Absolutely no advice,Bobby.That is so sweet and thoughtful of you to make her a cake.Cant wait for pictures.

Shelley

That last time I looked at food coloring, I think you can get darker shades now. I think it is alright to put any frosting you like on any cake you like. I don't think you will be arrested by the cake police. My favorite chocolate cake is German Chocolate Cake but you couldn't write on that frosting. And it is very nice of you to make a cake for her.
Clare

I like chocolate cake any way you make it and I'll bet most people are the same. A lot of times when I've had cake at some kind of reception it is chocolate with white buttercream frosting so the writing shows up good on the cake. That said, chocolate with fudgy frosting is great too. Can't you buy neon gell type colored icing for writing? That would probably show up OK. White writing on chocolate would look good too. I'm no cake decorator though. I would write a little sign and put it next to the cake, lol!

You really can't use food coloring to make good colors for frostings and icings. Wilton makes 'paste' coloring - Michaels and A.C. Moore and I'm sure other craft-type stores have them in little jars. You use small amounts added to the frosting or icing and you get luscious colors.

Helene

Bobby hon, make "mom" a carrot cake like she said she would like....write "happy birthday" in Orange butter cream on the lemon cream cheese frosting ( make sure you spell it right....but that's for another thread!!)
Here's the bestest recipe for a carrot cake....known on these forums as "Linda's Carrot cake" but in reality it's from Julie Trussler....
See the link below.
Forget chocolate....go foer the carrot cake!!
Linda C

Here is a link that might be useful: Source of THE carrot cake

Bobby,I agree w/Linda if she asked for carrot cake,I would definately make her a carrot cake.I would be really disapointed if I had my heart set on a carrot cake and someone made me a choc cake.Its her day and you are making this for HER.On boyfriends b-day he can have choc cake.

Shelley

She didn't ask for carrot cake, that's just what I wanted to make because I think it tastes and looks better than chocolate.... and I have more experience with it! I always only use the Joy of Baking recipe... I've tried others and they have failed! Now I gotta re-think what I want to make! She didn't request anything... it's going be a surprise.

I have to think about what to do. I am going to look for the paste colors, or maybe a tube of dedicated writing icing so I don't have to color icing!

My mom's favorite is carrot cake. One solution is cupcakes, half chocolate, half carrot. Or two little cakes. But I'm one of those people who makes chocolate cake from a mix!

I, too, would go with a carrot cake, if that's what I knew her favorite was.

However, to answer your question about chocolate cakes. It's perfectly fine to frost a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream. I used to work in a bakery, and a lot of people wanted that combination (we also sold chocolate rolls that were chocolate cake, filled with vanilla buttercream, then frosted with chocolate frosting). And it's also perfectly okay to frost the cake with chocolate frosting, and then decorate it with white and pastel-colored frosting--it looks awesome that way, and the decorations really stand out. Actually looks far more striking--IMO--than a decorated white cake.

I know this goes against the norm, but I just have to toss it in the mix. I HATE using a cake as a billboard or a greeting card. I am not a fan of writing stuff on cakes. For me, I'd much prefer a beautifully decorated cake without any words on it. Give me extra flowers everytime! Unfortunately, my husband is one who believes that it's not a birthday unless the cake proclaims, "Happy 59th, DW". Anyway--are you sure the woman wants stuff written on her cake? Maybe she'd be just as happy if you decorated it with chopped nuts, fruits, or simply some buttercream roses.

Bobby, this is a really easy and yummy chocolate cake recipe which I've given out on this forum before and had good reports back.

ColleenÂs Chocolate Cake
This is a very rich, almost black chocolate cake which stays moist for days and freezes well.

1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
8 oz margarine
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup sour milk*
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling strong coffee
3 cups plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 325F, grease and line two 8" round, deep cake pans.
Put ingredients into mixing bowl in order listed and turn on mixer. Beat until just combined. Pour into prepared pans and bake 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave to stand in pans for 20 minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
Ice with chocolate icing.
*If you have not got sour milk, add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and leave in a warm place.

If you make your chocolate frosting very dark, you can write on it with melted white chocolate. The best part about using melted chocolate for writing is that if you mess it up, just wait until it sets and then you can pick it off cleanly and try again :-)

Thanks. I did decide to make a carrot cake in the end. I bought an assorted box of Wilton's paste icing colors... I'm very happy with how vibrant they turned out.

We went over there last night and I brought the cake over (on the way I stopped and got a digital camera 100 dollar Nikon at Target, not expensive buy fine for pics of food and vacuums). First we went to dinner at Kobe steakhouse (late b-day dinner for me, was nice) and then met his parents and brother back at grandma's house. His mom also brought one of her 8 birds and her english mastiff (huge drooling, but sweet dog)... that combined with the cats already there, it was a full house!

I've never professed to be any good at writing in icing, but I still had fun doing it. She was very appreciative and seemed to like the cake. I used fresh ground cinnamon and added applesauce and nutmeg to the standard Joy of Baking recipe. Also made a double batch of frosting just because you can never have enough. I forgot to toast the nuts before pressing them onto the sides, but it still turned out OK. The highlight of the evening was when granny (who has dementia and cancer and all kinds of other ailments) plucked a dark walnut from the side of the cake with her bare fingers and put it in her mouth, then said, "I thought you mighta cooked a bug in the cake, but I reckon it's jist a nut!"

Here's the first picture taken with the new camera. There's even a setting for food... I'm going to have to scroll through the archives and start reading those food photo tips now!

Very nice, Bobby! The cake looks delicious.
Congrats on the new camera too.

I almost spit coffee all over my screen about the "bug" comment!

Ya gotta warn us, ya know! LOL
Deanna

It looks great, Bobby! Don't worry about your writing- I'd be so thrilled someone else made me a cake, I wouldn't be looking to see if the writing was copperplate or what!

Looks yummy; love the vibrant color writing. I bought some pastes at W&S
to color frosting, can't wait to try them.

Bobby you done good! Now I want carrot cake. I wish my family liked it. I have to buy a little individual slice at the bakery at Publix. Darnit.

LOL @ granny...love it! Your cake looks great...your writing in icing is much better than I could ever do. I gave up years ago.

BTW, we love cream cheese frosting on chocolate cake

David