I just love making my kids birthday cakes. I am no professional baker, but I do try to make the cakes look interesting and fun. My kids pick a different birthday theme every year...no two years are the same. This year Genevieve picked Strawberry Shortcake. Dawson wanted several themes that they do not make party goods for (maybe another year), so he asked me to surprise him. I picked Super Mario Bros. because I knew that he would be getting enough money for his birthday to purchase his DSi.
Genevieve's cake was a strawberry cake with white buttercream icing. Most grocery stores, that bake cakes, will sell you the toppers that they use. I got this one at the Commissary. I used strawberry and cherry flavored Starbursts to make the circles around the sides and the strawberries on the top of the cake. To make Starburst shapes just melt a few fruit chews in a microwavable bowl for 3-5 seconds and then roll to desired thickness between two pieces of waxed paper. Then, cut into shapes with a small knife or a cookie cutter. To make the strawberries more realistic, I pressed the end of a toothpick in a random pattern to look like seeds.
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
*You made need to add more or less milk to reach desired consistency.
**Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. Refrigerate leftover icing in an airtight container, up to 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.
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