I made him a Sox cake. I was really tempted to do Cubs just to tick him off, but I was nice. I guess the toilet cake will have to wait until next year.
Notice anything strange about the decorations?
The cake was covered with buttercream; the hat and ball were covered with fondant.
It was Savannah's idea to write, "happy birthday" on the ball like a signature.
The hat turned out pretty good. I didn't knead the color in as well as I should have and it resulted in a mottled look. It makes it look more real, I think. It looks a little dirty/dusty.
Look at Brooklyn (that little sneak!)
You can't tell from the picture, but I impressed with how smooth I got the fondant.
OK, ok enough showing off, Dawn
Party's over. Let's wear the decorations!
The birthday boy himself. He asked for Beef Jerky and M&Ms for his birthday. Goofball.
Happa birthday? I like it!
ReplyDeleteThe cake is WAY cool, and I was actually going to say that the cap looked like it had been worn (perhaps by my husband) which was really neat... then you pointed that out yourself. It looks great -- what did you do to make the grass (since you detailed everything else)? Great idea, Savannah on the autograph! Although how you pulled that off... two years and I can find time to take a cake class at Harper. Two years.
Oh, and ummm can I (seriously) pay you to teach me to make spanikopita? It's one of my favorite foods and one of the few that I've never figured out. Give me ANYthing else, and I'm good but that one flummoxes me.
I'm totally asking for a 'Created by Dawn' birthday cake for my birthday. Which is tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteOk, not it's not, but I'm asking now for next September.
Happy Birhtdya Austin!
ReplyDeleteAm I the only who gets confused when you keep writing about "VTech"? To me that means Virginia Tech!
That baseball cap is AMAZING. I can't believe it's made of fondant!
ReplyDeleteHey, Dawn...did you happen to buy that birthday banner at a discount party store? Too funny! The cake turned out AMAZING! I'm working on a baked turkey cake for Thanksgiving. i"m hoping it looks realistic, that's if all goes according to plan!(yeah right!) Have a blessed Sunday!
ReplyDeletethe cake looks awesome! it looks like it took a lot of time to get that done. wow.
ReplyDeleteI see the error in the birthday decoration. Happa.hahah... I didn't notice it at first though.
Happy Birthday Austin!!! I have a 15 year old(well for 3 more months) I really enjoy reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Austin! Great job on the cake Dawn; love the baseball cap--it really does look real!
ReplyDeleteDo you make your own fondant or buy the tub at Michaels? I've never made my own, but some people swear by the marshmallow stuff...
Love the cake! I actually thought that you'd set one of his baseball caps and a ball on the cake. How's that for a confirmation of your talent?
ReplyDelete(Not that any mom would just do something that lame. Especially not like just setting the currently favorite action figures on a cake. Nope, I'm sure no mom would ever do that...)
Ok, so someone must ask (assuming it has already been asked but since it is saying "no comments yet" I'll take the plunge...Why the "A" instead of the "y" on Happy?
ReplyDeleteI agree, the hat looks dusty. Great cake, and happy teen today it looks like.
ReplyDeleteHoly Cow!! That cake looks amazing! I love the hat!! Good Job MOM!!! I'm glad things went well today. I'm not looking forward to the teenage boy years...or the teenage girl years either for that matter.
ReplyDeleteThat hat is incredible! It looks so real. I'm very impressed.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the birthday boy was very happy.
I think you always do a great jobs with your cakes, and the fondant does look smooth. Yea for you making the effort everytime, even though your house is always busy.
ReplyDeleteI thought the hat was real and I thought "man, that's a pretty dirty, worn out hat to be putting on a cake!"
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Austin!! WOW Dawn, that cake look wonderful!!!!!! well done.
ReplyDeletesigned
theresa in Alberta
Cute cake, I liked the hat, it did make it look a bit beat up as comfy baseball caps are supposed to be. When our kids hit their teens, I think alll moms get cooties!
