to think I should have just bought a birthday cake!

[Justforlaughs]

My 14yo DD (yes, the same diabetic one I mentioned on the other thread) has decided to make her (nearly) 5yo DSis a birthday cake. As there is a teacher strike today i agreed. Having spent out on cake tins, cake board, ingredients gallore (and fuel for 3 trips to supermarket for something we forgot!) I should have just bought the peppe Pig one, shouldn't I?
I'm sure she'll love the huge double sided castle (one side pink with princesses, the other side blue with knights!) but it was meant to be my day off!

I always make my children's birthday cakes myself and I always wish the night before the big day that I had either bought one or got someone else to do it. They always take me so long and use so much of my energy. The baking is easy, it's the decorating that takes so long.

However, the next time there is a birthday, I dutifully ask what creation they would like this year and get on with the planning, baking and decorating. I'm sure your dc will love their cake and you will have a lovely feeling knowing that you made the cake yourself.

Maryann DD is making it having all the fun, my job is picking up the ingredients as she decided she needs them, and no doubt doing the washing up! Oh, and paying for it!

It's always 3 am the night before thier birthday party when I regret committing to a certain cake rather than buying one but they love having a special cake and aprt from the tonne f icing they generally taste nicer!

Just think what else your 14 year old DD might get up to on her day off school..

After one disastrous creation I have stuck to Asda's B'day cake aisle since.

Well it sounds impressive, can we have a pic when it's done?

I always buy them. M&S cakes are the best and really yummy.

Oh my! DD has said she would like a Tardis cake for her upcoming birthday. She will be 18 BTW

I always make our birthday cakes. The trick is to stick with a simple no nonsense, no fancy decorations recipe.

5 you can get a tardis shaped baking tin from lakeland.

For their fourth birthday I made my DTs gingerbread houses. It took me three days. Three whole days!

It's going to have three layers (baking as I type), towers (a work in progress) with solid chocolate, pointed tops, a portculis and drawbridge! OMG! Now we need a moat!!! - I think I'll see how the main cake goes first though

I used to always bake cakes for my kids birthdays, but one time I didn't have time so I bought a cake instead. Well, never again. My kids thought it looked amazing, but when it came to eating it... well, it's fair to say they were less than impressed. I don't think I'd ever dumped birthday cake before.

Now they insist on a homemade cake. Even if it doesn't look nearly as pretty as the shop bought ones.

I think your DD is doing a lovely thing, and I'm sure your DS will absolutely love it.

5 you can get a tardis shaped baking tin from lakeland.

Really??

I have seen they had a Dalek shaped one but I didn't know they had a Tardis one as well.

I will have to have a look at their website again.

Thanks

Have uploaded a picture of the cake, it tasted pretty good and I thought it was a good 1st attempt by a 14yo. DD2 was over the moon with it as well.

That's fantastic! Well done to your dd1. Mines 14 and is muttering about making a Christmas cake with dd2 (10) I can't imagine them making something as lovely as yours.

It looks great, well done her! See, it was worth it :)

I look forward to seeing her in the GBBO in a few years..