Having children with birthdays exactly two weeks apart makes for a busy fortnight. Deciding to have their birthday parties the week after each birthday makes for a busy month!
The last four weeks have been all about cake!
If you had asked me two years ago if I would make cakes for my children’s birthdays I would have laughed. Eh, no!. Especially when you can go to M&S/Sainsburys/Tesco/Asda and get an excellent ‘favourite character’ cake affordably.
Here in the US, I can’t get those cakes; if I want their current favourite character on a cake I have to order one, and they are not cheap… And, if I’m honest the cakes themselves are nice, but the two inches of icing, not so much!
One of the biggest changes of staying at home with the kids has been gaining time to do things like baking; without having to stay up till midnight. And, what has been surprising is that I actually enjoy it. I bake banana and pumpkin and carrot breads for lunchboxes. I bake cupcakes and biscuits for the fun of decorating them with the kids (or just for myself!). I now bake cakes for birthdays!
So far this year I have baked four birthday cakes…
First up, the wee girls 2nd birthday.
The following weekend we had a party for the wee girl and her brother.
Then, it was the turn of the, now, 5yo to celebrate his birthday. Another weekend, another cake!
And, last, but definitely not least (!) on Sunday we had the 5yo’s class party! I decided to go all out for this one, and make a Lego cake (and I was up till 1am icing it!).
While I am glad I don’t have to bake another birthday cake for a couple of months, the delight on my children’s faces when they’ve seen their cakes has made any effort so incredibly worthwhile. My oldest will say mummy, you are the best cake maker, ever! And, while I know I’m not, to be seen as such in his eyes makes me quite emotional; our children love unconditionally and without reserve; for them we are the best parents ever, despite our flaws and shouty moments, because we are their parents.
I will be forever grateful that I have been able to take this time out with my kids. Being the person I am, I would never have been able to work full time and do this. I have discovered a love for baking, a love for making fun treats, a love for creating cakes. This still surprises me (and my family!) somewhat, but I’m already thinking about what I can do when the 7yo turns eight in June :)
The cakes may be for others, but the creating is for me.
Those are fabulous cakes – your kids must have been delighted. It’s funny the new talents and interests we develop when we become parents. #magicmoments
It is, isn’t it? I never expected to spend so much time baking :)
They are all awesome but my fave is the one with KitKat cuz kitkat is my fave chocolate ever =) #MagicMoments
Thank you Merlinda, I’m quite a fan of kitkats too :)
I wondered how you got the circles on top!! Once again, very impressed with the Lego cake!!
Thank you :) The mini oreos worked a treat!
These are brilliant! And makes me want to eat them all! That Lego cake is particularly amazing – well done!
Thank you! I was very pleased with the Lego one :)
Sherbert Herbert!! Those cakes are fabulous!! And having to make the children’s ones so close together is no mean feat! #MagicMoments
Thank you! It’s been a busy few weeks :)
Wow these are amazing!!! You are so clever! I always buy the kids birthday cakes. I should make more effort… I really should! x
To be honest, I always used to buy them, but I actually had quite a lot of fun with these ones :)
WOW….you made all of those! That lego cake is fantastic, they all are! #MagicMoments
Thank you :)
ahmmmmm…WOW! That lego cake is AWESOME!
Thank you!
I have to admit I am a pop to tesco’s mummy!! Love the Lego cake:)
Thank you! If I had the Tesco’s option, I’d probably be there too :)
A month of cake WOW WOW I am so impressed. And a lego cake too that is just above and beyond talent lady! I am so impressed.
Thank you, I have to admit I was quite pleased with how the Lego one turned out :)
Fabulous cakes! I love making my kids birthday cakes, they may not be as pretty as the supermarket ones, but they have added love!
Absolutely, and my kids really appreciate them (for now!) which is lovely x
I love cake (eating it, that is!) and I wish I could taste yours, they look delicious (the pastel one is really cute! I bet you are glad it is now all done and you can have a rest from all that cake-making for a bit! Mel
Thank you, I love the pastel one too. But, yes I am glad I have no cakes to bake for awhile (or parties to plan!) x
Oh my goodness Sara, you are so talented. Crafts and cake extraordinaire! I love seeing all the cakes you’ve made in one post, just wonderful. You must be really chuffed, they are brilliant. Well done you and thank you so much for sharing #whatsthestory
Thank you Charly x The story of my month has definitely been about cake :)
They really look fantastic, Sara! I aspire to be cake maker one day too, but that may take a while.
Thank you, I really enjoy it :) I do cheat with cake mixes though, I like the decorating bit!
I am actually salivating at my desk… What amazing cakes Sara. It’s a shame you’re not back in the UK as I would put you up on Bake Off! I may be coming to you for some tips later this year!
Ha! Thank you :) Although, I have been know to cheat a little with mixes… it’s the decorating that I love doing x
Wow! So impressive!
They are all stunning.
I would love a pieces of a Lego cake… even a small one… pretty please
If I could post you one I would, not sure it would survive, or that there will be much left soon to be honest :)
Brilliant cakes, especially the lego one and the bonus is you know what you’ve put in them. At least by having them all together you get the rest of the year off, well after June you do.
