Elmo Birthday

January 20, 2010My friend Stephanie asked me to make her son, Riley's, first birthday cake. I wanted it to be special. I found an awesome picture online and was excited at the challenge of making a 3D Elmo. But things didn't go as planned. Unfortunately the 3D cake collapsed leaving only a hemisphere that was usable. It wasn't until I started having problems with the cake construction at I realized the design I had picked included a very complicated skeletal structure to support the weight at different points including dowel rods and wire. So I decided to modify my original plan and do a 3D Elmo head on a sheet cake. I made a matching "patty" cake for Riley.

Although the cake was a huge success at the party, it was a very emotional night for me. It was a combination of stress, lack of sleep, and pregnancy hormones that sent me over the edge. Jason and I decided if I were going to continue baking, I needed to make sure I didn't over extend myself. Neither he nor I could handle another "Elmo disaster". I'm just glad that Riley had a wonderful birthday despite the change in plans.