In our house, The Grinch is a fixture any time of year. But now that Christmas is nearing (and fast!!) he is even more present. The classic cartoon, the movie, the music, the book, the stuffed animals, the clothes -- he's everywhere, and mostly because of my 4-year-old daughter.Last year for her 4th birthday party she requested a Grinch theme. Since her birthday is only two days before Christmas, I thought it was a fitting idea and set out to come up with a fun cake for her. I love to bake and decorate, and although some of the work on this cake definitely wasn't my best, in the end it clearly was an original and was made with lots of love.
Many hours and days were spent trying to figure out how to make it work and incorporate my daughter's ideas -- the Grinch needed to be "stealing" Christmas, there needed to be a tree, and of course Cindy Lou Who needed be on there. The whole thing came to me as I was trying to go to sleep one night, one of those instant a-ha moments, and I couldn't wait to begin making my plans the next day. I love that the cake turned out as much my ideas as my daughter's -- she is so creative and often pushes my own creativity to places I normally wouldn't go. Instead of thinking something may be too hard to figure out, I do it anyway because it's for her. :O)
The big features of the Grinch birthday cake were:
- The Grinch, red Santa sack, Cindy Lou Who, and the Whos were made with color flow icing. The Grinch, Santa sack, and Cindy Lou Who were made with different colors of icing. The Whos going around the cake were made with white icing, and their clothes and features were colored on with markers. They were so small it just would have been impossible to make them with multiple colors of icing.
- The Grinch had his arms out, ready to steal the tree!! Cindy Lou Who watched from nearby.
- A Christmas tree made out of an ice cream cone covered with green frosting using a star tip. Round sprinkles were added for a look of ornaments.
- The top layer was made to represent a Who-house, with lights and ornaments going all around.
- The bottom layer was made to represent the ground and snow cover of Whoville for the Whos to stand on while holding hands and singing their famous song.
- Plastic presents were added underneath the tree for the Grinch to steal.
Watch out, the Grinch is about to steal the Christmas tree and shove it up the chimney!!
The presents may be gone, but the Whos down in Whoville will sing their favorite song!!
The very happy Birthday Girl with the finished cake!!
The cake itself was chocolate and very yummy. And of course my husband made me cut the cake, which is SO HARD to do after spending all that time decorating. But it's to enjoy after all, and enjoy we did!!
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