Random cake

This is just a random cake. Nothing special. I had mix in the cupboard and thought, 'I should make a cake' so I did.

I whipped the can of frosting in my mixer until it was fluffy.

I made the bee with coloured sugar and black piping gel I had in the cupboard as well. The wings are white edible glitter I got at Micheal's on clearance a few months back. I filled it with nutella just for the heck of it too. My little man has been enjoying it at least, so mission accomplished.

3rd Birthday Cake

Okay, okay, okay. So, I only seem to get to posting in this blog every once and a while. I really mean to... but it just doesn't happen. Anyways.... on to the main event; My little man's birthday cake! The first year was the beloved banana cake with mario theme, complete with chocolate mushroom.

The second year cake didn't even make it to the blog because I just made a small round cake, iced it and stuck a big Lightning McQueen candle on it. (It was a small birthday and wasn't really calling for a big cake)

This year was different. I themed the whole party around his favorite colour, yellow. (at least right now it is yellow) So much yellow I had to sneak some colour in somewhere... so why not the cake itself? That is right. I present to you: "Yellow birthday cake in the shape of a number three that is rainbow angel food cake underneath"

This is two angel food cake bunt cakes, rainbow tinted and carved together into a 3, then iced with lemon whipped icing.

Yellow sprinkles too.

The picture I really should have taken but didn't would be of the angel food cake cooling inverted on a beer bottle.
Okay, to save time (and a million eggs) I used boxed angel food cake mix. I used neon food colours and gently folded it in for the colours in the cake, layering them in the pan. The icing was all me (and my pretty mixer) but mostly me.
I kludged together different recipes, made a new addition of my own, and completely forget where I even got the original unaltered recipe for this icing, so forgive me for not linking anyone else to this post.

Lemon Fluffy Icing: (Kinda like butter-cream)

1 cup vegetable shortening (like cristco)
1/2 cup butter (if you use salted butter, omit the salt in the recipe)
2 1/2 tbs lemon extract (you could use any extract here really)
3 tbs water
1/8 tsp salt
2 pounds confectioner's sugar (icing sugar)
2 tsp meringue powder (I used the wilton's stuff that has been sitting in my cupboard forever...)

Directions:
(I only recommend this if you have a stand mixer. Sure you can try, but the end of the recipe might show you why I think that might be a bad idea.)
Cream the shortening and butter till it starts to fluff nice. Ruin said fluffing by adding the liquids and salt.
Slowly add all the sugar,possibly needing a towel over your mixer to keep the dust in the bowl and not in your lungs and on your counters.
once combined, mix on high speed for 15 minutes. (see why you won't want to hand mix?) If needed a little more water or extract can be added, and you can fluff a further 5 minutes if you please, but depending on the mixer, you may have it done sooner or later than that time.
Okay, now that I have given that recipe, I am going to suggest you use it on normal cakes and not angel food cakes. It was good, but angel food cake lends itself more to cool whip or meringue toppings than icing, and this icing when the cake was cut started to come off in whole chunks. It doesn't adhere well to that kind of cake. Good frosting though.
Okay, here are a few random pictures from the birthday party and then I promise to leave you alone.

WW Applesauce Pancakes

 

 There is my little guy trying to cut his own pancakes.  They grow so fast. At least no one grows out of pancakes... unlike monster pajamas. 

Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes With Caramel Sauce

Yeah, I went there, and I added blue stripes.  For the pancake recipe I used the one in the Nick Jr. recipe page.  For that recipe go here: Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes

The next step I took was to separate a small amount of pancake batter, dye it blue with food colouring, and stick it in a squeeze bottle. (A small bag with the corner snipped would work too)

I add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of frozen chopped apples to the batter for added fruit.  Blueberries and chocolate chips always work too, or anything really goes.  In fact, I do not have apple pie spice, so I used pumpkin pie spice instead.  I am a rebel like that.

Put the batter on the hot, buttery frying pan (butter or margarine always make better pancakes then oil. Use lots and have a crispy outer crust with fluffy insides), then squeeze out your coloured lines on the pancake before it cooks. (you can try patterns if you are brave, but my flowers didn't turn out, so I suggest zig-zags just for the colour splash)

Top the pancakes with caramel sauce.  I just used the smucker's caramel sauce I had in the fridge from when I made that caramel buttercream icing for my son's banana birthday cake.

Enjoy!

(I am pretty sure he did)