18 Cakes & 18 Birthdays

I grew up in a world where you make do and mend, everything was home made, vegetables were grown in the garden and you had chickens for eggs and a cat to stop the mice because of the chickens.

I am not THAT old but my Mum was set in her ways and in all honesty it was pretty idyllic. 

One thing that Mum always did was make a birthday cake from scratch, she was very good and made all sorts of cakes including trains, cars, princesses, teddy bears etc.

In an effort to emulate my Mum, when my kids got old enough to appreciate a cake at a birthday, I have given it a go. I am not as artistic or talented in the baking department as my Mum. This is fact..

Year One - 2006 - Heather's 4th Birthday, A basic pink cake with some pre-made princesses on top, I think I managed to get away with this one.

Year Two - 2007 - Buoyed on by last years success, I was asked for a chocolate cake, It was OK....?

Year Three - 2008 -Cup cakes, basic and simple, I think I got away with it.

Year Four - 2009 -Lola had inside knowledge and knew that cakes were a thing on birthdays, I had lasted until Heather was 4, Lola was savvy and got her first cake at 3. I need to work on icing. This one was a bit grim.

 

As for this one, well, enough said.

 

Year Five - 2010 - You'd think I would be getting better ... This was the infamous Pepper Pig Cake, Pepper was so embarrassed by the poor design she went completely red....I know.

Lola didn't seem to mind

So back to the safety of cupcakes for Heather - Much better.

Year Six - 2011 - Perhaps my greatest success - The princess castle cake - I was so proud of this one - took me ages to make, I was supposed to ice the ice cream cones as well, but I was terrified of mucking it up so I left it.

 

 Another chocolate cake for Heather, she never asks for a theme so is much easier to bake for - Lola always has something in mind...

 

Year Seven - 2012 - Ahh yes cup cakes, my fall back position

 

 And something nice and simple for my 10 year old. I suspect the bow hides slightly burnt edges, but the less said about that the better.

Year Eight - 2013 - The year the house was renovated...Yes, the YEAR! including the kitchen, there was no baking...shop brought all the way this year.

 

 Yep, definitely shop brought. Look at my un-stressed happy face.

Year Nine - 2014 - Renovations over Lola was promised a big party at home so back to cake making...This one wasn't too bad.

 

 Heather liked the shop brought ones.....

 

Year Nine - 2015 - Lola is nine... The instruction was she wanted a green cake. This is it. Looks alright. Again a ribbon  hiding a multitude of sins.

 

Gone are the girly dresses, laser quest was this years party

I have no cake picture for Heather this year, I can't remember if she had a cake, maybe as she was thirteen she was now too cool for cake, so instead, here is a picture of her opening a present that we told her she was absolutely not going to get as it was way too expensive. Cruel, yes, but worth it to see that happy face.

 And finally, Year 10 and its Lola's 10th Birthday (Heather's isn't until November). This year she requested a giraffe cake. Gah. 

This is my sad attempt.

 

I would now like you to look at one last cake...this one,

This was my wedding cake, made by my Mum, you can't see the detail but there are tiny roses all around it hand made in royal icing, each layer is a different type of cake, it was so good I didn't get a piece it was eaten on the day. Not much to live up to really....