Cake-tastic!

Once again I decided I was going to be super mom and make Lilly's birthday cake and treats for daycare.  I don't know why I put myself through it, but it does feel pretty good to stand back and admire at the very end.  Lilly picked Ladybugs this year and I made her a shirt and skirt, which can be seen in the birthday post.  Since I couldn't find a ladybug cookie cutter we went with butterfly's for sugar cookies to take to Miss Theo's.

Lilly did a super job rolling and cutting out the butterflies.  I apparently didn't take a picture of the final product. Either way, they were yellow with purple outline/trim, you get the idea.

 After Lilly went to bed last night I went to work on her cake.  I made one emergency phone call to my friend Abby when I realized I couldn't find my piping tips and she came to the rescue with her giant tackle box full of cake tools.  Martha would have been jealous. 

The biggest problem with a lady bug cake is the frosting.  Bright red and dark black.  Get it?  The colors turned out great with the use of Wilton food coloring, guess it was ok I bought the expensive kind because it worked! Here is a sample of the red I used.   I managed to drip some on the floor without knowing it, step in it also without knowing it, and track it all over my kitchen.

 And here it is, the Ladybug birthday cake!

This thing took forever.  I stressed about it.  I made a horrible mess.  I worried if the frosting would slide off over night and lost sleep because of it.  The frosting stayed put, until Lilly's little fingers found it this afternoon, and the look of pure happiness on Lilly's face when she saw it made everything worth it!  Happy Birthday baby cakes.  I love you!