May Ends with Two Cakes

May is done. Unless you have all your children's birthdays in one month, you don't know what a relief that is. Add to that the fact that most big events usually happen in May and you will have an idea of what my month was. We finished out the month with a graduation/Confirmation party sponsored by my mother (thanks, Mom). We had the event at a restaurant, but I agreed to bake a cake for it. Why? Because I didn't account for two things. First, I didn't realize how many people would come, so I didn't know that "a" cake would become two cakes. Second, the weather became hot and humid exactly when I needed to begin baking. Thanks weather.

The first cake I baked was for the Confirmation. My vision was a simple dove made of a large and small cupcake. I used a velvet cake, baked and chocolate dipped shortbread for the tail, and opted for buttercream frosting because it's usually my go-to for decorating. I will tell you now that it doesn't work as well when it's hot and humid. On the plus side, spending four hours baking and decorating in a sauna-like kitchen did help me sweat out five pounds. Always look on the bright side.

 I am not happy with how the dove came out. I think it looks like a cockatoo. I suppose I was getting delirious in that final hour in the kitchen and everything was softening as fast as I could decorate, even with giving the cake and frosting refrigerator breaks.

I made the second cake the night before the big event. My plan was to go as simple as possible. I had already made the top of the graduation cap when I made the tail feathers, so all I needed to do was bake a chocolate buttermilk cake and cover it with chocolate ganache and a small bit of buttercream for the trimmings. The cap is a cupcake. The hardest part here was keeping track of the math--I did one and a half recipes to get a full cake plus six cupcakes (the other five cupcakes became tributes). I did all this after working a full day at the library. The sacrifices we make for our children!

My one disappointment is that my photos at the actual party did not come out well. Have I mentioned I miss my camera? I really miss my camera. I just can't figure out my daughters' cameras and they are too shy to take pictures of people. Maybe because people move too much and end up blurring in every shot. Anyway, this ends the May Baking Marathon.