Birthday cake disasters: the drop and weep

Hey, it happens!

Here's a really sweet blog one grandma is making for her family - what a wonderful idea! And you'll get a chuckle remembering the hair and clothes from waaaayy back then : )


Grandma Henke » The Tale of Brett’s birthday cake 1980

Maybe get the numbered candles?

May we all live to be at least 99! But if you make it, try to remember to ask for the numbered candles... not 99 separate candles!


Fire alert from candles at 99th birthday party - News - Macclesfield Express

A Castle Cake

Were you one of those kids who liked playing with Legos? I sure did! Start with that big green rectangle piece, and add blocks. The trick was working around doorways and windows - if you staggered the bricks, you couldn't get a nice edge - if you didn't stagger, the walls fell down.

Thank goodness it's not so hard to build a castle cake! Here's a step-by-step guide that's easy as... cake!


A Castle Cake for your Cinderella Dreamland Party « ShindigZ Party Ideas and Party Decorating Tips

Easy 3-D Disney princess birthday cake

You know, I've always wondered about the first person who decided to make a Barbie cake. Did they figure out BEFORE or AFTER baking that the doll goes in after the cake is baked?!

Here's a sweet twist on the Barbie cake, including step-by-step directions. You can substitute any similar sized doll your little princess desires.

How to create a 3-D Disney princess birthday cake | Chica and Jo

Super easy, super cute cake using Starbursts

You can use all kinds of candies to decorate birthday cakes.

Starbursts are the perfect example. Because they're basically like edible clay, you can smoosh them, roll them, cut them, and shape them into just about anything. And they come in every color imaginable.

Here's an adorable example:
angry chicken: birthday cake

What about baking WITH your daughter?

Check out this mom and daughter team. I love their idea! A living, dynamic cookbook.

They took a Wilton class together, and here are their results. Beyond that, what fun to learn together!

Check it out here.

Should you take a cake decorating class?

Whether you’re just starting out or have been decorating cakes for a while, if you’ve caught the cake decorating bug, it might be time to take a class or two. You can learn a lot on your own because there are some awesome books, videos, and websites that’ll teach you lots of tricks and tips.

But there are just some lessons that are easiest to learn in a cake decorating class. You can find great classes in a few places in your community:

• large craft stores
• cooking schools
• private classes with a professional cake decorator

You could even form your own class or club by getting together with other local cake decorators to learn a new skill. Post an ad on Craigslist or Meet-Up to find them, and plan an initial meeting somewhere public so you can talk about what you’d all like to learn.

The benefits of cake decorating classes include:

• feedback from other decorators – if that dog you made actually looks like a tow truck, don’t you want to know?
• you can ask questions and get immediate answers
• you can watch how other cake decorators fix their goofs rather than just seeing the finished product
• fun!
• cake!! after all - it would be a shame to let it all go to waste!

Welcome to Critter and Cricket Cakes for Girls!

Hi There!

Welcome to the Critter and Cricket Cakes blog! My name's Sue "The Cake Mom" Anderson, and I'm also the author of the Critter and Cricket Cakes Guide, which is on birthday cakes for girls (it's nearly done! still baking!!) and the Beast and Bug Cakes Guide, which is on birthday cakes for boys.

You can hop on over to my web site at www.critterandcricketcakes.com to sign up for the free newsletter, Life's a Party! which sends you tons of great tips, tricks, and easy ways to add fun to your family's daily life (and special occasions, too!).

Meanwhile, why not take a look around my blog, hang out, have a cold glass of milk and a slice of cake, click around a bit, bookmark it, and be sure to check back regularly for all the latest yummy morsels.

And don't forget to leave a comment and give your two cents about turning your family life into a party!

Sue