Birthday Season

"HAL, open the pod bay doors."
"I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that."
"HAL, just open the goddamn pod bay doors! I have three cakes to design and bake between now and the end of October or my kids will hate me forever."
"Well, since you put it that way, Dave, come on in. My bad."

Here in The Shire, birthdays for the wee ones pile up fast. I'm talking mid-September, the end of September, and the end of October. Three birthdays in less than two months. What were we thinking? Heh, well, I guess I know what *I* was thinking...

Mom taught me how to bake, and I'm happy that I actually listened and retained her lessons. As easy as it is to buy a store-bought cake, I take a certain measure of pride in crafting birthday cakes for my kids. I've made a dog cake, a mud cake in the back of a Tonka truck, and a Lord of the Rings cake ("They have a cave troll!").

Now keep in mind, I'm no Duff (of Charm City Cakes/Ace of Cakes fame), so my creations, while fun, have been rather crude to date. So this year I decided to work on my technique. I visited cakecentral.com for some ideas, tips, and hints. I hope my new-found culinary knowledge pays off this time around! I'll post pics of the aftermath for your amusement.

If anyone has any favorite sites and/or tips, please share them. I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks!