Help! DD wants a fancy cake for her birthday!

[mefordis]

Where is Carlos Bakery and who is Buddy? I am in Central NJ. What town is he in?

I say go for it!! If you have the desire and the time, why not try it? For me, I could never do something as detailed, but if it is something you would be interested in, go for it!!

On the other hand, you're in NJ, right? How about calling Carlo's bakery and have Buddy do one for you Kidding!!

Good luck with your decision and if you make it, post a pic!!

 

[mefordis]

I am in Summit -- central NJ. Thanks for the vote of confidence! I am just nervous I'll mess it up and she won't have a cake!

You could totally do that cake!
Looks like the water could be piping gel - Michaels would have all of the supplies and the other stuff on it are plastic toppers.

Where in NJ are you if you don't mind me asking? I am a SNJ'er

 

[LisaNJ25]

What part of Jersey do you live in? I have a lady her in my town who does great ones for a fraction of the prices you listed.

 

[mefordis]

I wish I did know someone! I'm thinking about doing this. What is a good recipe for cake and icing? I want it to taste as much like the bakery cakes as possible. They would also probably want a mousse filling.

Thanks!

Another suggestion: do you have any friends nearby who decorate cakes as a hobby? This would be a fun project for someone with the knowhow and the supplies; in the past I've "bartered" with friends for my services (used to work in a bakery, kept taking cake/pastry classes after that)...maybe a friend would be open to that?

 

[mefordis]

Summit, NJ. Is she nearby? *I hope!!*

What part of Jersey do you live in? I have a lady her in my town who does great ones for a fraction of the prices you listed.

 

[MM27]

Where is Carlos Bakery and who is Buddy? I am in Central NJ. What town is he in?

Hoboken, Buddy is Cake Boss from TLC. I don't know about his pricing, but I don't think you will get away with a cheap cake from him, especially now that he is a TLC "star"

 

[lovemygoofy]

OP, do you decorate cakes at all? You've already mentioned you have alot going on this week. Do you even have the time it will take to do something like this?

Why not have her pick out a cake at the bakery for her birthday and then try something easy to start out for the Christmas season??

I just think you are putting too much on yourself as you have said this is a busy week. She is 6 and already getting alot for her birthday. Heck I'm 31 and still haven't had that kind of cake yet.

 

[happygirl]

My dd will be turning 6 and she has her heart set on this fairy cake:

I am thinking of ordering an undecorated cake from the bakery, similar shape, and trying to do this myself. Would this work? The quotes I am getting to make this cake are well over $100. Closer to $200.

Whenever I've tried to make cakes in the past the cake has not been good.

Thanks for your input!

Walmart has the same cake for 39.oo at Walmart I almost got one for my daughter party. I will see if I can find the link

 

[LisaNJ25]

Summit, NJ. Is she nearby? *I hope!!*

I am in Morris County.. Dover.. I know we used to play Summit High School in Football lol...

She did a 2 tier over the hill theme cake for my husband and I paid $40. She also has done a few for my nieces kids birthdays, My other Nieces Sweet 15 and is doing my sister is laws vow renewal cake next month. I can post pics a little later if you are interested.. I have to run out now.

Ohh and from the other poster. Carlos Bakery is in Hoboken. I would be scared to find out what they would charge for that cake. My stepmom and her sisters went to the bakery last week and spend almost $150 on items lol

 

[Tweevil]

Well, I just did a zoom and you could do an interpretation of the cake. You could even get your DD to help out using some premade fondant and store bought decorations - not everything on that cake is gumpaste or fondant.

This is just my opinion and idea... purchase 2 rounds, Say a 10" and a 6" stacked (I like to give more room to the top of the bottom layer for surface decorations) ask them just to flat ice it - no boarders or twirlie things on it - purchase some dowells for the bottom layer and insert. Trim the 6" close to the cake and gently place it on the 10". This gives you the stacked base (I am assuming you don't have to travel with it so it makes it easier ). Then I would get a pack of the Wilton basic fondant colors for the leaves and stuff - it's like playdough really and cut out some leaves, flowers, and things like that. Any small cookie cutters would work and don't disregard other kitchen items for cutting out stuff (straws, punch circles and layer for flowers using water or piping gel for glue). If you notice on the pics, the ferns at the top are plastic as are the figures. You could easily check out Michaels for stuff like that and incorporate it.
The water is just colored piping gel - tint it blue, different hues would be good and put it in a disposible piping bag and "float" it down the front to the bottom. This stuff moves so spread it out initially with a little spatula and then pipe over it to give texture. Don't fret if the white or bottom buttercream comes through - that looks like water foam.
A plastic disp pipin bag cut like a triangle can make wavy leaves and one cut ever so slightly can give you a nice rounded shape. You could do that for the cattails and writing. The plaque - I would just do a piece of foamcore or funfoam cut into that shape and applied.
(all the non edible stuff removed of course before service)

Englarge this picture and take a look at the individual components. You can do something that is basic and gives the same idea if you start a bit early. Fondant flowers and such can be done before hand and stored in a plastic container. Your DD could help out and it may be fun for her - maybe a new hobby could be born.

Sorry so long, but you could do this - I have no doubt in my mind. PM me if I made no sense because sometimes I ramble....

 

[Tweevil]

I wish I did know someone! I'm thinking about doing this. What is a good recipe for cake and icing? I want it to taste as much like the bakery cakes as possible. They would also probably want a mousse filling.

Thanks!

