I've read a few threads lately about getting encouraging comments on our cakes and I have to admit that I was pretty discouraged when I started reading them. You see, I had been working on a birthday cake for my daughter who is 11 today and it didn't turn out exactly like I thought it would. I didn't even want to look at it, let alone post it!

Arielle (my daughter) had planned the entire thing. The original would have fed 150 so we had to shrink her plans a bit but she wanted her design to stand.

She wanted a yellow butter cake. For the filling she wanted vanilla buttercream, vanilla moistening syrup and sliced strawberries. In the center filling layer of each tier she wanted vanilla meringue disks with the buttercream. Then, (yes there is more!) she wanted pink strawberry buttercream frosting in a basketweave design on the outside of each of the three tiers with eleven buttercream roses strategically placed around the outside. Finish that off with some white buttercream rope trim around the edges and the all important candles on top!


It could have turned out beautiful but what I got instead made me want to throw in the icing bag! I was on the edge when I read one of those other posts where I learned that sometimes bad cake results happen to good people. So, instead of quitting I am going to detail what I've learned and post the picture. Done right I think it could be a very pretty cake.

What my cake taught me:

1. If you're using meringue disks make sure you pipe them uniformly instead of using a spatula. You cannot smoosh them into submission!

2. Any fruit you're using needs to be sliced uniformly, not some thick and some thin. One of those little egg slicers would have been a good idea if I'd had one! (I will be buying one soon).

3. I need to buy a cake plate! My cake is currently sitting on a pizza stone wrapped in tissue paper!

4. Strawberry Jello in buttercream is very tasty. I think I'll brush my teeth before using that again so I stop "tasting it just to make sure it's okay."

5. I need a whole lot of practice before Arielle gets married. If this was her design for her birthday cake I'm very scared of what she's expecting for a wedding cake!

6. Troubleshooting skills are necessary for cake decorating. When I did the basketweave I didn't know what to do to make up for the off kilter tiers. I ended up with gaps in the weave and it really bothered me. So I made up some royal icing drop flowers (first time I'd ever done either of those too!) I was thinking I'd strategically place them arround where I had gaps. There were too many though so I ended up using a few roses and doing what ended up in the picture.

7. I need to practice those buttercream roses more and make sure I have enough time for them to dry before using them.

I think this was a bit of a vent so thank you for indulging me!

**Edited because I forgot to say that no matter what it looked like, it tasted great! And, my daughter was happy so that's all that really matters right?**

I guess we really are our own worst critics, b/c I think your cake is beautiful (and trust me, I wouldn't say so if I didn't really believe it!) Thanks for sharing your story - I love that this is a place where we can all learn from each other's triumphs and mistakes!

Your flavors sound great. I wish I had been at the party - I would have asked for the biggest slice!

Bec

I honestly was expecting ALOT worse. I think your basket weave looks great. I have tried it, and I think that my BC was to soft because it didn't go over to well, I will be sticking with fondant LOL. It seems to be more forgiving Seriously don't be to hard on yourself.....

Thanks for the kind comments. In person you could see more than in the picture but everyone at the party loved it anyway. It did taste really good! It was really pretty when sliced too, which I didn't think about. When I cut it everybody went "Oooooohhhhh!!!" It cracked me up so I took the spatula and used it as my microphone and said, "I'd like to thank the Acadamy..."

We had fun and now the evidence has been eaten so it's all good and I'm on to the next one! Thanks again!

Your cake looks so good!!!!I already love your daughter, because shes the one person that push you do get better and better!!!! I wish that when my daughter grows up, that she ask me for something so beautiful by her own imagination!!!!YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF!!!

Did you just add the powdered jello to the buttercream? I'd like to try that! Sounds yummy!

I love your cake. You did a great job. I have never tried the basket weave because it seems too difficult to me. You, on the other hand, actually tried it and did a wonderful job. I admire you...

Thanks, I can't wait to try that!