Sunday, June 27, 2010

Birthday Cake (with a Giveaway)

Lucy is five!  Happy Birthday sweet girl!


On Wednesday we spent the day together and then had a small family party at our house in the evening.  Lucy had originally picked out a princess cake, but when the kit arrived she decided that she wanted the mermaid pictured on the box.  I'm definitely not an expert at cake decorating, but it didn't look too hard.  Growing up, my mom always figured out how to make whatever shape cake we requested.  I would browse her cake idea book for weeks before my birthday trying to decide on the perfect cake.  The birthday girl gets to pick, so a mermaid cake it was.  Wilton even sent us the Wonder Mold Kit for review.



I started right away in the morning, baking the cake so that it would have time to cool and I could frost it before dinner.  I had purchased an organic cake mix at the store, but once I started mixing it up I wasn't sure if it was going to work.  The mix seemed like it didn't make quite enough batter, and then it didn't cook right.  The top of the cake was hardening, but the middle was still liquid.  The cake was an absolute disaster!  I sent Ross to the store for another cake mix and told him I wanted Betty Crocker this time.


I lowered the oven rack, and left the cake in to bake longer.  (I somehow missed that part in the directions.)  Much better.  The bottom was a bit lumpy, but frosting covered it up just fine.


I should have asked Ross to actually go find Betty Crocker and have her come decorate the cake for me.  At this point it was close to dinner time, guests were here, and the cake hadn't even cooled completely.  The mermaid's tail started sliding down as I was working on it, so I had to make it extra long.  I couldn't find the right frosting tips in my cake decorating box for the seashells.


This was not the best cake I've ever decorated, but Lucy was happy with it.  Julia's birthday is in six weeks, so I'll have another try at the cake soon.  She's already picked out the one she wants.  The cake mold was actually pretty easy to use, despite all of my disasters.  The rod in the middle helps conduct heat through the cake so that it cooks evenly.  It all comes apart so that it can be easily washed.  I'm sure we'll be having princess cakes many times in the coming years.

Do you have a little girl who would love a princess or mermaid cake?  Wilton is offering one of you a Wonder Mold Kit!  To enter the giveaway leave a comment letting me know a favorite birthday cake that you had growing up.  Be sure to leave your email address or have it enabled on your blogger profile.  For an extra entry, like One Little Word She Knew on Facebook.  I'll close the giveaway on July 11 at midnight.  Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway now closed.  Congrats Ben!

45 comments:

  1. We never had decorated cakes as my mom wasn't into that. I did decorate one for her when I was about 10...I've always had that bug! This would be so FUN!!! And I just had a girl so I know I'll be doing princess cakes in the future :)

    This year Little Guy will have trains.

    Heather

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  2. My favorite cake was barbie too, but it was not this cool.
    bwneyes100 AT hotmail DOT com

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  3. My mom every year only made our birthday cakes (which was always chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, with sprinkles on top). However, the year I was 10, was my golden birthday and my mom ordered a cake from our grocery store bakery that had flowers on it (red) and Happy Birthday Vanessa on it! I loved that cake. The frosting made me sick, but it sure was pretty! :)

    jewelsntreasures (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  4. I "like" you on fb! Vanessa 'M' J

    jewelsntreasures (at) yahoo (dot) com

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  5. I like one little word she knew on fb
    bwneyes100 AT hotmail DOT com

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  6. my mom decorated my cakes with roses. although i remember a cake like the princess one~ cinderella i think :)

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  7. i like your page on fb.

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  8. please tell lucy happy b-day from us. can't believe she is five!!!

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  9. My cake was a barbie too. I had quite a collection and was crazy about them.

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  10. My favorite was a smurf cake my sister got on her 10th birthday I was 8 and totally convinced my parents loved her more,this did not help.I am in therapy because I never got a cake like that! JK!!! Ha!! I can't blame it all on the cake.

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  11. Raspberry ice-cream cake. It was delicious for a summer birthday.

    marypres@gmail.com

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  12. My favorite Birthday cake growing up was my mom's homemade banana/coconut topped Rabbit shaped cake she made every Easter. I so looked forward to decorating and eating that cake. I'm drooling just a little writing about it:)

    Thanks for hosting!

    nazelnutz(at)msn(dot)com

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  13. Liked you on Facebook.
    FB name: sherrie seruntine cruson

    nazelnutz(at)msn(dot)com

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  14. The cake looks great! I love the waves at the base.

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  15. When I was a teenager, I made my younger brother a baseball glove cake with a baseball on it. I remember using red licorice for the strings in glove and stitching in the ball. He really loved it.

