We all lead busy lives. Long gone are the days where everyone cooks and
bakes their meals from scratch. But fear not! You can easily take pride in
making a birthday cake for little money and great taste, all while having it
look like you spent a couple of hundred bucks! Here's how:
First off, buy boxed cake mix when it's on sale for $1! I usually stock up
on a couple of boxes at this time so that I always have some in my pantry for
impromptu treats, or occasions such as this. You can either make your cake with
icing in between the layers, or make a pie filling/pudding mix such as lemon or
coconut to fill the layers and fancy it up. The pie filling/pudding mix is
usually around $2 when it's on sale. So stock up on that too when it's at a good
price! While the ingredients are not that expensive in the first place, there's
no sense paying full price if you can get it for half! You will need a cake
board, either round or square that is about 2" wider than your cake pan. If you
will be doing a smaller cake for the top, you will need a round cakeboard that
is the exact diameter of the smaller cake pan, so that it doesn't stick out
over top of your bottom cake. If you can't get one the same size as the small
cake pan, then purchase the next size up. You can then trace the proper size
onto it, cut it to fit the diameter of your smaller cake and then wrap it in tin
foil so the cardboard is not exposed to the cake. You can also make your own cake boards, but
they are inexpensive to purchase.
Decide on your theme. Google and/or peruse
Pinterest to come up with ideas on what you would like to create. Keep in mind
what you already have in your cupboard that you could make use of. Some examples
of these items would be the food colouring selection you already have on hand,
and cookie cutters you might be able to utilize. You can buy many different
regular or mini cookie cutters at most bulk food shops for about $1 a piece, if
not less. You can also make great use out of little figurines your kids might
already have for the theme you've chosen that you can be incorporated into the
design, after giving them a good wash, of course. I had wanted to make a Bubble
Guppies cake for my little guy's birthday using figurines. It turned out great
considering I'm "just" a Mom!
Once you've decided what you are going to do,
make a list of what supplies you will need to design and decorate your cake. The
last thing you want is to be in the middle of the decorating process and realize
you forgot something like food colouring or icing sugar! Also, the first time I
did a cake using fondant decorations, I also wrote down all the things I would
need to do with the fondant. This way, I wouldn't forget any steps along the
way, until I was confident using it. I was worried that making fondant
decorations would be challenging, but they were surprisingly easy. So, once you have all of your items ready to go, you can
start creating your masterpiece!
I like to dye my fondant beforehand so that it's one less thing I have to
do the day of. It's best to use neutral coloured
fondant when dying the fondant with bright colours. Be sure to wear latex or plastic gloves while doing this
so that your hands don't turn the colour you are creating! You will likely only need 1 tub of fondant, as it goes
a long way. If you are unsure of how much you will need, bring a picture of what
you are trying to create into a cake or baking supply store and have the staff
ensure you have the right amount.
Cut the fondant into sections so that you can
dye them the different colours that you will require. If you need only a small
amount of one colour, then simply cut a smaller section of fondant to apply
colour to. Do the opposite for colours that you will require more of.
Take one section that you've cut and
microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften it, depending on the strength of your
microwave. You don't want to heat the fondant, you just want to soften it so that it is more malleable to work with. Add a few drops of the food dye and work the colour through the
fondant so that the colour is fully worked in. Add more dye if needed to achieve
the right colour. Seal each dyed piece in individual Ziploc bags immediately
after dying it so that it doesn't dry out. Repeat the same for each individual colour. Store the
Ziploc bags containing each colour inside an airtight container until ready for use.
Personally, I like to make a 2-tiered cake using two 9" pans for the
larger bottom cake and a 6" pan for the smaller top layer cake. I typically make
2 different flavoured cakes so that guests have something to choose from. Take
out your cake pans and give them a very good spray with Pam or a food release
spray. Be sure to spray the corners and crevices well so that the cake comes
away from the pan easily once it's baked. Make your cake batter according to the
directions on the box, and pour into your pans. If you are using 2 round or
square pans, be sure to pour the batter evenly into each pan so that they each
have about the same amount in them. This way, they will cook for the same amount of time,
and be about the same size. Once they are done, let them cool about 10 minutes
in the pans. Then, put a wire cooling rack over top of the cake pan and turn it
over gently while holding it tightly against the cake pan so the cake can
release itself properly without breaking apart. Leave the cake on the same
cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
While the cake is cooling, create your fondant decorations. You don't typically need any special tools to do simple
designs with the fondant. I normally use letter cutters, cookie cutters, as well
as a paring knife to cut out my shapes. Often times, you can even borrow tools or other items such as cookie cutters from a
friend. Have a tray or plate ready with a
piece of parchment paper on it. Also have a clean dry tea towel on hand to cover
up the cut out fondant so that the designs do not dry out while you are working
on your other colours.
Roll out one fondant colour on a second piece
of parchment paper until about a 1/4" thick. Create all your fondant designs for
that colour. Then gently peel them off
that parchment paper and place them on your tray or plate that you've set aside.
Cover them up with the tea towel and move on to the next colour. Repeat until
you have all of your fondant designs completed. Put any leftover fondant back in
their respective bags once you have completed each colour in case you need them
for some reason. If you want to do 2 layers
of fondant for a place to put the name for example, just dab your finger into a
little bit of water and spread it across the back of the top layer and then
"stick" it to the bottom layer. Be sure to only use a tiny dab, or very thin film of
water on the back of the one you will be sticking. If your cookie cutters are
sticking to the fondant, try using a tiny little bit of icing sugar to "flour"
the cutters and that should prevent that issue.
