Today is my Mom’s Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!
Last night my brother and his wife cooked dinner for her and i brought the cake. That was find with me, I’ll take baking over dinner cooking any day.
I wanted to try something different so i thought I would do a cake inspired by neapolitan ice cream. While baking and decorating I kept my camera close at hand so I could share my little adventure with you.
Let’s get baking!
I used boxed cake mixed. Duncan Hines. First up, french vanilla.
Then strawberry.
Then chocolate.
I prepared and baked according the directions the box. I lined my baking pans with parchment paper for extremely easy cake removal.
This gave me six cakes. I was originally planning on using all six, but later realized that was going to be way too tall. I decided to just use one of each and froze the other three to use another time.
As the cakes cooled, I made the icing.
My go-to icing recipe: (this recipe was doubled for this cake)
1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature butter unsalted)
4 oz cream cheese (use phildelphia, generic cream cheese is a no-no)1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
With an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment; beat butter, salt and cream cheese (on medium speed) until completely smooth
One cup at time, add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating after each addition.
Add vanilla and about 1 tablespoon of cream, and continue beating.
Add the remaining 2 cups powdered sugar, one at a time.
Add an additional 1-2 tablespoons cream until desired consistency is reached.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Icing done, cakes still cooling, time to whip up some quick decorations for my cake.
To make the pennants I just cut a diamond shape out of some pretty scraps of fabric. I applied some tacky glue to one side of the diamond, placed a wooden skewer in the middle and folded the other side over. Yep, it’s seriously that easy.
I tied on some scraps of ribbon and rick rack to make it a little more interesting and fun!
For more fun decorations, I found these malted eggs and edible, yep EDIBLE, grass at Joann’s.
The edible grass is oddly good. It takes like those little flying saucers wafers with a hit of green apple flavor. It’s also available in green and pink.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
After my cakes were cool, it was time to put the cake together.
I lined my cake plate with some wax paper stripes to prevent it from being complete covered in icing by the time I was finish. Thanks Ina Garten.
I also cut off the tops of my cake so the layers stacked a little bit nicer.
I am not a cake decorator and don’t want to be. I actually love imperfections in cakes.
So all you fancy cake deocrators out there can just look the other way.
Once it was iced it was time for some edible grass and eggs.
And don’t forget the flags!
Tada! My spring themed neapolitan birthday cake!
Pretty stinkin’ cute, right!? Time for a slice.
And let me tell you, for boxed cake, it was incredibly moist, light and delicious! Neapolitan cake may just be my new favorite.
I hope you enjoyed my little baking adventure!
Have a great Monday everyone! I’m sure my mom will be reading the comments if you want to send her some birthday love.
Time for a diet,
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Happy happy b-day to your mom!! Mom’s are the BEST, huh!? Your cake is absolutely adorable and looks super yummy too! WOW! I love it!
Happy Birthday Michael’s Mom! Your son is amazing, talented and very cute!! I know you are proud of him. Enjoy your very special day!
I love the sweet decorations! So cute.
This cake looks delicous and makes me HAPPY! Happy Birthday to your Mom!
Happy Birthday Michael’s Mom! Michael I cant wait to try that cake it looks amazing!
A belated happy birthday, Michael’s Mom. Hope you had a wonderful day. I KNOW you had a wonderful cake.
Very Nice! Birthday wishes to your mom!
Happy Birthday to your Mom. Love the cake.
Absolutely adorable. Happy birthday mom. You have a talented offspring, of course you already know that.
Stop it! You’re killing me here… I need cake! I’m so toast if my son sees this… you’ll turn me into a cook yet I’m fearing. 🙂
Outstanding presentation! Floored as usual… back to my dusty pallet boards I go. I’m not worthy! 🙂
Donna
I almost forgot! Happy Birthday Mom! I hope your day was extra special… and an extra cake goes out to you for raising such a cool kid. 🙂
Happy birthday to Michael’s mom! That cake looks GREAT!
Happy Birthday, Michael’s Mom!
Bet you loved the cake-it looks yummy.
Homemade BDC is the only way we do it in our house, too.
My own mom would have been 82 today…so it was fun to wish someone’s mom a Happy Birthday today- hope it was grand.
PS- I am a Michael’s mom as well-mine is 26 🙂
Thanks for all the great Birthday Wishes. And a special thank you to my amazing son for making me feel so loved on my Birthday.
New fan here! Im so excited about finding your blog! I almost cried looking at everything. i know thats silly. I look at it and want so badly to be the type of person that can do all of these things. Then I scrolled down on your blog and found a post that said “for what its worth, its never to late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you are proud of and if you find that you’re not, i hope you find the strength to start all over again” what amazing timing. so here to a new start. Thank you again! oh and happy birthday mom!!
Ashley Hylton
Ashleyhyltonphoto@yahoo.com
I don’t know when I’ve seen such a lovely cake! I will definitely be attempting to make at least one of these this spring.
Michaels Mom: Happy Birthday! I know you’ve had a wonderful day and I wish you many more to come! I just met your precious son a couple of weeks ago through Pinterest and have enjoyed getting to know him through this blog. You did a great job Mom and I know you are so very proud of him!
That has got to be the cutest cake ever! I love the green grass nest. Happy birthday to your Mom! Hope she had a wonderful day.
Recipe looks delicious. Frosting recipe great idea & sounds yummee. Pendants and spring nests, eggs & grass, adorable. I am so making this little “charmer” for Easter! Thank you for sharing!