Thank you! And yes, I get the rest of the year off, hubby’s birthday isn’t until December :)
such amazing cake creations they are all so colourful and yummy looking and the colours of the rainbow sponges inside that lego cake are like wow! so clever .
enjoy the cake making break x x
Thank you Jenny :)
Wow. Just, wow. I’m completely bamboozled by your thinking about how being a stay at home mum has allowed you to become the baker you are. If you read my latest Tasty Tuesday post about my burnt offering today you’ll see that I have almost the opposite theory! Maybe I just need a better oven. Hmmm….
Ha! Well, I know that if I was still working I’d still be in the mindset of ‘why on earth would I bake when I can buy one…?’ but now that I have to find activities to do with the kids, baking has become a standby! Which has resulted in me discovering that I actually quite enjoy it :)
Wow! Fantastic cakes! We are the same in January, with the OH, two little ones and the MIL- there’s a breath taken as we welcome February!
Your lego cake is absolutely awesome!
Thank you! I’m certainly breathing a sigh of relief at not having to make any more birthday cakes for awhile!
Caketastic! They all look like works of art #What’sthestory
Thank you Fiona x
I love making birthday cakes for the kids, They prefer home made to shop bought ones and they like to choose their designs :) Your cakes look delicious!
Thank you! My kids love it too :)
I am most impressed by that Lego cake! As you say, although we don’t think they appreciate us very much, these are the loving moments that they will remember for always :) Lovely post that had me welling up! Please feel free to link up to #loudnproud tomorrow too – it’s not just about our kids!
Oh, thank you Suzanne. I will do x
Love the Lego cake! My son would love that. My problem is I can’t bake a cake to save my life. I either burn the top or under bake the middle. Love them though :) #whatsthestory
Thank you :)
My goodness that is sooo much cake!! They all look so yummy – and i especially love the lego cake! Very creative! Thanks so much for linking with #creativechallenge!!
It is a lot of cake! I was particularly proud of the Lego cake :) Thanks for hosting x
THOSE CAKES ARE AMAZING…..ok the lego one!!? Where did you get that idea? It has to be the coolest cake ever. And, I agree with you staying home does make it easier to get in the kitchen with the kids (or FOR the kids) and I think they learn to really appreciate the value of something made from scratch.
Thank you so much for linking this up with the #AllAboutYou linkup, I know you’ve certainly given me a few great ideas.
Angie from reasons to dress, life as a North American mom in Italy.
Thank you very much! I got some inspiration from Pinterest :) But then adapted several ideas!
Those cakes are amazing! I love them all :)
Thank you x
Sara, you are nothing short of a baking legend! Love them all, especially the nod to the saltire… :)
#CreativeChallenge
Ha! Hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right :)
Wow! These cakes are AMAZING! I am so impressed – can I please book you for next January? Oh, and for my 40th? Yum! #AllAboutYou
Ha! Thank you Zaz :)
Thanks for linking honey! x
My pleasure, looking forward to having a read while the wee girl naps later :)
I’m a useless cake maker! Well done for being so creative. I especially love, love, love your Lego cake!
Thank you :)
Go you! I wish I could be that good in the kitchen when it comes to baking, but I leave it down to French Hubs who ensures our kids have fab, home-baked cakes for each birthday.
#LoudNProud
Thank you! It’s the decorating that I find really fun :)
what amazing cakes!
Thank you!
Your cakes are fabulous and that Lego cake is the piece de la resistance! I’m a Tesco/ Sainsburys kind of mum, but you’ve given me hope that maybe one day I might turn things round and try to make cakes for the kids myself!
Thank you Sarah x I was a very dedicated Sainsurys kind of mum until we moved to the US and I couldn’t find an equivalent :)
Wow what amazing cakes! You are very talented. I’m a buy from the shop kind of mum too :) I have made a few when money was a little tight but they never look very good lol x #LoudnProud
Thank you, the decorating is fun :)
yay well done honey, all of these cakes are amazing! i am utterly in love with that lego one!!
thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments x
Thank you Jaime x
They are really awesome cakes. Well done. I always chicken out but I’d really love to make one one day.
Thank you! I *whispers* sometimes cheat with a cake mix; but I love decorating them :)
Ah, I love cake so reading this post, and espically looking at the pictures made me so hungry! I loved the layered cake of different colours, always wanted to try and make one of those, but it looks tricky!
Love your blog x
thoseyoungyears.blogspot.dk
The Umizoomi Cake! Amazing! Just what I had in mind for my little guy’s 3rd birthday. Where did you purchase the colorful star picks and Umizoomi figures (or did you make them)? Such a cool cake. I need those picks! Great job!
Hi Denise! I made the star picks with foam stars from a craft shop (Michaels) and florists wire :) The Umizoomi figures were part of a bath toy, which I don’t think you can buy anymore. If I hadn’t had them, I would have printed pictures of the figures on to card and then stuck them on to a lollipop stick!