Garden?

Now that I've caught this thing up with all of what I have done, I can post at a more realistic pace - more details on the trial and error, less lengthly babbly posts where I try to explain too much.

Grandma's birthday is coming up. 80, and she's throwing a big 'ol bash for the occasion. I believe the expected count is around 30. And I've thrown my hat in to make a cake - this makes me very nervous, and I haven't *officially* said I'd do it yet, since so many people will be there, and I want to be happy with what I end up brining. So.. I'm practicing the grand idea I've come up with.

Oh, by the way - if your name is "Grandma" and you happen to be my Grandma - and you want the final cake to be a surprise, you should stop visiting this blog until your birthday!
Otherwise, read on!












A humming bird visiting a flower - or flowers, on top of a large cake.
Here I shall include an artist's rendition, care of MS Paint.

Quite fabulous, don't you think? Yes, I have mad skills.

How to do this, you may ask? Ah, well first, to start with the bird! I baked a duck shaped pound cake* last night (2 batches = one duck), and then proceeded to chop it up and reassemble it to vaguely look like a hummingbird.


I am quite pleased with the results.

I then spent some painful** tv-watching time cutting and bending coat hangers and mesh baskets from the dollar store to produce a frame*** for the wings. I plan on this being the support for the fondant - as there's no way it can support itself in such a large format without help.

Now to make a frame for the tail, and figure out some support for the head (it fell off after sitting upright for a little while. oops!)



*Sour Cream Pound Cake - The New Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

1/2 c. butter
3 eggs
1/2 c. dairy sour cream (i used plain yogurt)
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

• Allow butter, eggs and sour cream to stand at room temp for 30 min. Grease and flour cake pan (makes standard loaf pan). Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder. Set aside.


• In mixing bowl beat butter high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar - beat for 10 mins or until quite fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Alternatly add flour and sour cream beating until just combined.


• Pour into pan. bake at 325 for about an hour.

**No, really, painful. I have little cuts all over my hands :(
***"But they aren't allowed to do such things in the cake contests! A non-edible frame is cheating!" you say? Yeah, well get over it. It'll be totally sweetawesome when I'm done with it.