So, You Want To Bake A Character Cake For Your Child's Birthday Party?
May 16 '01
The Bottom Line You can save a bundle of money by making and decorating a character cake rather than buying one from a bakery.
Your child will appreciate your extra time and effort.
Last year for my son's first birthday, we spent more than $175 on the custom made cakes. We had a baseball in a baseball glove cake, a football cake, a basketball in a net cake, and a small personal sized baseball cake for my son to make a mess of. Through the Yellow Pages, we found the woman who made these adorable cakes...she even delivered them (for an extra $25.00). This year, we decided to save some money and do it ourselves...or myself, I should say.
Over a few weeks of trial and error (mostly error), learned quite a bit about baking and decorating cakes. I will share with you all some of the things I have learned, and hopefully save you the trouble of repeating my mistakes.
The best place to start is at the Wilton Industries website (www.wilton.com). At their website, you can get recipes and cake decorating ideas, purchase supplies, ask questions, even find a cake decorating class in your area.
Several weeks before the planned event, you definitely will want to do at least one trial run. Go to the craft store and buy your supplies(I bought my supplies at Michaels). You will need:
A cake pan (Wilton makes everything form Barney to Teletubbies)...Wilton cake pans come with color-by-number instructions and a list of the colors and tips you will need. They also tell you how much of each color you will need and how many boxes of cake mix you will need.
Icing bags...make sure to have plenty of extra bags. Have at least one bag for each color of icing you will be using plus several extras "just in case."
Various tips and couplers...the cake pan will come with a list of which tips you will need for that particular cake. Some basics are tips #3, 16, 21 and 27. These can handle writing & outlining, stars, zigzags, rosettes, shells and leaves. Couplers allow you to use various tips with the same bag of icing.
Icing colors...Wilton makes all different colors to add to white icing to make just about any color in the spectrum.
Spatulas (also known as "large icing spreaders")...these are for the smooth areas of the cake, and the sides.
Lazy Susan...this is basically a turntable. It is very helpful when you need to get all the way around the cake.
Don't forget to go to the grocery store and buy a box or two of cake mix and the necessary ingredients for making your icing. If you don't want to make your icing from scratch, you have several options:
~You can buy the tubs of icing at the grocery store made by companies like Betty Crocker and Pillsbury.
You can buy Wilton's powdered icing mixes...there are two types to choose from: one requires only adding cold water, the other requires adding milk and butter or margarine.
You can buy Wilton's tub icings or tubes of icing which are made specifically to be used with their decorating equipment.
~You can buy the Betty Crocker tubes of icing that come with tips...but here is my experience with them: a) they taste bitter/harsh, b) the tips that work with them are not good for intricate work, c) they stain everything.
Now, here are the lessons I learned:
-Be sure to let your cake cool completely before starting to decorate it or the icing will melt.
-Do not get a $25 French Manicure the night before you are planning to decorate a cake (the colored icings stain).
-When coloring white icing, add the icing color a little at a time...trust me, it goes a long way. Use a toothpick to add it and mix it thoroughly before adding more.
-If you have long hair, pull your hair back before decorating cakes...especially if you are blonde, remember - the colored icings stain.
-Keep your cat off the counter when you are decorating a cake - cat hair is hard to get out of the icing without messing up your masterpiece.
-If the icing starts to get too soft while you are decorating (the little stars you are making start to 'sink'), place the decorating bag in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it stiffens up again.
-If you don't have a Lazy Susan/turntable...pay close attention to your elbows when reaching around to the far side of the cake.
-Wear an apron.
-If you forget to wear an apron, make sure you're not wearing your favorite white shirt.
-Most importantly, take your time and have fun!!
My son's next birthday is another three months away. I am planning to do a practice cake each month until then so that by the time his birthday party arrives, his cake will be perfect...and I won't want to eat it!
ADDENDUM: It was pointed out in a comment that I neglected to compare the costs involved in making my own cake to the cost of ordering a cake...so here goes:
The pan was $10.99 and then 40% off...so it came out to about $6 and change.
I spent $14.99 on the Wilton beginner's kit...and another $10 on frostings and cake mix.
Yep, I'd say I definitely came out ahead!
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This article was previously posted in a category that was archived when Epinions was under construction earlier this year. I have re-written it and am submitting it here. Enjoy!
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Member: Carolyn
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