First birthday cake recipe help!!

[Tanstar]

Isabelle's birthday party is on Sunday and I have chosen a cake out of the WW Kid's b'day cakes book.

It says to use a buttercake mix for the cake, but I was just wondering- does anyone have a great recipe that I can use or can you recommend a particular brand of cake mix that works really well!?? Or will any old buttercake mix work(I don't think I have ever seen buttercake so I hope it is just a plain old sponge that they are talking about!

TIA from the freaking out too much to plan and do mummy

[nic]

Tan, I usually just buy the buttercake mix from woolies, i think i get the greens one instead of the white wings. It seems just that little bit yummier.

When I make one myself I use a donna hay recipe. will go find the book and come back with it.
Which cake are you making?

[Tanstar]

Thanks Nic - you are a legend! I'm making the fairy toadstool one for her!!! It is sooo cute!

[Snacks]

Hey Tan, do you have to do much cutting of the cake to arrange it? I made a white chocolate mud for Natty's, and because the cake was so dense it was easy to cut, KWIM?
I am at work ATM, but if you're keen I can post recipe when I get home?

[Tanstar]

Nope no cutting really- it is 2 cakes done in pudding steamers and the top of one just needs to be flattened a bit and that it!!! I chose it because its easy!! White choc mud sounds good too - mmmm how am I gonna choose!

[Lee:-)]

Hey Tan!

Oh I can relate to this! How can one little cake be so stressful Oh the pressure!!

I'm making DD's tonight, as her bday is tomorrow. I'm sure there are a whole heap of buttercake recipes on google, mmm sounds delish! I'm making a Strawberry Shortcake Sponge cake (basically just a sponge with sweetened cream and strawberries in the middle!) and the decorated as a butterfly. I went to a kitchen shop the other day and got some great icings, colours, sugar sprinkles etc so I hope it all comes together!

Let me know how you get on!! Good luck!

[nic]

Aww..I love the fairy toadstool one, it does look beautiful doesn't it. DD wanted me to make it one year, but I couldn't get the right size cake tins.

Ok, the donna hay recipe I have is a basic cupcake recipe, and I use the devondale extra soft, extra spreadable butter. I used a different butter last year, and it didn't seem to taste as nice.

375g butter
1 and a half cups caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder

Pre heat oven to 160. Place butter, sugar and vanilla in bow and beat until light and creamy.
Add the eggs, two at a time, beating well.
Sift the flour and baking powder over the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Fill patty cases until 3/4 full and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
Makes 24 cupcakes.

I use to make this in a couple of batches for DD's cakes, but started using a packet mix to save some time.

Do we get to see pics of the cake?

Nic

[sangie]

Tan I will be using the Green's buttercake mix and praying that it comes out ok! I got it at Safeway.

[ShootingStar]

I make this cake all the time.. being we usually always have the ingredients and its soooooooo nice:

125g butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
2 cups self raising flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup milk

Beat butter and vanilla together until white, add sugar, beat until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. When all ingredients are added, beat mixture lightly intil smooth.

Bake in well greased 20cm round or 19cm square cake tin. Back in moderate (180) oven 55 to 60 minutes. (do keep an eye on it though.. i usually check it at about 35 minuites)

And thats it. Topped with a good butter icing (50g butter, 125g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon milk & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla).. and its sooooo nice.. in fact im eating a slice right now!

[smiles4u]

I know I'm a bit late to post ... BUT incase anyone else was to read this - I made a Digger like truck/tractor for my daughter's 2nd birthday earlier this month.

She had a Bob the Builder themed party

I use the chocolate packet cake mix from the ALDI food shop (about $1.39 I think for each pkt... Cheap$$ !!!)

I used two packets as I made two in a log tin !!!

... And decorated with the buttercream mix out of the WW kids birthday cake book from the 1970's (was DP Mum's book) (I added cocoa for the chocolate flavour).

**** WAS YUMMO !!!!!!!!!!!

TANSTAR hope you had a great party today ... Let us know how the cake turned out !!!!!!!!!

[Tanstar]

Thanks so much for everyones suggestions! I ended up doing a cake recipe for the top bit and didn't have enough mixture so I also doubled my cupcake mix and did that too!!

Final cake is in my gallery now ladies! Have to say I'm pretty chuffed at how it turned out, except for the d@mn butter frosting melting off the little toadstools! Izzy loved it too!