We have a lot of family birthdays from September to February. My little family has birthdays in September, October, December and February. The girls always like to pick out what they want for a cake … do you blame them?? That’s half of the birthday FUN! Their dad doesn’t care what he gets, as long as it contains SUGAR. The girls love coming up for ideas when it comes to his cake. If it’s homemade then they usually get their hands dirty making and or decorating it.

The girls always challenge me with their fun and creative ideas for their birthday cakes. One year Kailee wanted strawberry shortcake (such a good idea!) and everyone loved it! Paula Deen has an excellent shortcake recipe.

Keianna wanted a chocolate and pickle cake – yes pickle! I thought outside of the box and made candy melt “pickle” chips … no pickles were hurt in the making of her cake. Although I did find a yodeling pick at Bullmoose Music to place on top.

Then one year Kailee wanted to get an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, but she wanted it to be an ice skating rink – like the one under Grama’s Christmas tree each year. So I found ice skating penguins and some neat clear illuminated candles for the top. Cute, fun and just what she wanted!

Keianna’s next birthday, it was requested to have a doughnut cake. Only she didn’t want doughnuts in the cake – it could only look like one!

There have been many times where their requests don’t quite come out as planned. Like when Kailee wanted a rainbow layered cake and once assembled and frosted it ended up falling in every direction and onto the floor hours before her party. They don’t tell you in all those fun rainbow cake posts that the food gel needed to color the layers so vibrantly in a 1/2 box of mix makes the layer very, very, very unstable. Lesson learned. Kailee ended up with rainbow cupcakes instead. Just a tasty and very cute.

My kids know I love to bake and they love eating what I make, however, it I don’t go “baking snob” on them if they want something store bought or made by someone else. It’s their birthday and they get to call the shots. Cake decorating is a talent I haven’t mastered by any means, but cooking with love I have down and can do with my eyes closed.