8.06.2012

Slumber Party Birthday Cake


I know that my last post was about a cake and while I hate to give the impression that it's all-cake-all-the-time here at `a casarella, I have to do another cake post.  (Right. Now.)

I must admit, I'm kinda proud of this one.  Anyone with an ounce of cake-decorating know-how is going to see it for the amateur effort that it is, but I'm going to ask that those people humor me.

You see, what my seven (soon-to-be-eight) year old wanted more than anything else for her birthday party this year was a sleepover.  After watching her older sister host countless sleepovers and attend countless more, she decided she was ready.

After I agreed to her request, she went into "planning mode."  My girls looove to plan themselves a party.  In years past this meant poring over the Party City and Oriental Trading catalogs.  Now however, they've turned to Pinterest.  (They are their mother's daughters, after all.)  The result was this board which my daughter populated with pins.  Now obviously she wasn't going to get everything on her virtual wish list, but one thing that she really fought for was a cake based on this.  (The source can be found here.)

To be honest with you, I was pretty certain that this little project would end in disaster.  I even had a backup cake picked out at the store just in case.  For these reasons I decided not to document the process for a tutorial.  That's a decision I now regret.

At the very least I need to share some pictures with you, along with a brief description of how I did it.

I hate to toot my own horn but isn't it cute?!

First I need to say that there's something freeing about thinking you're going to fail.  Somehow it gives you permission to go for it (and not worry about perfection, which can be an issue for me).

So here's what I did:

First I made a yellow cake in a 9x13 inch pan.  I used this recipe from Bakerella.  I skipped the step with the sugar water but I'm filing that idea away for the next time I make a layer cake.  

After letting it cool overnight, I frosted it with vanilla frosting.  (I used the boxed frosting mix from Trader Joe's which was pretty tasty considering it came from a box.  Obviously you can use whatever cake recipe and frosting you'd like.)

Then I put five Twinkies in the center of the cake to make the bodies.  (Upon unwrapping them my daughters announced, "We've never had a Twinkie before!"  That's when I started writing my Mother-of-the-Year Speech.  I stopped after browsing this blog and counting the number of sweets I've featured in the last six months.)

Now, the maker of my inspiration cake dyed her own fondant.  And I'd like to congratulate her on her ambition.  In the interest of my sanity, however, I chose to buy colored fondant at Michael's.  I'm sure it doesn't taste as good as the homemade, hand-dyed stuff, but there's something to be said for having a sane mom running the house...  Plus they have a whole "skin & hair color" fondant kit at Michael's and I thought that was kind of nifty.  You can buy something similar on Amazon HERE.  

So I made the heads out of some of the pinkish skin tone by rolling it into a ball.  (Technical, I know.)  My daughters, who decided the girls should be awake in bed--which, now that I think about it, was a lot like the actual sleepover--were on "smile and eye" duty.  They took black fondant and made tiny spheres for the eyes and little "sticks" for the mouths.  

Hair was my biggest concern.  I warned my daughter that they might all end up bald.  She was cool with that, and that made me relax a little.  Basically I took a little piece of fondant (three yellow and two brown to reflect the actual attendees), mushed it on top of each head, and kind of played with it until it resembled hair.  Am I blowing your mind with my precision and technical know-how?

The comforter is a big piece of pink fondant rolled out flat.  My girls made the flowers using flower-shaped fondant cutters in different sizes. (Similar to THESE.)  I basically just draped it over the pan.  

The pillows are jumbo marshmallows cut in half so they would lay flat on the bottom.  The heads wouldn't quite stay on top of the marshmallows so they're resting right in front of them.  

And that's pretty much it.  The end result is deceiving because it really wasn't that hard to do.  (That seems to be a theme around here.)  And, like the raspberry cake I wrote about last week, this one also got rave reviews.  I think my daughter thanked me about a hundred times which, in the end, was all that mattered.



Linking:


SHARE:

59 comments

  1. Now that is just way too cute! I have never used fondant, but when I do, I'm taking your "okay to fail" approach! I had to laugh when your girls said they had never had twinkies! I remember the day my son came home from his first babysitter and said, "Mom! Did you know there is a cereal and it's just for kids and it's called Trix?!" I said, "Yeah..they don't have those at our store."

    ReplyDelete
  2. How precious that your youngest got to have her very first sleepover and helped come up with party ideas using pinterest. I believe I repinned a few of her original pins. I had to chuckle, when you mentioned you held off on your mother of the year speech due to the number of sweet treats you have shared with your fans recently. Your cake was adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is so adorable! I bet the girls didn't want to eat it, they would have fun keeping it and playing with it :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. You are one talented momma!! Wow, I can't say that I would ever have come up with an idea like this in a million years!! YOU ROCK!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Elena, Well, now I am so glad I clicked over from Salt Trees party. This cake is amazing! You are too hard on yourself. You are obviously quite talented. I'm your latest fan and follower:)
    Btw, I linked up this:
    http://www.cookthetv.com/2012/08/want-to-pin-more-of-your-blog.html
    Thanks, Di

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oops wanted to mention, I love your blog header. Very pretty:) I followed you through Bloglovin. I really like using that, it's easy to follow people. Wish more people were on it. Ok, no they didn't pay me for this ad, lol!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! This post explains where my header came from: http://acasarella.blogspot.com/2012/01/small-plaque-affixed-to-our-house-reads.html

      And I love Bloglovin' too. I find it to be very user-friendly. :)

      Delete
  7. Adorable! Such a cute cake! Thanks for sharing at the All Star Block Party.

    Holly

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is precious! new follower - hope to get a follow back!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love your cake it's brilliant. Wish I had a marshmallow pillow! I'm not suprised your daughter was overjoyed with it. When it comes to perfection we are our own worst enemies!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. that is just adorable and it looks really great!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sue! (P.S. I'm following your blog now; how could I not with a name like that ?)

      Delete
    2. aw thanks, I so have to add you too, so cute!

      Delete
  11. That cake is just amazing! Super cute and you did such a great job on it! Thanks for sharing at The Fun In Functional!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh my goodness - that is just brilliant!! Love the marshmallow pillows!!


    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a fabulous week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  13. Such a cute an clever idea for the birthday cake! Great job! Thanks for sharing and linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great job, it's adorable! Who needs those cakes that are too perfect to eat and took way too long to decorate anyway? Thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  15. If my daughter saw this, she would want one right away! You did great!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lovely! Lovely! Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  17. That is a very cute cake! Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am not even sure I could cut into a cake that looked like that! everything about it makes me smile! I am sure your daughter was beside herself with its cuteness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Cate, you have no idea how sad I was to cut it up. I actually cut out the middle giving each girl her own doll on a little piece if bed. And I didn't let them eat the heads because the idea of five little girls hopped up on that much fondant scared me. (I figured they'd never fall asleep ;)

      Delete
  19. Thanks so much for sharing with us on the Someday Crafts Facebook Page. I will be featuring your project today on our blog. Thanks for the inspiration!

    ReplyDelete
  20. This is so cute and creative! Thanks for sharing!
    Blessings,
    Carrie

    ReplyDelete
  21. This is adorable, great job!!

    Shannon@SewSweetCottage

    ReplyDelete
  22. Elena, this is just too cute and just perfect for a slumber party. I'm sharing on Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays.

    Anne xx

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh my goodness! That is so cute!!!!
    Thanks for sharing with my Super Link Party! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. This is adorable! You are so creative. I love this cake! I would be happy to have you share this and any other idea you would like to link up to "One Creative Weekend" at OneCreativeMommy.com.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love this! So adorable! Thanks for linking up for Friday Favorites. I'm featuring you next week. Come by and grab my featured button if you'd like one.

    ReplyDelete
  26. This is so adorable. Thanks so much for sharing at this week's BFF Open House.

    ReplyDelete
  27. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your cake has been chosen to be on Today's Feature Post from Cast Party Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! ~Sheryl @ Lady Behind The Curtain~
    http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/?p=33250

    ReplyDelete
  28. Seriously adorable!!! I loved slumber parties as a young girl. How fun!

    ReplyDelete
  29. That is so doggone cute! Fun fun fun for your little one. :)
    Thanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create! <3 Christina

    ReplyDelete
  30. This is just too cute, hard to believe its a cake:) You should pat yourself on the back, I am sure that all the girls just loved it! Yes, the eyes have to be open if I remember all the slumber parties that went on when my girls were younger, Lol. Thank you for sharing at Freedom Fridays.
    Have an amazing day.

    ReplyDelete
  31. That is gorgeous! Thanks for linking up for Flash Blog Friday :-)

    ReplyDelete
  32. This is so adorable! What a super cute idea! Would you consider linking this up at my Pinworthy Projects Party? I hope to see you there!

    ReplyDelete
  33. What a super cute idea...LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Elena, this is adorable! really cute. So glad you shared with the party.

    ReplyDelete
  35. This is so über cute!! Reminds me of the Fisher Price Little People, so adorable! Found you on Debbiedoos Graduate party.

    Jeannine @ The Concrete Cottage

    ReplyDelete
  36. BEYOND adorable! Thanks so much for taking the time to share at our pin'inspiration party last week. YOU are a feature this evening C:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Jane!! :) I can't wait to check it out!

      --Elena

      Delete
  37. Congrats!! This adorable cake will be FEATURED this week. Thanks for linking up to Tasty Thursdays at The Mandatory Mooch. Hope you will link up again this week. The party will be live tonight. www.mandatorymooch.blogspot.com

    Thanks, Nichi

    ReplyDelete
  38. That is so stinkin' cute! I love it! My granddaughters would love it. Gail (BibleLoveNotes.com)

    ReplyDelete
  39. You should not only be tooting your horn, but blasting it. That is over the top cute!

    ReplyDelete
  40. How cute is this cake?!? I love it! And I love how you told your daughter "they all may end up bald!" LOL! To cute. I found your post from the "Do Something Crafty" linky party, thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  41. So, so proud of you! Your Pinterest talents really paid off, and I love Bakerella too:)

    Jessica

    ReplyDelete
  42. WOW, i am so impressed. Ckaes that are easy but look amazing are my favourite kind! My daughter wants a sleepover for her next birthday so i am totally going to go start my own sleepover ideas pinterest board and pin your cake to it! FAB!!!
    x

    ReplyDelete
  43. Holy Cow!!! What an adorable cake! You are certainly super-talented! The word 'fondant' just sounds scary-complicated to me, but your tutorial really makes it simple! Great design and colors!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Just pinned this! What a great idea. My 7 year is begging for a slumber party too. Oh how I'm not looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete

Comments let me get to know my readers.

They also make me a do a little happy dance every time I open my email.

Don't you want to be a part of that?

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

© 'A Casarella | All rights reserved.
Blogger Template Created by pipdig