Who Says I Can't Bake??

Okay, I am sure you all can recall the dreaded birthday cake I made for my mother-in-law back in January? You know the one that wouldn't come out of the cake pan, so when I helped it with a knife it fell apart? Then I tried to help it stay together by slathering it with icing, but it just made it worse??? Well after the ridiculing I received from my beloved family (which I deserved)....I decided I needed to be proactive and learn how to bake a cake.

So I convinced a friend to join me in a 4 week cake decorating class. The $20 class paid for itself after the first week's class when we learned all of the little tricks to making a pretty cake that comes out of the pan easily and level. Of course we were required to buy a cake decorating starter kit. I quickly learned the key to decorating is having the right tools, which I did not have prior to taking the class.

During week one, we were told to bring plain cookies which we would decorate. Then week two, our homework was a one layer cake which we learned to fill with pudding and then ice. Week three, was six cupcakes, which we filled and decorated. Then our final class, we had to bring a cake, already iced along with various other colored icings for decorating. Certainly the hardest part of each class was all of the prep work that goes into preparing for the class. Unfortunately, I did not learn to enjoy baking during this four week process. So though I can kind-of decorate a cake now....I won't be making any birthday cakes for my kids.

Notice the roses? That was the part that I was most proud of...including the leaves. Unfortunately, if you have poor handwriting, it doesn't get better when you try to write with icing on a cake.

Even though it is far from perfect, this is a huge improvement from my previous cakes, and it tasted FABULOUS! I used a homemade Martha Stewart buttercream icing that was very tasty.