It’s been a hectic week and also quite surreal, news that I have been waiting six months for arrived and in fact I should be celebrating with cake myself. Not one to count my chickens before they hatch I will save the cake and champagne for absolute certainty. It’s going to be a long month. I am shattered, how does hosting a party for eight year olds take over your life for days and become such a chore? I know it’s my own fault, I decided to make so many sickly sweet cakes and treats and then allow too little time to actually get them done. The party was done on a budget, I am most definitely not one of those competitive parents that feels the need to compete in the birthday party stakes. In fact most of the parties my children go to are pretty traditional. Most boys like football so love spending two hours kicking a ball around, it’s very inexpensive if you can find a spare field or even better have a big enough garden. From my experience, I should count how many parties I have hosted in the last sixteen years, all children love a party with traditional party games such as musical bumps and statues and pass the parcel.Little I had a dance party, I was amazed how quickly the girls, and Little M, picked up the routine. I think they had a lovely time.
I had a bee in my bonnet, a desperate need for some reason to make a rainbow cake for Little I’s birthday. I got some help and inspiration from Maison Cupcake blog. I even had a practice run, which didn’t go too well.
I spent a ridiculous number of hours cooking six separate cakes, no comments on the missing purple cake (where do you get purple food colouring from??) please. I ended up with an enormous tower which looked very silly so ended up cutting each coloured cake in half before sandwiching them together and then plastering with a generous layer of buttercream icing. I used the recipe from Eggs,cream and Honey for the buttercream although my decorating skills need a bit of attention.The children were delighted when they saw the cake inside, I’m not quite sure parents will have had the same thought. I hope they weren’t peeling their children off the ceiling afterwards. In future, if I ever ever have the foolish notion to make a rainbow cake again, I will print off a disclaimer.
I also made whoopie pies (not a big hit I must say, I don’t think the children knew what they were) and marshmallow sticks that the children squealed with delight over!
Anyway, I am now exhausted, the house is a mess and I need to get on with some ‘real life’ cobwebs that need sorting out. Oh, and I need to give my five children some attention so I am going to be having a little blog break although I have a few meme’s that I need to do and may post if I get time. I will be back though.
Wow some serious gorgeous baking going on there! Why do we always try and make so much for them? I always do it and as you say feel exhausted afterwards. Glad I could be of service on the buttercream recipe. Might be coming to you for some tips on the rainbow cake. It’s my youngest’s bday next week and I can imagine she would LOVE that!
Ahh thanks Heather. I don’t know why I do it but I expect I always will and then wonder again…and again haha! Now I’ve done it I would do it slightly different but glad i made the effort. 🙂
Hi the Rainbow Cake absolutely incredible! I just wanted to take it of the screen and eat it LOL.
@Angelfish42
haha…must admit I’m a bit sick of cake now but I know what you mean. Thank you 🙂
Hiya! These cakes look awesome. You are much more adventurous than I am in the kitchen. And much more determined/professional/doted than I am 🙂
Thanks so much. 🙂
That looks fabulous! I sooo have to try making one of these rainbow cakes myself since the one I featured was a picture of someone else’s. Re Gigi comment above, you can get purple gel colouring from Wilton but usually only in packs of 8 colours.
Ah, thank you Sarah. I will try and get some because I’d love to make some purple fairy cakes. 🙂
Oh. My. WOW! I want that cake! It looks amazing! Definitely worth all the effort!
Awww, thanks very much. 😀
It looks amazing 🙂
I’m making one for my daughter next month. Just searched for purple food colouring, now you mention it, I can’t remember ever seeing any?
Would red/blue mixed work? Who knows.
I don’t think mine will turn out as awesome as yours though! probably just turn out looking like something a cat dragged in x
Ooo, let me know how you get on. Mixing doesn’t work, I’ve tried it before but see above comment from Sarah, she says you can buy it from Wilton. X
OH you do such pretty work!! The rainbow cake turned out gorgeous! We are planning on making rainbow cupcakes for St. Patrick’s day this week.
Happy St Patrick’s day! Thank you Patty, I hope your rainbow cakes were good. 🙂
Wow, that cake is absolutely fantastic! I hope she had a wonderful birthday.
I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you that your good news definitely is good news and that you can celebrate xx
Thanks Ella, she had a lovely time and thank you I’m trying not to think about it too much although because I’m trying of cause it’s in my mind all the time . 😉
That is amazing. Absolutely fantastic.
Thanks very much. 😀
cake looks fantastic, and I always feel so much better than shop bought.
No kids dont need posh birthday parties. when we lived on the farm, cold at the best of times,and even worse in November – and my granddaughter wanted a party for his 5th birthday we decided to do a farm themed party.
we asked the parents to let the kids turn up in old clothes, hat scarves, gloves etc as a lot of it would be outside. despite the fact we lived rural and some of the kids lived on farms as well, some of the others had never seen a real cow or sheep or chicken, so they would all get to see something different. we made up a treasure hunt where the kids had to find a tractor, cow, chicken, etc and placed a basket of sweets and an appropiate picture at each port of call and we made up bingo type boards with pictures on and the kids had to find one of each, and complete the task to gt a prize. we painted up hard boiled eggs and put each childs name on one for them to eat as well.
we played tig in the yard, hide and seek within certain safe areas, and apart from to eat I dont think they were indoors at all. and as it was a working dairy farm they even got to see the cows being milked.
a lot of the mothers commented their kids said it was the best party they had been to in a long time, and they all had a ball, much better than McD or such similar ( though I have done them for my own in the past)
enjoy your break
A farm party sounds amazing! x
Sounds great. 🙂
That sounds fab, we’ve done treasure hunts too. The children love it don’t they. 🙂
wow wow wow that is amazing. Very impressive and stunning. x
Awww thanks Susan, it gave me a bit of a headache but it was worth it in the end. 🙂
Purple food colouring… Could you mix red & blue together?
Unfortunately it doesn’t work like paint. Not sure why but I’ve tried it several times with no success. Now been told where I can get it but thanks David. x
The cake was beautiful!! She will remember it forever.
I think you have to mix food colorings to get purple – but don’t ask me which colors to mix though.
Enjoy your break – you deserve it! xo
Thank you Gigi. I’ve tried mixing lots of times it doesn’t work. You end up with a brown mess. I’ve now been told where it can be bought, thank you. x
The rainbow cake looks fantastic. My little girl had her birthday party today and I can’t believe how physically and mentally exhausted I feel! However it was all worth it when both she and even her little brother kept saying what a great day it was. Bless them! Hope your family also enjoyed their day!!
I think it’s taken me all week to recover. The things we do eh? I’m glad your little ones had fun. 🙂