ReplyDeleteAs long as people are admitting their confusion (the VTech lady), "Sox" to me meant Red Sox...until I saw the hat and realized, Duh, she lives in Chicago (and we don't just call them the Sox, but it's still early for me...).
ReplyDeleteFabulous job, by the way. You can't toot your own horn enough, as far as I'm concerned, when fondant comes out that well! I'm also glad Austin snapped out of it. Nothing worse than spending hours on a cake only to have the recipient not care!
Looks like it was a great day. Hope you get some rest after all of that!
~Laura
That is one cool cake. You make the rest of us look bad. When will you be doing v-blog cake decorating class?
ReplyDeleteDuh...I thought the hat and ball were real, too! Great job! He loves you for it, he just won't show it right now.
ReplyDeleteHappy 15th Austin! Welcome to the wonderful teenage years! You get to blame everything on hormones -an excuse usually reserved for moms!
Enjoy the M&Ms and beef jerkey - both favorites in our house!
OK, seriously. This was my first thought: I was like, "EW, Dawn, NASTY! You put a dirty gross Sox hat on top of that BEAUTIFUL CAKE!" I SOOOOOOOOOOOOO thought that was a TRULY TRULY TRULY REAL Freaking hat! YOU ARE AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteNext book: Cakes by Dawn.
And Austin is SOOOO handsome!
Happa Birthda to him!
Oh, and what's fondant and spankonita? Sounds like stuff on Cinemax.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the picture of the cake, I thought you actually put a hat on it - it looks so real! Good job!
ReplyDeleteCHicago girl here and HUGE Sox fan! Your cake is amazing, and you son is adorable (if we are allowed to call teens adorable now lol) This is my first comment here, but I love your blog, I also love the fact when you talk about the area I know where you mean. I was actually at Woodfield the other day when you did your filming, wish I had seen that! lol Happy birthday to you son!!!!
ReplyDeleteAmazing cake, love the signature on the baseball.
ReplyDeleteAustin is one good looking kid.
Keep on hugging! Maybe switch it up and tell him you need a hug.
Wow, impressive fondant use...that stuff just scares the snot out of me. So when are you going to start selling cakes..you know, you're a famous author now...what other "hobbies" are you going to take up in your spare time?
ReplyDeleteHow's the neck?
That hat is fantastic! It looks like someone just got done sliding into home.
ReplyDeleteThat hat looks amazing! You have every right to brag about it! Way to go Dawn! Now I really want to see a toilet cake to see how real you can get that ;)
ReplyDeleteHappa Birthday Austin!
Maybe I've just been living in a cave for my entire life, but what exactly is fondant? Is it a type of cream that holds shape more than regular icing? I really did think it was a real hat. Love it! I agree with the other reader who commented about your next book being about cake decorating. I'm just not that creative! Also, my other dumb question (but I blame it on living in the south and we don't have fancy things like spankonita, we have grits--see I can't even spell spankonita): what IS spankonita?
ReplyDeleteHAPPA BIRTHDAY, AUSTIN! lol
ReplyDeleteFANTASTIC job on the cake, Dawn. The baseball hat looks totally real!
I'm impressed for sure!
Anne Elliott
Love the cake! I glanced at the first picture of it and cringed a bit because I actually thought you might have plopped a well worn and dusty cap on the cake for effect.
ReplyDeleteI'm thoroughly impressed.
Austin is a handsome kid! (Your whole family is adorable!)
I thought you placed a real hat on the cake...I still can't believe it's fake.
ReplyDeleteIt's so foreign to me to see how cold your weather is already and "Goodbye fall" comment. We're still waiting for fall weather here in So. Cal. My kids wore shorts to school last Friday. It was close to 90 degrees. It's too hot here. I'm ready for the fireplace.
Tonia/CA
That cake is unbelievable! I actually got my mom to make my daughter's cake for her 1st birthday because I totally don't do cakes, except the "just add water and eggs to the cake mix" kind!
ReplyDeleteDAWN! I WAS THE 100,000 VISITOR ON YOUR REVIEW BLOG! I FEEL SO SPECIAL!
