Happy Wednesday! Well, our littlest cakelet, Neve (aka Lovie) turned 2 last week, and it seems like there’s been cake for days (or months, I suppose). Sure, two years really isn’t that long ago, but I do remember every minute of that day so vividly, as I do with the day our little 4-year-old, Reese, was born. I will say that the day Neve was born, September 7th, 2009, was a breeze compared to my first experience giving birth. But, I’ll most definitely spare you those details! When I realized her second birthday was soon coming, I really wasn’t sure how to approach the cake, or, well, cakes.
See, last year, before I had a blog or made wedding cakes for a living, I spent weeks planning my first dessert table for the big party we threw for her at our house (that was one of my very first blog posts!). Yes, it looks a bit more like a fancy-ish dessert table than a little 1-year-old birthday party, but it just sort of happened that way! I suppose I had a lot of time and boundless creative energy to expend, and it was lovely and worth it, but this year, after a year filled with layer cakes and pink icing, I simply wasn’t sure what to do for her. It turns out when you make cakes every week for a year, it kind of changes your perspective a bit. I knew I wanted to keep it a little more simple and not crazy fancy and fondant-full, so, rather than going grand, I went teeny tiny. Yep, teeny tiny, simple, and sweet. Little wee, in fact.
But, before making the Little Wee Birthday Cake here at home, we ended up traveling around on the weekends surrounding her birthday, rather than hosting a big party at our house. We spent Labour Day weekend at the cottage (remember the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Espresso Whipped Cream?), so I brought some layer cakes for our group (Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Strawberry Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache, kind of like this one, as well as a larger Fluffy Vanilla Cake with Pink Whipped Vanilla Frosting), and then brought a smaller version for the 3 kids (our two, plus cousin Lucas). It was a very relaxed and perfectly cottage-lovely time.
Then last weekend we spent Sunday having a cozy lunch on the farm (as we did for Reese’s last birthday where we did the Rainbow Doodle Cake) in Prince Edward County, as it was Neve and her Grandpa’s birthday, so I made her a classic chocolate layer cake with pink frosting and sprinkles as well as a Gingersnap Cheesecake for Grandpa (recipe to follow — oh yum!). I have to say I really loved being the traveling birthday party this year; what a refreshing change. I do kind of miss the party planning aspect of it all, so next year I think we’ll go for it again.
And, finally, she had the little wee pink vanilla cake at home. 4-inch, 2 layer Fluffy Vanilla Cake with Pink Whipped Vanilla Frosting. I also made a 5-inch round cake-for-two and dyed it turquoise. I’m loving the small scale cakes, and I think it would be really fun to make the Little Wee Cakes for each kid at a birthday party and then maybe pop an even more wee second tier onto the birthday girl’s cake, for a Two-Tier Little Wee Cake.
Because I’m a mom, because I’ve been reflecting on the past two years with Neve, and because I love photos, excuse me while I indulge in some serious mommy-bragging. I just really wanted to share a (large) handful of some of my favourite photos of our little birthday girl over the past two years:
Happy Birthday to our little Lovie!
I’ll be back very soon with a Fluffy Vanilla Cake Part II post, for those of you who have had questions about making that cake. I will go into more detail and hopefully even include a few process shots to help troubleshoot any issues you may have encountered. It’s really the lightest, fluffiest, and most delicious vanilla cake I’ve ever made or eaten, and I make it often. Oh, I love it so!
If you’d like to make your own Litte Wee Birthday Cakes, here’s what I did to achieve the classic design I’ve used:
Litte Wee Swag Birthday Cakes
Fluffy Vanilla Cake recipe x 1. For me the yield was two 4-inch round layers and three 5-inch layers, but you can play around with any small cake pans you may have (I have altered this recipe slightly to avoid the chance of too much liquid being added to the batter.). I’ll be blogging more about this after this post, but in the meanwhile, you can see those changes on the original Fluffy Vanilla Cake with Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting post.
I used the same frosting, but omitted the vanilla bean and added an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract, along with some AmeriColor Deep Pink for the litttle cake and Turquoise for the 5″ cake.
*Tip: For an even icing swag, trace a circle onto parchment paper, using the cake pan you used for the cake. Cut out the circle, and fold in half, then again, and then once more. You should have a 8 even pie-shaped wedges in your circle. Place the parchment circle gently on top of your frosted cake. Use a toothpick or pin to create a small holes in your cake where the edge of the folds are. These holes will mark where your swags will meet.
Using a piping bag fitted with a plain round piping tip (I used #3) and filled with buttercream, pipe your icing swags using your guides.
Pipe a few dots below each join, if desired.
Using an open star tip (I used Wilton #22), finish each join with a small rosette, by piping in one full circular motion, starting in the middle, working outward.
If you’d like to see what cake-baking tools I use on a daily basis, I’ve recently created a list of my favourite baking supplies that I love. You can check that out here.
Good luck & enjoy!
// ]]>
Your girls have got to be the most beautiful children I’ve ever seen! Happy Birthday to Neve – I love the tiny cakes, and that Fluffy Vanilla Cake is next on my baking list!
absolutely adorable. oh… and your cake is pretty cute too ;)
I made tiny tall wedding cakes before. Tried to do swag but didn’t get it quite right. Thanks for this idea!
Hi Rosie, what gorgeous girls you have! Im a fan of the simple cakes as well as these are just gorgeous! Thank you for the tip on doing the swags, Im making my own birthday cake next weekend and Im going to attempt to do these :) Thanks again!
