Pontoon Boat Cake

My boss retired this spring and to celebrate this milestone, along with her husbands 65th birthday, they planned a party for this summer. She asked if I would make a cake that had her and her husband in a pontoon boat with their little dog.

Up until the day before I made the cake I was still tying to decided whether it should be a pontoon boat cake or a pontoon boat on a cake. I didn't think a pontoon boat would have enough cake in it for everyone so I decided to do both - a pontoon boat cake on a cake.

I was a little unsure about how big the boat should be (and since I doubt my people making skills!) so I was having visions of giant people in a little boat. In my mind, the most logical way to make sure this didn't happen was to make the people first and then make the boat. That way everything should be in proportion. Fortunately this plan worked out and I didn't end up with giants or a boat that wouldn't fit on the cake (which was my other worry!).

Since I wanted to make the boat as edible as possible I made the pontoons, walls and benches out of fondant covered rice crispy cake. The base of the boat was cake.

The dog was surprisingly not that hard to make, and is probably my favourite part of the cake.

Their pontoon boat is actually black, but since it takes so much food colouring to get black fondant I figured it would taste more like dye then icing and so I just left it white. I almost forgot the motor. That was a last minute addition.

Truth be told I was a little nervous about making this cake. Having never made a pontoon boat before I wasn't too sure what I was doing. I almost never got it done on time - but that is because I ended up going to a movie. Ant Man was in town! I couldn't miss it!

In the end the cake turned out pretty well and my husband even thinks my people make skills are improving! The party was lots of fun as well and the supper was fantastic. Usually when I make a cake for someone my kids have to watch it leave knowing they don't get a piece. They were delighted when I told them that they were going to the party too! Thanks for inviting us, and thanks for asking me to make your cake!

Basketball Cake

This is the cake I made for my niece for her 14th birthday. She plays on the junior basketball team at her high school and just happens to be #14!

This is the third time I've used the ball cake pan. It always turns out good, but the getting it to stay in one place can be a little tricky! Even with a stick through it, it still wanted to shift. With some extra support underneath I got it to stay.

A little tricky to transport! I had to hold it on my lap and keep it balanced on the way to the birthday party. Luckily they only like a few blocks away!

Gone Fishin

It was my oldest boy's birthday this past weekend and considering how much he likes to fish, it wasn't much of a surprise when he asked for a fishing cake. Ever since he was little he would be so content to sit in the boat for hours on end, not complaining, occasionally napping, fishing until he got tired and then helping with the net. So I was happy to make it for him, even though making people are not my favourite thing to do! Him and dad in the boat, fishing... with blue whales inside the cake! Of course!

My other little boy was not too thrilled that he wasn't invited along on the fishing trip and he made it quite clear that on his next birthday, Seth was not going to be on his fishing cake! We will see if he remembers that!

Seth was delighted with it, and surprisingly, instead of wanting to eat the boat and fishermen, he wanted to keep it! We will see how long that lasts!

Ice Fishing Cake

This year my husband requested an ice fishing cake. He has already had quite a few fish related cakes - a fish tank, a ocean with fish and a fishing boat in reeds. I'm not sure what is left to make!

I was trying to avoid the whole ice fishing idea because it is pretty hard to make such a cake with out making a person. I haven't had to make people before (expect for one pitiful attempt) so I wasn't sure just how well they would turn out. I found this very helpful tutorial. While my people didn't turn out as well as hers, they actually didn't look too bad!

I thought I could get away with only making one figure but when my boys found out they weren't going ice fishing on the cake with Dad they were not impressed. So, here are all 3 of my boys.

For the ice I thought it would be neat to make sugar glass. Again, something I've never tried before. I used this recipe. I didn't have corn syrup so I used honey. The first batch did not turn out. Although I was being careful it burnt and it turned a really dark red, which was really pretty but not what I was going for. I tried again. This time it was better - I watched it like a hawk. It still turned a golden colour, although on the edges where it was really thin it was almost transparent. I used it anyway.

For the cake I made a chiffon so I would have a hole in the middle for fishing! Since I had to add a couple of extra little people to the cake I made the "ice" bigger then the top of cake to give me a some more room. Added some fondant rocks, logs and fish to the bottom of the cake, and some ground cocoanut for snow. Later we added some blue whales so the boys could pull fish up through the holes! They had fun with it!

All in all, I think it turned out pretty good. My people and ice aren't perfect, but they look better then I thought they would! It is fun to do something different and learn something new!

Curling Rock Cakes

My parents have hosted a family curling bonspiel for the last 5 years. This is the first year we were able to go. It was a lot of food, fun, prizes and, of course, sweeping! My team, made up of my little sister, aunt, and cousin, placed second in the D event! (See how good I made that sound!)

For part of the Draw To The Button prizes my dad asked if I would make a couple cakes. What would be better for a bonspiel then a curling rock cake!

From a distance they look real!