Serving Up {Cake}: Themed Cake Ideas

Tomorrow is my baby's birthday.  He will be FOUR and he is hardly a baby anymore but, boy oh boy, does that kid have the ability to melt hearts and win fans!  He is absolutely adorable and I tell him all the time that he is delicious just to hear him tell me, "I am not food mom!"

We have a favorite tradition at our house of the kids picking a themed cake from a birthday idea book that I have and then mom tries to recreate it, sometimes with greater success than others :)  The internet has increased our cake options as well and we have had some fun adventures over the years.

So in honor of my baby's birthday, and the fact that I am busy creating a birthday cake masterpiece for him today, here are some cakes from years past, just in case you are in need of some of your own birthday creativity on your end...

Probably an all-time favorite...the Daddyland Cake...

although I think it is a favorite for no other reason than the sugar overload that it presented...

Sports Cakes have been popular at our house with a number of these cakes being repeated...

There are have been a fair number of animal cakes in the mix as well...

and let's not forget transportation...

And the remaining random themes...

One Year Ago: Teriyaki Bowtie Chicken Salad
                          Buttermilk Pancakes

Serving Up {Cake} Butter Pecan Cake

My sister-in-law got married over the Memorial Day weekend and I was asked to make the wedding cake, as well as the grooms cake.  The groom enjoys bird watching, so I decorated the groom's cake as an owl.  It turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself...

Because the wedding cake was chocolate, I wanted to make a different flavor for the grooms cake.  I decided to use my recipe for Butter Pecan Cake and it went over really well.  Normally I make my Butter Pecan Cake in a bundt pan and it is flavorful and moist enough that a sprinkling of powdered sugar (or a light glaze) is all that is needed to top it off.  Simple yet delicious!  But since I decorated it when I made the cake for the wedding, it was topped with frosting and it was delicious that way as well.  I chose to use a cream cheese frosting for the white frosting instead of a basic buttercream and, well, it was really good!

And while I am still sticking with the assurance that this cake is moist and delicious and doesn't need frosting, sometimes I simply can't leave things well enough alone.  Last month I made some white chocolate glaze for a recipe and had so much leftover that I froze the remaining.  Over the weekend I decided to pull the glaze out and use that, along with some gorgeous strawberries, to top the cake when I served it to some dinner guests. The cake was a hit served that way as well.

I guess the lesson is that you simply can't lose with this cake.  My 9-year old claims that he likes this cake better than chocolate cake - better than chocolate folks!  Now that is serious praise!

One Year Ago: Smoked BBQ Brisket
                         Potato Mac Salad

BUTTER PECAN POUND CAKE     
(recipe from Pam H.)
printable version

1 box (18-ounce) butter pecan cake mix (Betty Crocker)
1 box instant coconut cream pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare bundt  pan by greasing/flouring.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix with electric mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then continue to mix on medium speed for 2 additional minutes. Pour into prepared bundt pan.  Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick tests done.
Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Then remove from pan and finish cooling.
Glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar.