18th birthday cake ideas?

[Glamourcide]

Eep! BIL, the baby of the family, is turning 18 on Thursday! We have organised to have him around for dinner at our house (just a basic roast dinner) before he goes out with his mates for his first legal drinks.

I figure I'll make a nice cake for him, after my recent success with DD1's butterfly cake (here), I'm feeling pretty confident... but I have no idea where to start with decorating it!

Hit me with some cool 18th birthday cake ideas TIA!

[Rouge]

What sort of cake are you thinking? If you're going something chocolate you could make a white chocolate buttercream and fold in some crushed oreos and then melt some chocolate cool it on a sheet and snap it up to make shards and just spike them all over the cake. Very "boy" iykwim. Not too purdy but it has enough character and it's not hard. With the white chocolate buttercream you want it to look as messy as possible to get the best effect.

[PumpkinZulu]

...beeeeeewbs

Nah, I seriously have no idea, Rouge's suggestion is ace, and the butterfly cake looked scrumptious, so I'm sure whatever happens he'll love it!

[Glamourcide]

Thanks PZ I'm so proud of my butterfly!!

Rouge, I *knew* you would have the bomb baking ideas!! I'm thinking a chocolate mudcake with maybe a cookies 'n cream-style topping like what you described What brand of butter do you use to get snow-white buttercream? Despite beating the butter for several minutes before adding the icing sugar, mine always comes out still slightly yellow... is there anything I can get from Coles, Woolies or IGA that is good (ie, uncoloured)? How does one make a flavoured buttercream - essence?

[Rouge]

I have the best recipe will PM you... it's a secwet wecipe

[Glamourcide]

Ooh, thanks!! I'm doing the shopping tomorrow and will start work on it tomorrow night (ready for Thursday night) so I would really, really appreciate it! xx

[Rouge]

Done If it doesn't make sense let me know xx

[Glamourcide]

Ooh, Rouge, it's gonna be a hard secret to keep! The white choc buttercream totally MADE BIL's biffy mudcake, it was sooo delicious The boys loved it, the kids demolished far more than their fair share, I had to send BIL home with the majority of the leftovers to remove the temptation from my fridge!! Really simple and looked awesome with sparklers, thanks a million