Once the cakes are cooled, cut them horizontally through the middle with a
long bread knife so that you have 2 even layers of cake. Grab your cake board and spread a little bit of icing a
bit smaller than the size of the cake onto the board. This will stick your cake
to the cakeboard, preventing it from sliding off. Place the bottom layer onto
the cakeboard, making sure that it is evenly in the centre of the
board. Next, either spread a layer of
icing or pudding mix over top of the bottom layer and then put the top piece of
cake on top.
If you are putting a smaller double layer
cake on top of that, you will need to make sure you put small dowel rods into that initial larger cake, so that you can support the weight of the 2nd cake
without it collapsing through the bottom cake. While it sounds complicated, it's
actually very easy to do. Take your second smaller cake board and outline it in
the centre on top of the larger cake. Stand
a dowel up near the cake and mark it where the top of the cake is so that it
would stand right at the top of the larger cake when inserted into it. Cut the
dowel where you marked it. Make 3 other dowels the exact same height. Next, push
all 4 dowels into your bottom cake in a square pattern making sure that they are
placed about 1 " away from the outer diameter of your smaller cake board
outline. You want your second smaller cake board to be able to "sit" on top of
the 4 dowels, so the larger cake doesn't have to support the weight of the
smaller one. Take your smaller cakeboard and spread some icing in the centre.
Put the bottom layer of your smaller cake on top of that. Spread icing or
pudding over top that layer and then add the top half of the cake. Place the
smaller cakeboard with the cake on it, centered, on top of the 4 dowels.
Next, you will apply a crumb coat. Spread a thin layer of icing all over the
cake. Use this as an opportunity to fill in
gaps, and apply more icing where it is needed to even out the appearance of the
sides and top of the cakes if they are slightly irregular. Once you have that
coat on, place it in the freezer for about
15 minutes or so, until the icing is nice and firm. Doing this prevents your outer
layer of icing from having cake crumbs in it, which can make the finished
product look dirty or rough in appearance. This is especially important to do if
you are using lighter coloured icing, where icing crumbs can be very visible.
Once it's been in the freezer and the icing is firm, you can apply your 2nd and
final coat of icing.
A lot of people use fondant for the outer layer. I don't because most
people, including myself, do not eat it and it goes to waste. I'd much rather
have a yummy buttercream frosting (recipe below) on the cake and you can make it
look almost as good using this instead of putting fondant over the whole cake.
The way I do it is to apply that final layer of icing smoothly all over the cake
as previously mentioned. Then, pour some boiling hot water into a large cup or
measuring cup. Take your icing spatula and dip it into the hot water for a few seconds. Wipe it
quickly dry with a paper towel. You don't want any water to get on the cake. Start
gently smoothing out the icing with the hot spatula blade. Using the spatula with a hot blade allows the blade to melt the icing a bit on contact. It allows you to blend it all in nicely together so it appears more like fondant. Keep
repeating that process every few seconds or so until your cake has a smooth finish on it that would resemble a fondant
coating.
Now you are ready to apply your fondant
designs!
If you will not be eating the cake right
away, store it in the fridge. I always make sure ahead of time that I have made
enough room in the fridge to store it. You can leave it in the fridge just like
that if you will not have any strong odours like onions or spicy foods whose
scents may permeate the cake. If this will be the case, then plan ahead and
purchase a cake box from your local bakery supply or bulk food store. In my
experience, they are generally inexpensive, at about $3 or less per box. Plus,
this way, you won't accidentally bump the cake by getting something in or out of
the fridge.
Below, you will find the Buttercream Frosting
recipe that I use. If you are using only 1 boxed cake mix, a single batch of frosting will do. If you are doing 2
boxed cakes, then you will need to double or even triple the recipe depending
on how big your cake is. You could theoretically also use tubs of pre-made
icing, but they aren't typically as thick as I would like my frosting to be.
You'd have to beat in extra icing sugar to stiffen it up a bit to have it be
strong enough to hold your fondant appliques.
Buttercream Frosting
Recipe:
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine (can substitute with shortening)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
5 cups of icing sugar
3 tbsp of milk
Directions
1) Beat margarine, butter and vanilla
together until smooth.
2) Beat in 1 cup of icing sugar at a time
into the butter mix on medium speed, until it's all dumped in.
3) Add milk & beat on high until light
and fluffy.
4) Separate your icing into batches if you
will be making different coloured icing and add the food colouring. Stir or beat
it until the colour is fully blended into the icing. If you want to make
tie-dyed icing, check out my cupcake post to see Cake Boss's tie-dye icing
method.
*If you find the icing too dry once mixed,
add in another teaspoon more of milk at a time until desired consistency. If
it's too moist, add in a bit more icing sugar at a time until you get it the way
you'd like.
Here are a few other tips!
*Purchase a basic frosting piping kit, which would include a frosting
spatula, piping bags and a selection of the most popular icing tips. This one retails for about $35, but
if you get it at Michael's, you can use their weekly coupon and you would save
anywhere from 40-50% on it. It's a great investment not only for this cake, but
for future projects as well.
* Consider purchasing a gift for the birthday
child that includes figurines in the theme you will be using for your cake. This
way you get the most bang for your buck, by using the figurines as part of your
cake design! I did this with my Bubble Guppies cake by purchasing an interactive
book that included the little characters. It cost me about $10 and was
completely worth the small investment.
* Peruse your local cake supply store, bulk
food store, or craft store like Michael's to get inspired and get your creative
juices flowing.
*Join Facebook groups for those that like to
bake so that you can get advice, suggestions and support at the drop of a hat
from the other members. Their guidance and feedback is invaluable and often
times includes those who have plenty of professional experience in cake
decorating.
Did I miss something? Do you have another great tip to offer? If so, please
comment below.
Good luck and happy baking!
***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****
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