This is the cupcake design:
Which goes in this box with its friends:
Times 3.
Yeah, yesterday was fun. Actually it wasn't so bad, once I simplified things up a bit.
Here are some easy simplification techniques:
1. Use box cake, BUT, replace the oil with the same amount applesauce.
2. Add chocolate chips. I use semi-sweet, since my frosting tends to be sweet.
3. Pull out the butter early in the day--it helps when making buttercream icing.
4. Small touches help make the cupcakes very special. In my case, I wanted to get red or firefighter themed cupcake liners--but they don't have any. Anywhere. I think I need to write Wilton a letter. So instead I got a bag of red chocolate melts and a mold for firemen hats. Repeat 4 times and an instant topper.
Although this isn't a simplification thing, please keep in mind: Do not make frosting, color it red, yellow and orange, pipe it like flames and top it with a fireman hat. Yeah, think about it. Luckily I thought this out before I went through my plan.
As a break away from the simple, and relatively straightforward, here comes the actual birthday cake.
Yeah, it's a burning building with firefighters. He got a kick out of it. After we cut some of it up, he started using the firefighter figurines to fight the fire in the building. It was really cute.The original design was a lot more complicated, involving a firetruck 2-D design along the base and fondant made firefighters. I wish I could use fondant for family cakes, but then everybody in my family would have been in an uproar--they really don't like fondant.
Everybody had a good time, he enjoyed the cake and his gifts. Unfortunately for me, I deeply regret one of the games already--A computer game sounds like such a good idea, until I was woken up at 8 am on a Saturday to help him with the game. Sigh.
