I guess I was feeling pretty ambitious for a 1st birthday, but you only get them once right? This cake was stunning, but really pretty simple. All you need is 3 white cake mixes, food coloring gel, and time. Let me emphasize TIME. This wasn't a quickie the morning of. Nope, I started this tower a full week before the party. So plan ahead.
Mix cake mix according to the directions. Divide in half and add a different color to each. Bake, cool, cover in plastic wrap and freeze. Repeat with each cake mix.
Remove cake from freezer when you are ready to frost. This part I did the day of. Stack each layer with frosting between each layer. I learned during this project that a crumb coat is really important. Cover the entire cake with a layer of frosting and let it harden. Then cover with a second layer, decorate as desired. If you don't cover with a crumb coat, you will have rainbow crumbs all over the outside of the cake. Trust me, do it.
I'm not a professional cake maker like my Aunt Darla, but for one of my first, I think I did alright. Baby loved it!
I was privileged to help with the food for a super cute baby shower. The theme was 'Cute as a Bug' so I tried to find foods that would look like cute little creatures. This first idea was supposed be snails, but I never got the faces and antennas on. I still think they look pretty cute with grass though.
To make these snails:
Mix 1 pkg cream cheese with 1/3c. chopped red peppers, a sprinkle of garlic, oregano, and a spoonful of your fav salsa for some added zing. Spread mixture onto a flour tortilla, top with deli sliced turkey and roll up.
*Stick with toothpicks before cutting. Yup, that will help lots.*
Second dish was the tide and true 'ants on a log.' I spread my previous mixture of cream cheese onto celery sticks. I spread peanut butter on others and spaced raisins along the 'log.'
This is a layered yogurt parfait, with added worms coming up from the 'dirt.'
Layer granola, berries, yogurt and worms in this order, twice.
My favorite treats were the cake pops. Usually the accents for the pops are made of candy and sprinkles, but I drew mine with chocolate. I put chocolate chips into a Ziploc bag, and microwaved in increments of 30 seconds until melted. Cut one corner of the bag and start doodling.
To make the wings, doodle your chocolate onto wax or freezer paper. Let harden in refrigerator before using.
Lastly, I made bug jars from upcycled baby food jars. Decorated with baby's name and shower theme, then filled with candy bugs. We also had melon balls served from the watermelon and chicken salad croissants.
Chicken Salad:
Shredded chicken
quartered grapes
salad dressing
toastes slivered almonds
chopped celery
Everything turned out great, and I'm thinking this new baby is going to love coming into this awesome partying family.
Have fun with your Cute as a Bug party!!
