Rainbows and Mermaids and Birthday Cakes

annie1992

6 years ago

It's hard to believe, but Maci is four, she'll start pre-school this year. I asked her what kind of cake she wanted and she told me she wanted a cake with rainbows and mermaids. Ok, then. After some thought, I made rainbow chip cake, an almond sour cream cake with spinkles baked in the batter. I hollowed out the center and filled it with multi-colored M&Ms for more "rainbow". Then I frosted it blue and made some fondant seaweed and added some sea creatures and bubbles. A mermaid on top, sitting under a rainbow with a shooting star. Ashley added a sparkly "4". We needed some cupcakes too, so those were the same batter, also filled with M&Ms and topped with fondant mermaid tails, brushed with luster dust by my sous chef, Makayla.

Look, it's a birthday mermaid with her cake!

A closer shot of the cake:

The filling:

And some cupcakes:

Those mermaid tails were a pain in the patoot. Ashley sent me a picture of cupcakes and asked if I could do them. I asked her to send me instructions, maybe a pattern, that would be nice. Instead I got a Pinterest link. I hate Pinterest. (sigh) No instructions, of course, and no pattern, and no help. Just a dozen blogs with people remarking how cute those cupcakes are. Grrrr. So I made my own pattern with a piece of cardboard, cut fondant tails, used the small end of a melon baller to make scales and a cocktail fork to make the lines on the tails. Pffft. Who needs instructions..

I'm happy with the way it turned out, plus it tasted good. My ex-husband's current girlfriend told Ashley to tell me that the cake was delicious. (grin) That just seems kind of messed up, LOL, but at least the cake was good.

Annie

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annie1992
Original Author

6 years ago

Thanks, everyone! My grandkids always spend time before their birthdays looking for cakes on the internet. "Grandma, can you make this?" A lot of times I can't, they want things shaped like dragons and high heels and tractors, LOL. I can usually come up with something, though.

Olychick, plllog is right, I added the M&Ms after baking and cooling. That's why it's three layers, I took the middle out of the center layer and some out of the bottom layer, but not all the way through, I left a layer on the bottom. Filled up the hole and added the top layer, frosted and decorated. It actually sat for a day before being eaten, but the colors didn't run, the coating just got a little softer, so they weren't as "crunchy".

One of the reasons I always bake cakes from scratch is that they are a little denser, so they hold together when I do things like cut the center out. Cake mix cakes are too light and fluffy and they tend to crumble and break. One of these days I'll get brave and try to carve that dragon.....

Annie

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Comments (26)

sooz
6 years ago
So very pretty, and so magical!!!!

Good for you, making your own template and thanks for sharing!!!!

Smiles,

Sooz
Olychick
6 years ago
That's adorable! So, M&M's not only don't melt in your hand they don't melt in the oven? Or do they?
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plllog
6 years ago
I was thinking the M&M's were post oven + cooling?

That expression is priceless. I think you nailed rainbows and mermaids!
seagrass_gw Cape Cod
6 years ago
"Rainbows and mermaids" seems like there's a song there somewhere! Beautiful, Annie.
wintercat_gw
6 years ago
Gorgeous cake!
Jasdip
6 years ago
I love the effort and fun times you have with your grand-kids. You always put so much thought into doing what they want, and you're always up for a challenge!!!

I kept wondering who little Maci reminds me of, and it's the younger sister on Nashville, the two sisters who sing.
chas045
6 years ago
Having to steal from Antiques Roadshow: "You're a national treasure....a national treasure"; and we have you here. Thank you.
donna_loomis
6 years ago
Great job! And the little mermaid looks pleased.
cookebook
6 years ago
So cute x 2!
User
6 years ago
Darling!
writersblock (9b/10a)
6 years ago
How adorable!
sheilajoyce_gw
6 years ago
Gorgeous. What a talent!
Solsthumper
6 years ago
Cute cake, Anniebanani.

Happy Birthday, little mermaid!

