Our daughter turns 12...

My favorite cakes to make are sweet girlie ones.

And so when we decided to have a party

to celebrate our daughter on her 12th birthday,

I had so many ideas and so little time.

Like many of my ideas,

the cake does not always turn out just

the way I pictured it.

But when it comes down to making a cake

and planning a party,

and making cupcakes,

and getting food  for the party,

and being a mom,

and doing laundry,

and making meals,

and packing lunches,

and cleaning,

and having two hour school delays

when I was planning on making a cake,

The cake looks like this...

Originally, I thought that a roller skate cake

would be super cute, since her party was

at a roller rink. 

But in the end I went with what was easier

and GIRLIE!

Even though I had baked and decorated over 80 cupcakes and a cake,

We surprised her!!

My dear husband always takes his

daughters out on a date

for their birthday.

(We could probably skip presents, because the highlight of their birthday is their date with Dad.)

So after a nice meal and a quick stop

at the store,

they headed for the surprise.

SURPRISE!!!

It didn't take her long to get her skates on

and join her friends on the rink.

Skating with her Dad while

I set up the food table.

It is a family friendly rink with

hardwood floors and so much fun.

After skating awhile we

sang "Happy Birthday" and

had a "snack".

A purse cake with zebra print.

The dessert table!

Happy 12th Birthday, dear Daughter,

We love you!!

For a tutorial for the flower on this cake, go here.

Here is another purse cake. It was fun painting the with food coloring to make the giraffe print cake. My apologies to all giraffes for not giving your spots a true representations. =)

Another purse cake - chocolate cake with layers of vanilla buttercream and strawberry filling.

Purse cake

The journey to this..............

I started out with a half sheet cake and cut it into thirds. Stacking it with raspberry filling in between the layers and chocolate buttercream around the edge.

After frosting it, I rolled out fondant and covered each side of the cake. The top (red fondant) I rolled out and then cut to fit the top. I used a paper towel to make a template.

Then I just cut out animal print shapes and covered the cake. I had no pattern, just cut and fit.

Then I added details, like the strap across the top, the handle and the "change purse"

"

This what the cut cake looked like. I did add 2 layers of yellow cake to make it taller. I also added to dowels down the middle to help it stay standing. The handle did not make it to the party in one piece. =( But the cake was tasty and we had fun eating it.

The roses are made out of modeling chocolate.