Have I mentioned that I an neither crafty nor a great cook? Well I am not.
Just not my deal.
I'm also not great at reading instructions.
And therein lie the reasons I have never made fancy birthday cakes for my kids. Really, it would only disappoint (them) and embarrass (me). So I have been a big fan of declaring "I'll get the cake" (meaning I will call Dairy Queen and get a fabulous ice cream cake).
But then I was approached by Better Crocker* with an opportunity to try it. They knew Eli's birthday was coming up and asked if I'd be willing to bake one of their cakes and then actually decorate it using their tips and plans. They would provide me with some VIP coupons, a gift card to buy the ingredients, a Flip video camera (to shoot videos like the one below) and a great giveaway for my readers (more details on that in an upcoming post). How's that for disclosure? :)
Anyhew. "Cool, how hard could that be?" I thought. I can certainly do a mix and put some frosting on it. I agreed. I didn't think to look at the cake patterns they were showcasing. (That whole reading the directions deal? Mmm hmmm.)
Until a few days ago.
When my panic attack began. These weren't just cakes. They were amazing, adorable, labor intensive cakes. Cakes for people with talent (and the ability to read and follow directions).
After freaking out, I settled on what appeared to be the easiest one. The Space Shuttle Cake.
While I was watching the instructional video online, Eli came over and crawled on my lap.
Yes, when I ask him what it is, his answer is "Maybe Ship." How's that for confidence?
For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have been following this process so far. The pieces are in the freezer now. Assembling yet to come.
For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you may have been following this process so far. The pieces are in the freezer now. Assembling yet to come.
*Betty Crocker provided me with the VIP coupons, a gift card to shop for ingredients, the Flip video camera I am using to shoot the videos, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark. They were not able, however, to supply me with innate talent.
