In all likelihood, there comes a day when you turn to your child and ask them what kind of birthday cake they’d like. And they answer “Red.”
Or blue, or pink… or a yellow duck looking at a purple cat. You get the point. (This conversation actually took place, by the way. Last week was that day. Hudson wants a red cake. Blech.)
So whether it be superhero-themed or Hungry-Caterpillar-inspired, you need a bright, kid-approved, hand-staining (and you-know-what-staining) cake. With Spider-Man—and firefighters, and talking trains, and other color-filled—parties on the horizon, I realized I needed some strategies for making colorful desserts look and taste good. Red, as you probably know, rarely tastes good. (Recall that this was my attempt at a vaguely red firetruck last year.)
I enlisted the help of a talented friend, Emily O’Donnell of Bake My Day, to teach us all a little bit about how to make those extra-indulgent, designer (i.e. expensive) cookies that children love, and stocked up on some Spidey-themed decorations—so that they won’t even notice that the cake and the cupcakes are actually… gasp… white! Lips sealed.
Read on to learn the basics…
This post is sponsored by Target. More Spider-Man, More Amazing: Blur the lines of fantasy and reality with your favorite superheroes at Target.
Skyler reached the three-month-mark yesterday. One quarter of a year. If she follows any of the same trajectory as Hudson, she could be starting to try some solids in three more. She could be walking in six. (!) This week we will be getting her a passport, and next week she’ll take her first cross-country plane ride. It’s all so hard to grasp (and keep hold of).
I was thinking back fondly on our visit to the stunning tidepools outside of Monterey, and it occurred to me that I had a lot more to say about that trip and about paying a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on your next trip to the central coast of California.
For one, where you should eat—which you know is always of chief concern to me. There’s a relatively new restaurant (it opened last year) inside the aquarium called Cindy’s Waterfront. If you’re traveling with kids and you’re absolutely sure that you can’t get them to settle for a sit-down lunch, there’s a new café attached as well; but if you can manage it, be sure and make reservations for window seats at the restaurant. We stopped by the desk first thing when we arrived and put our name in, but just to be safe, call ahead (they’re only open 11-3).
