Harry Potter Party

In November, we celebrated Katie's birthday by having a Harry Potter themed party (Yeah, okay, I'm getting tired of using numbers in place of names). We had so much fun planning and preparing it! Actually putting it on was fun, too.

I could've made a themed cake, but I didn't mind this easier genuine-from-the-movie option that Katie chose. Genuine minus the name change.

Balloon owls held in place by their candy parcels they carried.

Floating candles made with paper wrapped around LED tealights, strung up with clear string and clear pushpins.

Hot glue drips for effect.

I wore my Gryffindor quidditch robe (I'm a Ravenclaw, though) and time turner necklace.

Guests entered through platform 9 3/4, of course.

Butcher paper brick wall

We do parties right and get straight to the important part: cake...and butterbeer.

While I blended up the butterbeer, Shad entertained the kids with questions like, "What spell would you make and what does it do?"

Then he had them cover their eyes for a surprise: their Potter glasses!

Then we let the kids play in the living room while Shad set up easily the creepiest version of an already creepy Mr. Ollivander the world has ever seen.

This.

One by one, Thora chose kids to come to Mr. Ollivander's shop to buy their first wand (wooden dowels, hemp, hot glue, acrylic paint).

We ended with a sorting ceremony using a Buzzfeed quiz.

This boy. Because when you don't have wizarding robes...Batman.

And then a major excitement to end the night: our passports arrived!

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

People ask me for my buttercream recipe all the time. I've used this recipe for 16 years since I went to a Wednesday night church-sponsored cake decorating activity a week before I turned 12. It's really simple and easy to make...and somewhat addicting. Hide the graham crackers!

Wilton's Buttercream frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter/margarine, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla

2-4 T milk

4 cups powdered sugar

Whip butter with shortening.

Add vanilla and 2 T milk.

Mix in 2 cups powdered sugar til smooth.

Mix in another 2 cups powdered sugar along with 1-2 T milk, til smooth.

Should look like this:

My KitchenAid can hold a double batch at a time.

The Final Step: Delivery

Tips for cake transportation:

*Make sure the cake won't slide, either in the box, or in the car.  If the box is bigger than the board and the cake might slide, use some non-slip drawer liner.  Place the box in a position in the car where it won't slide.

*Leave the cake in the freezer or fridge right up until the moment of departure.  Keep the cake out of direct sunlight during transport, and use air conditioning in warm weather.

*When driving, follow these rules: Slow start. Slow stop. Slow turns.  This minimizes force on the cake.

*Always, ALWAYS bring a decorating bag full of each color used on the cake, as well as your spatulas of varying sizes and one of each tip used in decorating the cake.  Be prepared to make repairs, hopefully not surgery!
    
*Make sure you know the exact location and have good directions for your destination before you leave.


The absolute WORST delivery I ever had was working at the King Soopers bakery in Denver.  My manager decided that, on the hottest, most humid day in July, I was the best option as deliverer.  Full knowing I had no working air conditioning in my car.  With the cake thawed out 6 hours in advance.  Without working directions to the Denver Botanical Gardens (took me down the wrong way on a one-way street).  The cake was entirely destroyed when I arrived an hour later.  All the frosting from the sides was completely melted off the cake.  I had to redecorate the whole cake as best I could with a plastic knife, and then run like heck.  I wasn't even the original decorator who made the cake.  It was horrifying.

However, this delivery on Friday went like a dream.  Near polar opposite.  I knew exactly where I was going.  I had excellent air conditioning.  It was 77 degrees in a September evening, the coolest day all week.  I walked right in, set the cake on the table, followed the last cardinal rule of cake decorating, and gave the bride some simple instructions on how to cut her cake.  Total time: 45 minutes.

The Cardinal Rule of Cake Decorating:

Take a picture of your cake

This may seem like a simple thing, but really, it's pretty essential.  A) You need to keep track of your awesome creations in a personal portfolio. B) You have to have proof of what the cake looked like when it left your hands.  Think of it as insurance.





Three-Tiered Wedding Cake

This is my first attempt at a "how-to" blog post with step-by-step pictures, so bear with me as some may be missing.