Depends on what bakery you are talking about. Most chain bakeries (WM etc.) use Rich's uniced blanks - frozen cake that is naked. In my experience a scratch cake is a tough find unless it is a premium wedding cake flavor or whatever, a lot use base mixes and go from there. Again, this is only my experience.
I have found doctored mixes are easy and taste good, especially when you are in a pinch. A package of pudding added to any cake mix makes it denser and moist - with an extra egg too.
The type of frosting is your personal preference... Italian BC is smooth, requires cooking and tastes like a spoon of softened butter (at least that's what I am told - lol), regular decorators buttercream - or mine is - equal parts real butter, some shortening, 10X sugar, milk, vanilla, and a wee bit of almond. It's really good and with a hot spatula you get get it nice and smooothhhh...

The mousse filling, if not dense, would have to dam it inbetween the layers with a fairly thick ring of BC. Check out cakecentral dot com - they have some great recipes on there, a lot of tips, and support.

I re-started decorating cakes for the kids as a hobby and it is fun. This is one of the resources I go to sometimes.

HTH

 

[lovetoscrap]

I would simplify it if I were to make it. (and I have done amateur cake decorating in the past.

I wouldn't bother with fondant--just use buttercream. You can buy premade buttercream mix from Wilton, or get a recipe from Cakecentral as someone mentioned. I would just use the basic flower tip to put flowers on, and the grass tip and a plain straight tip for the other decorations. As others have said the water is piping gel.

But you need to realize that if you are not an experienced decorator it is just NOT going to look like the picture, no matter what you do. And sometimes once you factor in all the materials you buy and the time you spend, the finished product is more expensive than buying it!

I would probably make an adaptation of it with just a sheet cake--solid cake, no filling. Layered cakes are not easy if you haven't done them before. Either make a large sheet cake (or buy one from a store), cover it with light green buttercream and then add some simple flowers and grass, a piping gel waterfall on one side and then the fairies. If you have a great cake decorating store anywhere near you they may even have premade flowers you can buy. For the ladybugs and butterflies I would just get nonedible ones from the craft store and pull them off before serving.

But I do have to agree that the child is 6. She needs to know the word NO. Not sure who will be present at the serving of this cake but if it will be primarily made up of other 6 year olds then the taste of the cake really doesn't matter. They are going to lick some of the icing and throw the cake away. Even the ones that eat the cake wouldn't care if it tasted like cardboard. I would just buy a simple bakery cake for the adults if you are worried about them not liking the cake.

I used to make fancy, time consuming decorated cakes for my kids birthdays. But after a few years I realized that the time and effort I put in them was absolutely not worth it! My kids are just as thrilled with a $15 Walmart cake as they are with one I spent hours and hours and nearly $75 to make.

 

[TinkandAriel]

I second the WalMart recommendation, we just saw one superbly similar, if not the same in our WalMart bakery here.

 

[Sparx]

that looks like a very difficult cake to decorate. many different techniques.
rolled fondant, icing flowers, a little string work, is the water sugar work?

how did she even see such an expensive cake? I would talk to the bakery about making a similar theme but cheaper cake.

i believe the water is gel.

 

[CathrynRose]

Sure. Give it a shot!

To do everything edible, might be hard. BUT - you could probably pick up a lot of things that would appear like that, at a craft store.

You can do it.

 

[LoraJ]

How did your 6yo find a cake from Freed's bakery in Vegas? If you showed them to her, I think you set yourself up. I am familiar with that bakery from my vegas wedding planning days. Those cakes are pricey.

I'm sure you could find a nice pre-made cake somewhere and add some decorations to it. Carlo's Bakery has some very nicely decorated cakes that they sell in the store that are under $100.

 

[Stitchfans]

Yeah, I think I need to put the reigns on (myself!) I can't give her everything she wants and even if I could, I shouldn't. The cake is just over the top and she is already getting the following:

- Disney on Ice show (on Thanksgiving) with a friend
- American Girl doll + accessories she picks out at the American Girl Doll store in NYC
- Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular show

I think I'll take her to the local bakery and have her pick something out there. I would tear my hair out trying to make this cake!

Wqw. That sure is one lucky little 6 year old. As far as the cake. I also would take her to the local bakery where they no doubt could make her a very nice Tinkerbell cake.

 

[mefordis]

Yeah, I am guilty because I was surfing around for ideas and she saw that one pop up. I called our local bakery and they now say they can try to do something similar, but not exactly. They don't use fondant and I'd have to supply the fairies, etc. They'd make the w. fall and flowers, etc. out of icing. Probably only $40. Awesome!!

Thanks to everyone for your replies!

How did your 6yo find a cake from Freed's bakery in Vegas? If you showed them to her, I think you set yourself up. I am familiar with that bakery from my vegas wedding planning days. Those cakes are pricey.

I'm sure you could find a nice pre-made cake somewhere and add some decorations to it. Carlo's Bakery has some very nicely decorated cakes that they sell in the store that are under $100.

 

[LoraJ]

Yeah, I am guilty because I was surfing around for ideas and she saw that one pop up. I called our local bakery and they now say they can try to do something similar, but not exactly. They don't use fondant and I'd have to supply the fairies, etc. They'd make the w. fall and flowers, etc. out of icing. Probably only $40. Awesome!!

Thanks to everyone for your replies!

Good deal!!!

 

[JulyGirl]

If you can get the cake for $40 go for it. Otherwise, just take DD to the supermarket and let her choose her cake from their book. She will get over the waterfall.