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  16. My mom made me a Barbie cake just like this one way back in the 70s!! It had a white dress. Also, I had Pinocchio party that was memorable.

    My 4 yr old will be 5 soon and she is asking for a princess cake. This would be perfect!

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  17. I can't actually remember what any of my cakes looked like, I just remember yummy chocolate cake & icing!!!

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  18. I'm a fan of yours on Facebook! :D

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  19. holy crap I would love to have that as I love to make cakes especially for my baby girl!

    My favorite cake as a child was my Christmas cake since my birthday is so close the holiday anyway.

    ykatrina at hotmail dot com

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  20. My favorite cake was a jack o'lantern cake, my birthday is on halloween. It was made out of two bundt cakes put together and a cupcake for the stem.

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  21. I'm a Facebook fan.

    My little Lucy is 9 months now! Hope you are having a good summer, call me if you'd like to come by for a swim.

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  22. It is funny because my favorite cake was one just like this! I've been planning to make one of these for my soon to be 3 year old, so this would be amazing to win.

    My 2nd favorite was a computer cake that my mom made me in middle school. The keys were made out of caramel candies.

    jamie[dot]willett[at]charter[dot]net

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  23. I'm a follower on Facebook.

    jamie[dot]willett[at]charter[dot]net

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  24. Love princess cake...recently only I have started to decorate cakes when one day my daughter pointed "Can U make a REAL cake".....would love to have princess mold kit, got 2 girls can make good use out of it....

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  25. My Mom always did fun shaped cakes for us growing up. My favortie was a Care Bear Cakes she made for my 6th birthday I believe.

    poest@netzero.net

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  26. I loved my Ziggy cake as a kid. I had a combined party with a friend, and two ziggy cakes!!
    I'm a fb liker:)
    Emma would LOVE this princess cake!

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  28. I'm like you on facebook!

    poest@netzero.net

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  29. When I was youg my favorite cake i remember was a smurf cake
    amyfedorchak1(at)gmail(dot)com

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  30. Like you on facebook
    amyfedorchak1(at)gmail(dot)com

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  31. My favorite cake was a store bought decorated cake with a dinosaur on it. I think your cake looks great and I hope your daughter had a fun birthday.

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  32. Great giveaway! I have being dreaming about a wonder mold pan, lol. My daughter wants a princess party for her birthday!

    My favorite cake growing up was a school bus, with my picture in one of the windows. :)

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  33. My favorite b'day cake was one my mom bought - an amazing fresh strawberries and whipped cream cake - wow! I also loved when she made Butterbrickle cake (Betty Crocker - now discontinued), but she wasn't much on decorating :)

    adrianecoros(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. This is the cutest cake mold! When I was growing up, my mom would bake all our cakes from scratch and my favorite was always chocolate! Even if it wasn't fancy, I still loved it!

    hahnahe@gmail.com

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  35. I "like" One Little Word She Knew on FB :)

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  36. My grandmother always made special cakes for us, and my favorite was a fireworks cake that she had made in different sized cans - it was definitely unique!
    winnieayala at yahoo dot com

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  37. My favorite birthday cake was one made by a group effort by my four under 10 children. Lopsided, burnt on one side, icing dripping off (tried icing it while it was still hot), with one of my prize roses stuck in the middle, served to me in bed! Never tasted so good!!! (Really did need the four glasses of milk each child brought me to help swallow it though!) But pictures abounded, and it is by far my most favorite birthday cake. (My children helped me to 'grow up' too!)

    My grandaughter would love a princess cake made with this Wilton mold!

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway.

    terrymac1a at hotmail dot com

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  38. I definitely like One Little Word She Knew on FB (as Terry McPherson)

    terrymac1a at hotmail dot com

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  39. My favorite cake was a flower cake my mom made me, so colorful & pretty!

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  40. I remember as a kid my mom making me a Mickey Mouse Cake!

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  41. My favorite was a teddy bear cake!

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  42. The only one I can think of was a all chocolate cake, nothing fancy just all chocolate!

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  43. I love Lucy's cake Christy! SO cute. I would love to be entered in the drawing. I like you on FB too :)
    My favorite cake growing up was just a plain round cake with homeade chocolate frosting that my grandma would make every year.

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  44. i had a new kids on the block cake-it was a good attempt. haha I want to make more creative cakes for my niece

    flyergal82 at yahoo dot com

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  45. So nice barbie-cake!! Happy birthday for little princess!!
    I`m 38 years old woman from Finland and i made many cakes too... Nice to see you :)

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