To be sobbing over a birthday cake

[meepmoop]

DS is having a birthday party on Sunday so I'm making him a car cake. 2 tiers and everything.

I've spent ages making it as only have space in the oven for one cake. I've just gone to cut the base cake in half and it's not cooked so I've got to do it all again and still need to buttercream and ice it.

I'm literally crying over cake,

For reference you need a twisty meat skewer, not a smooth one and pull it out slowly to give the uncooked bits time time stick to it.

Marks & Spencer "Muddy Puddle Percy" Just saying (from a non-baker).
My 2 year old Granddaughter loved it. What a mess!
Enjoy your son's birthday.
Also, balloons. Lots of balloons.

Aww. I totally get this. It's not about the cake it's about feeling a sense of achievement. You can do it! Try again. Can you do double quantities so you've got a back up if it doesn't work again? Perhaps err on the generous side timing wise. Post a pic when it's done! It will be amazing xxxxx

It's a good thing today's cake didn't turn out! It would taste stale by Sunday. Make it tomorrow, ice it tomorrow night and you're done. Find a design that's not too complex on the internet /youtube and take it step by step

I have cremated many cakes over the years - I gave up in the end (my dc were probably grateful ) caterpillar cakes made of yucky chocolate but the dc loved them - I also made with dc help many a cake mix cake - usually using chocolate spread icing - hey the dc loved it & enjoyed it & that is all that matters. Honestly take the easy way out & spend more time on organising the party especially when dc get a little older - chill at the moment op - ice cream is definitely your friend with cornets! (toddles off to check freezer)

I've had a cake disaster twice a year for at least the last 13 years. I end up saying never again every single year and now my kids both think that's it's family tradition that I eff up some element of the cake. One year I made a chocolate cake that was outstanding by all accounts but that's once in 26 times!!!! I've cried most years, especially when some of my friends are capable of churning out works of art at a drop of a hat!
As a pp said kids only really care that it's decorated in crap, try not to stress too much and good luck x

Waitrose do plain iced sponges. Buy some car decorations.

If I could give one tip to parents of tiny children it would be this- do NOT make beautiful elaborate cakes for their early birthdays. You are setting yourself up for a world of pain. I spent days lovingly creating a cake for DS1 one year. It was a true work of art, born of guilt for having had Ds2, thereby robbing him of long-held only child status. People gasped at the wonder of this cake.

Except now I have 3 children, and they all expect cakes of that calibrate, lovingly crafted by me, every fecking year. I dread their birthdays as I know the requests will start rolling in - “can I have a Golden Snitch cake please”; “a gruffalo, with mouse, fox and owl please”; a yard is with Daleks, a golf course, a life sized t sodding Rex.....

Set the bar low, buy a Colin the Caterpillar. Trust me- 10 years down the line you will thank me!

I always used to try to make a lovely cake but never managed it. I tried to make DS a football pitch cake one year which sounds easy enough but it looked rubbish.

I made a chocolate cake for my DD's 6th birthday. I'd hired a number 6 cake tin. It looked like I'd made her a curly poo cake. I then sprinkled some edible pink glitter on top of it and it turned green. DH and I were in stitches over it - a moudly, curly poo cake. DD loved it, all the kids ate it and DD has no recollection of it now.

After that I always bought from a shop. So much better. No stress and the kids don't care anyway.

LIsten to your cake when you take it out - when it’s still wet and raw it makes a crackling (not dissimilar to Rice Krispies).

When it’s done there and no (or very few crackles.

Just don’t burn your ear.

He’s two and you’re doing a two tier cake but can’t tell if a cake is cooked or not?
Blow your nose. Go to Marks and Spencer. Stop overdoing birthdays.

Go and buy one. And give yourself a break. No one will judge

Aw OP. The Christmas I was pregnant with my first, I cried over roast potatoes. And I didn’t even have a toddler at that point so tbh I didn’t know I was born. I feel your pain.

I’m also pleasantly surprised by all the people saying just buy a cake/buy plain and decorate! IRL I seem to be the only mum who does supermarket birthday cake (DC1 is 7) - I’m unrepentant and think the obsession with spending hours crafting and decorating elaborate cakes is part of an agenda to shove women back in the kitchen but definitely in a very small minority.

I really admire your determination, but I agree with pp. Just buy a Colin the Caterpillar cake and keep birthdays as stress-free as possible.

OP. If you are dead set on a car cake, what about making standard cake, whatever shape comes out of the tin and 1 tier or 2 the choice is yours, then creating a road with smarties in shape of number 2 and putting couple of cars on it. This is what we did for DC’s cake. Failing that, I can wholeheartedly recommend Waitrose doodle the dog chocolate cake if you want a kind of character cake for DC birthday but don’t want to get Colin the caterpillar. Sorry if you’re having a car themed birthday and only cars will do!

I spent a bloody fortune and two days trying to make the perfect birthday party cake for my ds. It wasn't perfect and nobody appreciated it.

Just buy plain sponges from the supermarket and decorate those.

There is simply no need to bake cakes. Chalk this one down to experience and NEVER do it again. Lots of great advice here on other ideas.
I made a cake for my childs 2nd birthday. Same scenario as you!. Ever since have always bought one from supermarket or pay to have it made.

If you put yourself through it again you only have your self to blame!

This is what marks and Spencer’s is for

I cry over them every year. It's horrendous. It always goes wrong. I insist it must be done. Yanbu plough on!

Firstly, Eat what you can of this one and you’ll feel instantly better.
Then start making a new one.
It’s your own mountain to climb and you’ll do it!

It’ll be fine although I understand your panic. I once dropped the fully iced cake on the kitchen floor and ended up remaking from scratch the night before the party. I’m not a crier so didn’t cry but was really naffed off!

Funny thing is I had forgotten that the whole thing ever happened until it came up on my Facebook memories a few months ago!!

YABU to waste your time doing this. He won’t care. Buy him one from Tesco, they do a Lightning McQueen one.

I still remember my mother drop-kicking the football cake she was attempting to make for my brother's birthday out of the back door...

Three children and approximately 17 cake induced weeping fests later, I now do a basic choc/vanilla sponge and decorate with sweets and mini versions of whatever they are into that year. The kids go wild for the mini figures and the disappointing cake gets ignored. It also helps when parents no longer stay at parties to judge the cake. YANBU .

YANBU. You're pregnant and hormonal, I've cried over much less. Maybe ask your mum to help you? Have a girly day making cakes and having a chit chat. Hope your DS has a great party