Picture not so perfect Cakes

Happy Friday the 13th!

Sorry I've been absent so much lately. Things have been a little busy with getting ready for school and the Dude's birthday coming up and such.
Speaking of which, I spent last night working on his birthday cake. He has a friend coming over to spend the night and hang out. I had suggested a Saturday celebration in which he could choose someone to go with him and do something special. I was even going to set up a day at the local shooting range (with guns not golf clubs) because I thought, being boys and scouts and such, he might get a kick out of having a lesson and getting to shoot different kinds. Or a paintball party. Or a day at Frankie's Fun Park. But no, all he wants is for his friend to come over and hang out. I suppose that's definitely cheaper -- just the cost of a couple of pizzas -- but it was disappointing that he didn't want to do anything more creative.
Even his cake was easy. All he said was that he wanted yellow cake with chocolate frosting. He didn't care what it looked like but he would prefer the cake to be home made. Well, okay.

So since I didn't know what to put on it, I put him on it.

I opened this picture in one of my image editing programs and made it black and white. Then I reversed it.

Then I used a technique I have used for several years. Until I read this post though, it had never occurred to me to use someone's picture. What you do is take a picture ( I usually used a simple coloring book picture) and place it on a flat surface like a cookie sheet. You tape it down and then tape a piece of wax paper over it.

Then you essentially 'color' it with your pastry bags of frosting. If it isn't a solid image that's filled in, I will usually freeze it then slather a thick layer of whatever frosting is on the top of the cake over it. After you freeze it for a while, you take it out, center and flip it over on top of the cake. Then its simply a matter of peeling away the wax paper. Usually once the image returns to room temperature, you can smooth it a little with a finger dipped in cornstarch.

This is how his turned out...

Yes, I know it isn't portrait perfect but I still think it's kind of cool. Plus, now, he can eat his own face. Hee hee.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.