Sol
foodonastump
6 years ago
Annie your cakes just keep getting better and better - very impressed! Happy birthday Maci Mermaid!!!
shirl36
6 years ago
You amaze me with all your beautiful cake creations! But this one is outstanding. You are making memories for your grand children, something they will always remember.
PRO
Anglophilia
6 years ago
Oh my goodness, you're GOOD! It's gorgeous and I'm sure delicious! I'm just very glad that all my grandsons want is our traditional angel food cake...un-iced. We just add whipped cream and berries.
annie1992
Original Author
6 years ago
FOAS, it's practice. I still mess 'em up often enough not to get complacent, but they always taste pretty good, so it's never a total fail, LOL.

Sheila, I don't know that it's a talent. I've found that fondant is a lot like Play Doh. If you mess up, you ball it back up into a ball and do it again! It's fun, though, and those fondant seaweeds were super easy.

Shirl, hopefully they'll remember the good cakes, not the ones that fall over or drip down, LOL, but it's probably the disasters they'll actually remember!

Anglophilia, I actually like angelfood with berries and whipped cream myself, my Mother always brings me one for my birthday. But the kids want FROSTING. And fondant. And sugar decorations. Yeah....

Sol, my friend, my cakes will never come close to yours, but the Mermaid liked it, so that's what counts. After all, I can sugar her all up and then leave the party, leaving her parents with the aftermath. (grin)

Annie
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
6 years ago
Very artistic. Great craftsmanship too!

Yeah, let them eat cake!

dcarch
colleenoz
6 years ago
That's a gorgeous cake Annie! Well done you!
mustangs81
6 years ago
That is one lucky little girl!! She will have some terrific memories.
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Maci is adorable and your cake/cupcakes are impressive!
Compumom
6 years ago
What an adorable cake and your little mermaid too! Can she really be 4 yrs old already? You're so creative and your #1 sous chef isn't far behind! I don't envy all of those parents having to deal with sugared up kiddos! M&M's and fondant too!
chase_gw
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Great cake Annie. You really should do it professionally.......

Can't believe that Maci is 4 but then again my little guy is 2 1/2. Time flies and as I age it flies faster and faster
coconut_nj
6 years ago
4! Hard to believe! So cute. Excellent mermaid outfit. Both the cake and cupcakes came out great! I love imagining you mind as they come up with their requests. Smiling with gritted teeth as that creative mind of yours comes up with solutions. Smiles. Mikayla must be a big help these days. Happy Birthday Maci!
annie1992
Original Author
6 years ago
Yes, 4. It's hard for me to believe too. (sigh) The older I get, the faster the time goes, it seems, funny how Chase and I have that in common. (grin)

Sharon, I thought about selling cakes, then decided that I really just want to play with flour and fondant. I want to see a picture or think of something and make that, and I don't want to deal with some spoiled bride complaining that a ruffle is 1/16th of an inch lower on one side so she doesn't have to pay me. I've had a couple of people ask right after I made the birch bark wedding cake, but decided I just don't want to deal with the inevitable hassle, or the problems with transporting and setting up some of those elaborate concoctions.

Coconut, I'm glad to see you here! Yes, Makayla is a big help, and she's far more artistic than I am, so she's good at things like painting gold lustre dust on those mermaid tails and making fondant seaweed. When the kids get those ideas, though, I don't hesitate to say "I can't do that". They promptly come up with something else. And if I try it and it doesn't work, I do something else and they're always fine with it. It's cake, after all...

Ellen, cake and buttercream frosting and fondant and M&Ms and ice cream. Yeah. It's their parents' problem. (snicker)

Cindy Mac, Maci is adorable in appearance, she's fierce in behavior, trust me. She's the youngest and the loudest of all the grandkids.

Dcarch, they did indeed, eat cake. No leftovers for me to deal with, double bonus.

Colleen, a lot of my cakes are your chocolate cake recipe, the texture is "right" for holding up decorations!

Kathy, your Beau/Lily must be getting nearly as big as Makayla. It's hard to believe.

Annie

Rainbows and Mermaids and Birthday Cakes

annie1992
Original Author

Comments (26)

sooz

Olychick

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Rainbows and Mermaids and Birthday Cakes

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