The Lightening McQueen cake

The request Nicholas had for his birthday party was a Lightening McQueen cake. I desperately tried to get him to go with cupcake, but no way. I took him to Michaels, intending to show him that there was Lightening McQueen cupcake toppers to use instead. But on the very bottom row, in a picture that was maybe 2 inches by 2 inches (and he was in the top of the cart, moving when he saw this) - he saw a Lightening McQueen cake pan. That was that.

I got everything the instructions said to get. I was sure I was going to be able to do it. I took some great advice and baked the cake early on Friday afternoon. It was a homemade chocolate cake. Nicholas, as the birthday boy, got to eat the batter off the mixer things. He look so sad about that.

But that morning I had been reading the directions and thought that maybe, just maybe, I was a little ambitious. I mean, who knows how to make stars all over? And why should there have to be blue in the windows instead of white? Why can't I just paint color all in? What is a crumb coat? Why do the stars in one spot have to be bigger than the others? Needless to say, my frosting experience is with cupcakes - not cakes.

So Hannah - bless her soul - volunteered to come over that night. She was awesome. She made the red (which I could not get going) and took over so I wasn't a complete head case. Shee how gorgeous it is?

I take full credit for the messy white frosting (home-made buttercream), the stars and sprinkles. Those were all me. And I did some of the other stuff too (like the black outlining in some places).

Nicholas was seriously excited when he saw it all done and was happy to blow out his candles. He had a great time eating Lightening McQueen.

He even asked for another Lightening McQueen cake. Not in this lifetime.