Third time's the charm or three strikes and you're out...

One of the things I looked forward to the most about my birthdays growing up was the fancy cake Mom made for me.  Whatever I asked for, she came through.....Strawberry Shortcake, Barbies in fancy dresses, pianos, etc.  It made every birthday extra special, and I vowed I would do the same thing for my kids.  Unfortunately, I have been failing.

Example 1:  Adam
For Adam's first birthday, I made an airplane.  It was okay, but it didn't have the wow factor and definitely wasn't up to par of what I would have gotten as a child.  Every birthday since, we have been on vacation.  So, Adam has settled for a cake or cupcake from Walmart.

Example 2:  Sadie
I was determined to correct my failure with Adam, and I set to work on a cake for Sadie's first birthday...a teddy bear in a ballet outfit.  Everything was going great until it came out of the oven.  It broke into pieces when I tried to remove it from the pan.  :(  I almost broke down into tears, but I pulled myself together and ran to the store to get whatever was already made.  Walmart saved the day.  Sadie ended up with a princess cake complete with a tiara.  On her second birthday, I didn't even attempt a homemade cake.  We went to Walmart and pre-ordered a Dora the Explorer cake.  She was thrilled.

So, now we come to Tyler's first birthday.  I debated about whether to take the easy way out and go to Walmart or try the homemade route again.  I chose to go homemade.  Honestly, Tyler could care less.  I mean, c'mon...he's only 12 months old.  This was all about my chance for redemption.  I set to work making plans for a 2-tier Mickey Mouse cake with a Nutella buttercream filling and hoped I wasn't trying to bite off more than I could chew.

The cake turned out okay.  This was my first time working with fondant.  Not bad for a first try, but I didn't roll it as thin as I should have.  The best part of the cake was definitely the Nutella buttercream filling.  Yum!  Next time, forget the fondant and smother the whole cake with that buttercream filling!!!

So, what's the verdict?  Is it three stikes and I'm out, or is it third time is the charm?  Here's the real test....  Sadie's birthday is only a few short weeks away.  If she asks her mommy to make her a cake, I'll consider it a win.  If she asks for a trip to the Walmart bakery, it's a loss.  It will sting a little bit if she chooses Walmart over me, but it will be less headache for me.  So, I'll be happy with whatever she decides.