ReplyDeleteYou did an awesome job on that cake! I too thought it was a real hat until you pointed out that it was not. ;-) But now I want some cake...
ReplyDeleteAnd I did not notice the error on the decorations. I am apparently not very alert today. It sounds like a great birthday overall! Happy Birthday Austin!
You are soooo talented! Not only a great writer, but a great cake-maker too. I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteWow. And here I thought you put an ol' hat on there, it looks so real! Not only are you a great, entertaining writer, but you bake too. I'm jealous!
ReplyDeleteCool cake... Happy Birthday Austin... you asked for and got two of my most favorite foods original beef jerky (jack links of course and plain M&M's you could be my child LOL
ReplyDeleteOMG!! The cake looks AMAZING! I guess I am new to the fact that you make AMAZING cakes. LOL My son wants one like that..but not the Sox ..or Cubs...he likes the Braves. ;) Do you sell them? um..not that I think I could afford the cost of the cake and the shipping. lol Hmm..maybe I can just make a cake and put the baseball cap and baseball on top. lol
ReplyDeleteAmy Flippin Blankenship
Can I have some spanikopita, please?! Love the stuff.
ReplyDeleteAgain, WOW DAWN, you're amazing!! How on earth do you find time to do this sort of thing with 6 kids running around!!!?? I only have two (a 3.5 yo and a 6 month old ) and can't for the life of me even get my house straightened out!!!
ReplyDeleteLike I've said before, LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog, your writing, your honesty. It is my daily treat :)
Magda
That is the best baseball cake I have seen. I thought the cap was real!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the cake I thought "Cool cake but it is kind of gross she put an old hat on it". It is very realistic. Happy Birthday Austin!! Learner's permit?
ReplyDeleteUm. Dude. That is one SERIOUSLY cute birthday boy right there. The dimple? Yeah. That boy seriously needs to ugly up or you'll be fending off the girls with a baseball bat.
ReplyDeleteOk, so I've got a SSO question-
ReplyDeleteWhat the heck did you put the fondant ON to make that hat??? way cool, btw!
Ok, I admit it... I thought the hat was real !! Awesome job !
ReplyDeleteI love the t-shirt who are these kids and why are they calling me mom! Classic T-shirt for a mom to make the teenager so happy. Great job as always!
ReplyDeletewhat an awesome cake! the hat looks sooo real too!
ReplyDeleteOh, what happaned to Brooklyn's face?
ReplyDeleteWow, the hat looks SO real! I love the signature on the ball and the #14 Austin--very clever!
ReplyDeletePlease Please Please share how-to's on cake decorating. I read books, watch the cake challenges on Food network and google ideas stuff, but there's nothing like trial-and-error advice! Or maybe another book idea ...
ReplyDeleteThanks!!
well you know you could give him all 3 of them wish's a paperclip, and a pickelmilk shake as well as a tree full of blue garbls just get a realy nice gold paperclip and well get some pickelsand some ice cream (i dont know if you ever had pickels and ice cream befor or not but its good as long as you got chocalte icecream) and make him a paper tree with blue garbles in it then all 3 of his wishe's would come true as to what he said
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Gosh. I thought the hat was real! Fantastic!
ReplyDeleteDawn--I am thoroughly disgusted. You have, what, 65 children? You're an author? A blogger? Brilliantly funny? And you make fondant cake? In the shape of baseball caps??? Give me a stinking break! I'm going to go overdose on some hormone replacement therapy! You have set the bar wayyy tooo highhhhh.
ReplyDeleteYour friend and fellow author/slash/adrenaline-junkie,
Ronna Snyder, author, Hot Flashes from Heaven (Harvest House Publishers).
I showed the pictures of the cake to my husband and he asked if that was a real hat so it MUST be good!
ReplyDeleteWow I just have to say that I am GREATLY impressed with the cake that you made! That is awesome! I can hardly make cupcakes right!
ReplyDeleteI am loving your blog, just came across it today, but will be coming back often to check it out!
Have a great weekend!!