Another year older

It seems all too fast, but my elder daughter has again grown a year older. Time sure flies! It seems just not too long ago when I made that Powerpuff girl cupcakes and fondant cake for her 6th birthday. I remember vividly that powerpuff girl cakes took me 3 days to complete...burning midnight oil to mould the figurines etc. This time round, it took me less then a day,...I even took a break and went out with my sister to have coffee and chit chat at the nearby cafe! Please don't be mistaken, I'm not trying to boast here. It's just that I realize simplicity can be a form of beauty too! Looking back at the amount of effort I pile into making her last birthday cake makes me amaze of my own patience. :P I guess maybe I had a helper then...now I am on my own. :P With the time constraint, I had no choice but to make a "simpler" cake for her....and here it is:

You must be wondering why I had not prepare way ahead for this...why push to the very day to make it. I was tight down with the new house and family gatherings that's why. :P Sadly I have much lesser time to bake like I used to back in Malaysia....not to mention blogging. But I try not to stay away for too long though. ;)

If you look carefully, there are imperfections all over the cake...but I could not really "beautify" it any further since I had already invited the rest of the family over for a cake cutting session. So I just handed in as is! :) Just close one eye....lol!

I made 2X8 inch round cake pan plus a 6 inch round for this. There was some left over batter which I made it into cupcakes; my girls gobbled up moments after it came out of the oven! Moulding the figurine was fun...but I wish I had more time to make a nicer one. :P

For the cake recipe, I used the same chocolate cake in my husband's birthday cake last year. I like the moist chocolate cake but still "sturdy" enough to hold up the fondant. As for the filling, I got lazy and used simple heavy cream whipped with powered sugar & vanilla extract. Turns out it worked just fine! *phew*

Check out the layers inside *sorry...a wee bit messy here*. Just fresh whipped cream and strawberries sandwiched between layers of dark chocolate cake...as what my girl had requested. :) I am glad that she loves this cake and most of all everyone enjoys eating it (can't say about the fondant though, lol!) I hope next year I won't have to rush like mad again making my girl's birthday cake! Hope you all enjoyed viewing this cake as much as I have made it. Last but not least...Happy Sweet 7th Birthday to my DD!