Happy Birthday, Michael’s Mom! You must be so proud of your son. He is so talented. Enjoy your beautiful cake.
~~Lisa
WOW…you are certainly talented – love the little pennants – so clever – and lucky Mom to have such a talented son
ahhh how darling (& yummy) michael – you made a pretty awesome cake; mom – you made a pretty awesome kid! xo to you both
http://www.NorthernCottage.net
Happy Birthday to your mom! Dinner and cake made by her family…..sounds like a perfect birthday!!
Jane
Happy Birthday! I hope your day was as lovely as your cake. 🙂
What a very cute spring themed cake! I bet your mom loved it! I know that I would…cream cheese frosting is my favorite!!
Happy birthday, Michael’s Mom! Your cake is adorable and looks delicious. I especially love the flags.
So perfectly adorable! It looks delicious too. Happy SWEET birthday to you MOM!
I hope you’ve had a wonderful birthday, Michael’s Mom. Your cake is beautiful!
Carrie
Happy Birthday to a wonderful mom!
Beautiful cake Michael~
…and a VERY happy birthday to the birthday gal! Michael, your cake is stunning. It’s so beautifully decorated too! I adore the fact that you created something so very special for your Mom. Love it!
Happy Birthday Michael’s Mom!!! Gorgeous cake!!!I would be so thrilled if one of my kids made me a cake like that..love it..beautiful job !!
This cake is seriously stinkin’ cute. You’re a genius. Period. Thank you for reminding us to use parchment in the bottom of the cake pans…I always forget…and always have to do reconstructive cake surgery. Beautiful work, as always.
Making cakes used to freak me out but you’ve encouraged me to try again. Thanks Michael!
Thanks for where to find the edible grass, I better run by before they sell out. I pinned the full cake picure! Wonderfully yummy and fun looking.
How cute! Such a great idea and it sounds delicious! I am sure your Mom thought it was the best.
Found your blog accidentally a few weeks ago and am hooked. It is now in my favorites!! The cake looks scrumptious and your mother is very lucky that you can create something like this for her. Sorry I am late but hope you had a wonderful b-day Michael’s mother. Kathy
This cake is absolutely darlin’! And I’m sure you made your Mom’s birthday…happy belated to her. ~Lili
Happy Birthday Michael’s mom!! This is just the cutest cake! And I LOVE all of the photos of the different steps. I am definately going to try this. You did a GREAT job!
Happy Birthday Michael’s Mom……..thanks for sharing Michael…absolutely wonderful!
Happy Birthday, Michael’s Mom! The cake is so wonderful….like your talented son. His blog is my #1 favorite.
Happy Birthday Michael’ Mom. Michael enjoy your Mother as much as possible. I miss my Mama!
That looks so pretty– an delicious! I have to make this very soon!
What a pretty cake and happy birthday to your mom. My mom’s is the 25th.
Awesome cake! I just happened upon your website, you are so talented & welcoming. Hopefully someday I get the chance to stay in your lovely B&B 🙂
Happy belated birthday to your Mom!!
Your cake looks great, and I love how you decorated it 🙂
Your mother’s a lucky woman, Michael. This cake is so fresh and Spring-y.I’m happy to know what edible grass tastes like. Thanks. Love your recipes
Hi Michael! You did such a great job on the cake. I love the way you decorated it. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Happy Belated Birthday to your mother. Visiting from Whipperberry!
Amazing frosting! I just made this frosting for cupcakes I made for my Son’s 3rd birthday. My guests RAVED about it. One little boy asked if I was a cupcake baker. I had a lot of people so I tripled the recipe and it was perfect. Refrigerated well too. Thank you for this recipe. I will be using it from now on!!!
I think being your mom would be FABULOUS! Happy Birthday to your mother:)
Hi! Have recently discovered pinterest and am loving your pins!! This is the umpteenth recipe I’ve downloaded. As a former cake deocorater–your cake looks fabulous!! You mentioned that you cut off your rounded tops–here’s a tidbit that you may already know, but am passing along incase you don’t. It works wonderfully. Find an old towel that you don’t mind cutting up. Measure the depth of your cake pan and cut a strip or 2 of the towel the same width (it depends on how long your towel is). If necessary, safety pin the 2 strips together. To measure the proper length, wrap around the outside of your pan leaving about 1 1/2 to 2″ extra and cut off the rest. Next, soak the strip in cold water (under the faucet is fine), squeeze out a smidgen of water (you don’t want it dripping all over, but you want to get it as saturated as possible). Wrap around the cake pan after the batter is in and safety pin it together. Pop the pan in the oven. The reason why cakes round in the center is ’cause the sides heat faster than the middle and therefore don’t rise as much. The terry towel keeps the edges cool so they rise the same as the center. Hope this helps, hugs from a big fan!
I have a hint I heard about years ago. For edible grass you can boil regular white spaghetti and when it is done add some green food coloring, and whoopee it is now edible grass. Well you probably would not want to eat it, but it SURE looks good and is safe.
LOVE IT!!!!
Beautiful cake Michael!
Oh my gosh, EDIBLE grass? These are the things I am thankful to learn every day on the net! I came this way via Donna’s recycled cake… this is fabulous! 🙂
I have baking “strips” like you describe from Wilton foods. They’re AMAZING!!!! I highly recommend them!!!
Hello, I was looking at your cream cheese buttercream icing & wondering how stable of an icing it is? I have some wedding cupcakes & small cake too do. Thank you!!!