A birthday cake only a 4 year old would appreciate

Today we celebrate Orange's 4th birthday. Having been inspired by Pilgrim Parent's entry on homemake cakes in which the kids can participate in decorating, I'm re-embarked on my journey of cake-baking. The last time I baked a cake was almost five years ago.

18 Aug (Sat) - Practice run on baking basic choc cake.

Last minute change of recipe. No baking power. Decided to use self-raising floor. Halved the recommended sugar.

RESULT: Cake rose & cracked. Seems way too high. Taste: None (almost)

22 Aug (Tue)

10am - baked two chocolate cakes.

Followed recipe to the T (as far as possible)

RESULT: not that nice looking but taste of choc cake is discernable (whew!)

3pm - Icing Preparation

Step 1 - Dark Choc + Butter over boiling water (looking good)

Step 2 - added icing sugar (with O's help)

RESULT: bottom layer of clumped up choc mass + top layer of oil = disaster!!!

5.30pm - Icing Attempt 2

Did basic white icing (cannot go wrong type, I thought) + Cocoa

RESULT: Looks decent at first.... but final result: please see picture. Notice the gaps at the side.

6.30pm

Orange & Jambu were invited to decorate the cake.

Jambu's response:

Darling, it was a great effort. (with the most encouraging tone he could muster)

As Orange decorated the cake, she said:

So pretty! I love it! Thank you, mama.

She was so happy that she grinned almost the entire time we decorated the cake together.

FINAL RESULT:

A happy 4 year old, absolutely thrilled by her birthday cake.

....... nevermind the adults

You made my day, Orange. :0)

Orange and Opera

It all started with Andrea Bocelli appearing on Sesame Street singing "Time to say Good Night" to Elmo.

A few weeks later, at dinner, the girls were restless and a tad uncooperative. I decided to distract them with my opera voice which I used to imitate Pavorotti when I was much younger for sheer fun. Interestingly, it got their attention. I would like to say that it was due to my superb singing voice but it is not to be. Maybe it was the words.

Time to say good nite,
my Orange (or Apple)
Time to sleep,
It's time to go to bed
Time to go to sleep

The girls liked it so much that O would request me to sing it during meals. I can even use it as a bargain chip. "Eat your vegetables first then mama will sing opera". Sometimes the request would be "Mama sing Auntie Opera" or "Mama sing Uncle Opera", depending on whether they want to hear Bocelli or Sarah Brightman. But Auntie Opera's more hiliarious because there was no way mama could hit those high notes.

On National Day, it suddenly dawn on me that we have a VCD on Bocelli's "Night in Tuscany". For the last few days, we been watching and listening to Andrea Bocelli's Con te partiro. Orange even calls him "Uncle Bocelli".