Another Birthday Cake

Ha, I say that but there's one more after this one... This one wasn't a big deal. It was chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I don't really have a chocolate icing I always use. I don't always like how mine turns out. But I managed to find a recipe that I am content with and turns out nicer than it usually does.

I'm happy with how it turned out. Pretty smooth and it doesn't look dry :)

We didn't really come up with a specific design so this is what I decided. Simple and I think it looks nice.

Well that's it for this one.  I guess I can add the 5th and final one in on this blog.

The previous cake was due on Monday. Fast forward a couple days and here comes the 12" carrot cake. Of course, I'm trying to be timely and efficient. So I bake the ENORMOUS carrot cakes one day (I honestly don't remember). Here's what happened:

Cake no. 1

Stuck to the pan!! What? I never have this problem. I'm pretty sure I use way too much non-stick spray. Can that be bad? Ugh... well there goes one cake that takes roughly 45 min to bake.

Cake no. 2

Overfilled. ugh. When will I learn? I will admit, I do this more than I'd like to admit, ha! (As you might remember from the chocolate wedding  cake I baked.) Ha, that was nothing compared to this one. It was a disaster in my oven!! I would have a picture but fortunately my hubby cleaned the oven before I got home :) 

There was no saving this one. What a mess. Hey, it's cool. I have lots of time to remake it. Oh wait... But it had to be done.

Cake no. 3 and no. 4

They kind of sunk in the middle. I don't know why, but they worked!

Cream cheese icing. I really don't like cream cheese icing. Especially in this heat.

The top was easy peasy. The sides... a pain in the BUTT! It was sliding off the sides. It wasn't my ideal, but it was alright. Unfortunately, the hour ride to the site (it went to the rehearsal dinner; it was the bride's birthday) wasn't great for it. I saw a picture of it at the dinner. Not quite the same as in this picture. Only so much I can control.

I have been doing such a good job at taking appropriate pictures. This is unacceptable... except that I don't have any other pictures. There was no time to set up my picture booth. So there it is among the mess, which you ignore and just look at the cake :)

There are all the birthday cakes! Now on to the fun stuff! Cookies, wedding cake and groom's cake!