Has anyone made the Toadstool birthday cake before?

**Shanti** · January 11th, 2011, 11:18 AM

DH and I have decided to make the Toadstool birthday cake for our DD's 2nd birthday party in 3 weeks time. It's from the Women's Weekly Birthday book. She totally loves fairies and we thought it is perfect for her as we can decorate little candy fairies around it!

Has anyone made this before? Did you find it difficult? The only part that looks a bit scary for us is balancing the top of the toadstool on the base

Did you use pudding steamers as per the instructions or just a mixing bowl to cook the batter in to get the correct shape? Pudding steamers seem a bit expensive and a lady at a kitchen store said they aren't necessary.

Any tips would be great, thanks!

**toomanyshoes** · January 11th, 2011, 11:29 AM

I've got the book and made a toadstool cake before but not the one from the book lol

But no, you don't have to use pudding steamers you can get away with mixing bowls or even round cakes trimmed to the right shape!

Toadstool cake

If your worried about the top staying put you can use long thick bamboo skewers.

**Beach Mama** · January 11th, 2011, 11:32 AM

Yep I did it for Izzy's first birthday! Photo HERE! I actually ended up hiring a dolly varden tin and using that hun - worked heaps better than having to buy or rent pudding steamers! I just baked regular cakes!
A few things i have changed since making that one are that I now use Betty Crocker icing and dye it using food dye - way easier that butter icing which I think sucks big ones haha- you can see in the photo how it sort of "sweated" off with our heating that day! Balancing it on top is fine - it's the decorating that is tricky! I would possibly decorate the top and bottom first then assemble it together, would make it a bit easier to get the icing on the roof properly!

Good luck - fun cake!

**LizLemon** · January 13th, 2011, 02:26 AM

I haven't but my friend did for her daughter's birthday last week. She used the white chocolate mudcake recipe from the exclusively food website. She said it was much easier to ice as it didn't crumb as much as butter or other cake. And it was delicious too!

**Anila** · January 13th, 2011, 06:09 PM

I just made one, but not from the book, was really easy, but i just made a simple one, using the giant cup cake maker and turning the bottom upside down.

Toadstool cake
Tanstar, yours is super cute, i use the bettt crocker icing as well.
Toomanyshoes, oh wow, thats awesome!

**Just Me** · January 13th, 2011, 06:13 PM

I made one for my DD's 2nd birthday. I bought the pyrex bowls - 2 different sizes and cooked the cake in that. They weren't overly expensive and I use them all the time now as mixing bowls for other things. I didn't find making the cake all that difficult, but to be honest, I can't really remember - pregnancy brain

My DD loved the cake - I do remember that bit. I also used lollies that were more edible for smaller kids - instead of sugar candy, I put smarties on the top and for the fairies, I bought those cake toppers they sell in the cake aisle at Coles and Woolworths.

**Rouge** · January 13th, 2011, 06:14 PM

You can buy the Giant Cupcake moulds from the cheapy shops like reject shop for $10 and use it to make them. Easy as then.

**LimeSlice** · January 13th, 2011, 06:34 PM

Yep

Made one for one of her first birthday cakes.

We used two porcelain mixing bowls - the ones that nest. Worked a treat.
Photos are on FB if you want to see: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...9&l=861c1e3d2a

**Anila** · January 13th, 2011, 07:42 PM

You can buy the Giant Cupcake moulds from the cheapy shops like reject shop for $10 and use it to make them. Easy as then.

Yep i got mine from Crazy Clarks, for $10, its silicone and super easy to use.

Limeslice, i like ur cake too, very lovely!

**Shanti** · January 15th, 2011, 03:15 PM

Thanks so much everyone for your help and advice!!

I'm not on FB so can't actually view those pics, sorry! I really wanted to see them too.

My friend has the glass pyrex cooking bowls in the correct sizes that I need to make the cake so I'm going to borrow hers rather than buy my own as I don't need to buy more mixing bowls for the sake of it.

My main concern is - do I decorate both sections THEN put the top of the toadstool on? Or, do I follow the book??

and do exactly what it says?

Getting the lollies for the cake this week and the cake mixture..... yum.

Yeah with the icing - I'm thinking of using Betty Crocker (its so yum too!) because being Feb, the icing tends to sweat a bit no matter what I do

**LimeSlice** · January 15th, 2011, 04:11 PM

You can still view the link even if you aren't on FB yourself

You want to follow the instructions! lol
If you end up used a fondant though, you can cover each part separately then put the top on, then finish the deco. If not, put it together first and frost and deco after it is assembled.
You will find it easiest to decorate though if it is on a turntable or a cake stand, so it is raised and you can turn it freely as you go.
HTH

**Shanti** · February 7th, 2011, 01:12 PM

The cake was a complete SUCCESS!!!! DH and I are so happy with it and some people at the party presumed we'd had it made for us!!!! haha!

I have pics if anyone is interested!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...5&id=604104738