Pre-Birthday Planning

Decorating the cake is one of our birthday traditions here at The Shoebox. Monkey chose an Ocean Theme for this year’s cake, and I got to work baking the cake so she and Dad could work their magic on it.

It used to be that I was baker and decorator. The children have wisely evolved those roles so that I am now baker and decoration is done by the creative folk in the family.

Based on this cake creation, they may want to take away the baking from me, too.

I made a double batch to ensure a nice high cake. I had both pans in the oven, then realized I had forgotten to add the 2 cups of boiling water the recipe called for. Buds was working from home that day so I zoomed back to ask his opinion of if the water mattered. He was on a call, so I had to decide for myself. I decided the water DID matter, so I took the cakes out of the oven, and mixed a cup of boiling water into each pan.

They came out looking and tasting delicious, so crisis averted.

I absolutely adore this picture above. The delight of having a now-teenage daughter who is old enough to understand the inappropriate comment her father just made, old enough to laugh at it, and yet young enough to not be embarrassed by her crazy parents.

The cake is all ready to be covered in fondant and decorated up. Pictures of that after the event occurs.

Happy Pre-Birthday, Monkey! We couldn’t love you more, except tomorrow we will.