Let's Begin

My love of cakes all started with my daughter Haley's 3rd birthday. Spongebob was new on the scene and she wanted a cake that looked like him. I agreed knowing that he was just a square and it should take no time at all.

Night after night I would sit on my computer looking for an easy cake that didn't consist of just slapping some figures on top. I wanted to wow her! Soon I found one that seemed easy; a sheet cake decorated with just sectioning off the cake and frosting it to look like him, sleeves and pants made with frosted Funny Bones and pretzel rods dipped in melted chocolate. Ohhhh and let's not forget the shoes made out of Ring Dings!

Being a beginner I knew it could be a challenge but it was still just a square cake. OMG! The time I put into decorating that cake!

The melted frosting wasn't smooth enough on the pretzel rods so I threw them away and then sat there and picked all of the salt off and dipped them again. Success! But then the angle of his sleeves didn't line up so I continued to cut until I got the left and right equal. So what if I now had cut up Funny Bones just laying there. My husband didn't complain as he ate my mistakes.

As I finished up Spongebob I put on his blue eyes and red tie. Hmmmm, that frosting looked choppy and bad. I sat there staring at the cake as everyone told me that it was okay and it would still taste the same. Geez that irritated me! My sister Kim started patting at the tie and it went down a little. My eyes lit up! We then figured out if we dipped our finger tips in water and then patted the icing, it went smooth. Life saver!!!!

As people started to arrive I stood hunched over the cake giving it a bath. I wouldn't stop until he was 'perfect'! Once done, I put Spongebob in the fridge with a warning to everyone as I ran to get a quick shower: "Open that fridge and I will kill you!"

Later everyone smiled and praised me as I pulled Spongebob out and got the candles out. Dilemma! Where do I put the candles? I can't just shove them into him and mess up my work! Kim walked over, grabbed the candles and punctured him three times. It was like a knife to my heart. Dramatic I know but hey! It was my first non-store bought cake!

I will never forget Haley's face when she saw her cake! Her eyes lit up with excitement and her little hands covering her mouth as she let out a scream. (Haley is dramatic too!) I felt like Super Mom as my smile went from ear to ear. Then my smile disappeared as I was handed a knife and plates. I felt a little sad watching my creation being sacrificed to a bunch of people who just stuffed him in their mouths.

I vowed to myself at that moment that I would never get that attached to a cake again!