Gasp!) I decided I should make her a letter “P” cake. Bobby would cut the shape out for me out of a rectangle cake and then I’d frost it. Easy peasy!

Except I didn’t hear the timer go off on the oven and the cake got a *smidge* overdone and a huge chunk of it stuck to the pan, leaving a giant sunken portion in the middle of the cake, making it near impossible to cut a letter P out of it!

AAAARRRRRGH!!

Blood. Pressure. Rising!!

This was about 9 p.m. the night before the party, and I was just done. I was near tears, and decided I would just make cupcakes. But then, my sweet, capable husband pieced the thing back together, cut the cake in half, and carved a P out of half the cake, somehow making the broken part become the center of the P that we would have to cut out anyway. YAY! The day was saved! The P was just a little smaller than I’d originally intended, so I did make the cupcakes so that there would be enough cake for everyone.

After we got the P cut out, I went to work frosting it. I thought for a little diva like Sophie, and pink-and-purple P would be appropriate! So here’s what I ended up with:

Sophie's Letter P cake

And here’s how I ended up feeling:

whipped is right.

The next day, we had a great party, and Sophie loved her cake! Well, actually, she ended up eating a cupcake, but when I showed her the P cake, she gave me a very satisfying “WOW!”

cupcake happiness

Which coincidentally, is the same way I feel about HER!

P.S. I entered this post in the linky at Blissfully Domestic to show how darn domestic I am! Go read about the domestic feats of others here!

Post to Twitter

19 Replies to “The Great Birthday Cake Saga of 2008”

  1. My husband has saved many a birthday cake (and my frazzled nerves) – most memorable was a rattle snake cake where the rattler did not stay up. A couple of dowels, and we were golden (until it was time to eat it). But, it is all about the picture anyway, right?

  2. That is beautiful! You know, I think cutting out a “P” would be pretty hard too! And, getting that color of icing – well, “Betty” you can do my next cake!!! 🙂

  3. Maybe you could’ve made cupcakes and formed the letter “p” or even her whole name. I think I may just try that. Thanks for the inspiration. My daughter turns 6 next week, and I’ve never felt obligated to make her a cake…until now. I always thought she deserved a store-bought, professional looking cake. Thanks for the guilt trip, thanks a lot.

  4. okay – so are you bringing a cake for isabel for her birthday? a buttferfly? hehe…..great job as usual. Sorry we missed it….

  5. I think it turned out beautifully. What your little one will remember when she is older is how much effort you put into it….it really is the thought that counts…and I think it is a beautiful “P”.

  6. I think you did a great job! My mom very proudly tells people that she has NEVER bought a cake from a store or bakery. She made every cake for us when we were growing up and I love looking back at those birthday pictures. Your daughter will too! Good job!

  7. Your cake turned out great! How come you didn’t attempt to cut out a crown as that one lady suggested last week at Evenflo? J/K! =)

  8. I made a cake one time. I’ll never make that mistake again. You, on the other hand are awesome. They always look great. How’s bout starting to think about the next birthday now, it will save you the panic later.

  9. That cake is cute! I’m with Jen on the cupcake idea. Easy and you can form them into any shape you like!!

Comments are closed.