DAY 1:

Use whatever cake recipe or mix you want to.  I like to go easy on myself and use mixes--particularly Pillsbury Moist.  I always get HIGH complements on my AMAZING moist cakes.  Take your paisley pan set and grease each pan with a layer of shortening and flour.  I use a paper towel to spread the shortening.  Make sure you get every crack, corner and crevice.  The large pan needs 2 cake mixes, or 10.5 cups of batter, or double whatever recipe says it makes a 9x13" pan.  I use applesauce instead of oil because I'm a big advocate of healthy alternatives.  Bake the large pan for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.  The smaller two pans will fit in together and they bake for about 40 minutes. Two key tests I use to see if the cake is done are the toothpick test (stick a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, it's done), and the edge test (the edges of the cake will shrink in and pull away from the sides of the pan).

Another key to successful baking is the Bake Even Strip.  I don't know how I ever lived without them.  Saturate in cold water, squeeze off excess water and wrap around the side of the pan.  Pin.  No more domed, cracked center.

When the cakes come out of the oven, set the pans (with cake still in it) on a cooling rack for 15 minutes before turning the cake over.  To flip the cake out of the pan, I take a cooling rack and place it on the top rim of the pan, then lift and flip the pan and cooling rack together.  Then you can gently lift the pan off the cake, leaving the cake to cool longer on the rack.  When the cakes are completely cool (or room temperature), wrap them in Seran Wrap and freeze.

DAY 2:

I sawed a piece of scrap wood to the size I needed it, then wrapped it in aluminum foil, like gift wrapping.

Foiled board

Buttercream frosting:

Whip 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine (softened) with 1/2 cup shortening.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 T milk.

Mix in 2 cups powdered sugar til smooth.

Mix in another 2 cups powdered sugar along with 1-2 T milk, til smooth.

Should look like this:

My KitchenAid can hold a double batch at a time.

Drop a standard coupler into a 14" featherweight decorating bag then fill half full with frosting.  Tools you'll need: 11" straight spatula, 9" angled spatula, 9" tapered spatula, turn table, #10 round tip, #7 round tip,  #2 round tip, cake icing smoother.

*Note: I get all my decorating supplies from Michaels or Hobby Lobby with 40% off coupons.  I NEVER pay full price.

Turntable

Place your board on the turntable, and, if you're concerned about the cake sliding on the board, put a dollop of frosting on the board to hold the cake in place.

Pull the bottom layer from the freezer and cut it in half.  Make sure your hand is ON TOP of the cake, NOT ON THE SIDE!  Place the bottom piece on the board.

Using the featherweight bag without a tip on, pipe a dam around the edge of the cake.

Fill with filling of your choice.  I used vanilla pudding.

Place top piece on.

Frost, using a back and forth motion with your 11" spatula.  Spread across the top, then overflow down on the sides.  Use the smoother around the edges and then pull across the top.  Don't worry about the top being pretty yet.

After frosting, there will be residue on the board.  Be sure to scrape that off with your spatula, and then use a damp paper towel.  Dry afterwards.

Before:

After:

I like using ribbon as a bottom border.  It looks great, and covers up a lot of frosting mistakes.

Cut the second layer in half and place the bottom half on top of the bottom layer.

Create your frosting dam and fill with pudding.

Cap the top piece on.

Frost, and place ribbon.

Cut the top layer in half and place the bottom piece on the second layer.  Make your frosting dam and fill with pudding.

Place the cap on and frost.

Place your ribbon.  This is when you smooth out the frosting and make it look good.  Don't stress over little air bubbles, that's expected with buttercream.  The beauty about decorating is that it can cover up a lot of what you don't want seen.

Using a #10 round tip, pipe beads on the side of each layer around the top edge.  I also piped a little bit of beads on the top edges to accentuate them.  Using the #7 round tip, pipe more beads on the side under the larger beads.

Like so:

Using the #2 round tip, pipe beads under the #7 beads, completing the bead drops.

And here's the completed cake!

Freeze or refrigerate until delivery.