Birthday Cakes - Happy Birthday Master M!!

Hello......I don't know about you, but growing up our Mum would make us beautiful birthday cakes. The dolly varden cake was a stand out for me (not sure if you were born B....but yes we know your the baby!!) I would marvel at the creations she would make for us.

I remember once in high school we would have an arts day, which would include everything from cooking, arts and crafts, sewing and acting in plays. We would have to enter our creations and the teachers would judge the best on the day. I set about making a cake for one of the categories and decided to make the swimming pool! (surely you have all seen the Women's Weekly kids cake books - I have them all!). Well I did a sterling job and actually got a place....I was so happy with myself, but by the end of the day the swimming pool which was blue jelly had now turned into a waterfall.

Now that I have 3 kids of my own I secretly look forward to their birthdays and love the looks on their faces when they see the end result! My Master 6 turns 7 today so I just wanted to share with you the cup cakes he wanted me to make for his class mates at school. I used cup cake recipe that I have been using for many moons as it's very easy and quick. It's from The Australian Women's Weekly - Home Baked - page 214.

Makes 24
125g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups (225g) self-raising flour
1/4 cup (60ml) milk

1 Preheat oven to moderate. Line patty pans with paper cases.
2 Combine butter, extract, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in a small bowl of electric mixer, beat on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and changed to a paler colour.

3 Drop slightly rounded tablespoons of the mixture into paper cases. Bake in moderate oven about 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire racks to cool.

4 Spread icing onto cold cakes.

I just made my own icing which was:
2 cups icing sugar
40g softened butter
just enough milk so it comes together, making sure it's not runny
any food colouring of your choice.

Master 7 wanted little pigs on his cupcakes, they are in The Australian Women's Weekly - Kids Party Cakes.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Love M x

PS: Share with us some of your favourite Birthday Cakes you can remember as a kid growing up.