Rosie she’s just priceless. You really have the most beautiful little girls. Those blue eyes could melt glaciers. Happy Birthday to your wee one. The time flies fast and it’s gone in a breath. Thanks you for letting us share her day.
love love love this post! Those cakes are precious and your children are so beautiful! This post is fantastic…so filled with love. I absolutely adore all of the photos and especially in the ones where you capture the love between the two girls…so cute!!! Happy birthday Neve!
Rosie, your family is beautiful! Your cakes are beautiful and tasty, too. Thank you for sharing.
Adorable pictures! Happy birthday to your little one!
love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ps what camera do you have, and what lens. I want to make this for my sweeties!
She is a real beauty, Rosie.. (both your girls are). Happy Birthday to Neve!
Heck yes this cake is swagalicious!!
No wonder I didn’t enjoy birthday parties as a wee one – I didn’t have a mother who made me three cakes per birthday, and a fancy-ass dessert table;)
Oh yeah, and cakes weren’t my preferred food when I was little. Your kids know what’s up, though!
Rosie, wow! We just have too much in common! Let me say that I look forward to every blog and this one was like just the best!!! I also just had my daughters 2nd birthday party and I made her a mini-smash cake (a two tier little wee cake) and we loved it. Our daughters are only 3 days apart, my daughter Ociana was born Sept 4, 2009! You hit home with so many things. I am a small-time at home baker and wanted to do something small not so big with fondant and less extravagant. I instead made a lot of litttle treats and a bigger ruffle cake for guests which I used two of your cake recipes! I used the dark chocolate (which is always wonderful) and tried the Southern Devils Food (I still love the dark chocolate best). I did make the ruffle cake with the Swiss Meringue Buttercream and that was a hit! Happy birthday to your beautiful little cakelet Neve and thank you for giving inspiration to want to bake even more!
The cake and the photos are just too too adorable! Happy Birthday Neve!
What a cutie pie!
She is so georgus your daughter!!!! And your cake is very beautiful!!!
Oh your sweet blog just melts my heart!!
so adorable!!! Happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday Neve! The cake(s) and pictures of her are as gorgeous as each other. You have some seriously beautiful children.
Absolutely adorable!
Oh my goodness, the photos in this post are adorable! Your little girl is so sweet :)
Happy birthday miss Neve :) And – wow, look at all of those beautiful photos! This is going to be a super special post in a few years when you can look back and read it yourself x
I wish you made my birthay cake!!!…
http://www.mipatisserie.blogspot.com
Your dessert table from her 1st b-day is fantastic! And of course your cake for her 2nd b-day is perfect! Happy Birthday Neve!
Most precious! All of it. Lovely.
Soooooo cute! I look forward to see your second post- am wondering if the cake is dyed inside too? Lots of Virgos out there- I made my mum a sweet looking but huge red velvet cake for her birthday on Saturday! http://wp.me/p1Ilxy-cV
She is soo cute!!!
She just might be the cutest little thing on this earth! And, that goes for the cakelet, too. Lovely.
Much love to Lovie and the sweetest Mom. As always, your cakes are beautiful and utterly scrumptious.
I think it’s nice that your little Neve shares a birthday with her Grandpa. I bet he was doubly proud when she was born two years ago! Her mini cakes are just lovely and perfect for toddlers birthdays. Your photographs of her are all so beautiful and she is such an adorable little girl.
Hello,
I just have to say you make the very most beautiful cakes , I don’t know how you stay so slim?? your daughters are so so sweet , enjoy them while they are small they grow up so fast, your youngest looks identical to a little sweetie I used to babysit , it is quite uncanny , even my husband gasped and said , that’s Megan !!! gorgeous , keep up the inspiring cakes…
Chris Kauffman
What a gorgeous family…and CAKE! :)
Oh my goodness, do you have a beautiful family. And you’re a gifted photographer. Happy Birthday to your little Sweetie.
Rosie, this is such a pretty little cake! And the perfect way to bookend a birthday by doing the cottage and farm retreats. Perfect! Happy birthday again to your wee little one. One day she’ll know just how lucky she is.
What a doll! And the cake is darling! Happy Birthday to your precious little girl!
What a beautiful little girl! Happy Birthday to sweet Neve. What a lucky girl to have such a pretty birthday cake.
Congratulations momma on your birthday girl! And lovely cake! It turned out beautifully.
http://www.bluebirdkisses.com
Congratulations momma on your birthday girl! And the cake turned out beautifully, I love the pink icing…looks amazing.
I hope that your daughter has a happy birthday! = )
I think of this as my cake and I love it! Happy birthday sweet little Lovie! I’ll think of you every year, now, and look forward to “my” cake :-)!
Thanks so much, everyone! xo
Awwwww….God Bless you and your family…..I love your posts! Your girls make me smile…the cuteness is so contagious!
They are both so cute. The perfect little cake for a cute little girl. All the cakes look delicious.
Oh. MY! They are so, so, so, so, SO adorable!! & the cake is so cute! It looks delicious! :) ♥
Oh so sweet…I wish I had the baking power that you do ;) Those sweet babes grow up so fast…makes me kinda sad my ‘baby’ is 3 and my 10 year old is acting like a 21 year old, tee hee.
Jamie :)
Happy Birthday to Neve! She is adorable and a beautiful fitting cake for the cakelet! :-)
Happy Birthday Neve! I looovee the mini cake idea- they are just too cute. She makes me want a #3- don’t you get baby fever just looking at her? Adorable!
Awww, this post is too sweet. :3 The cakelettes look so cute and petite and just all around gorgeous! Neve is cute too. Not to sound like a creepy, stlaer, blog-reader, but I absolutely adore her eyes. They are so big and round and filled with cuteness and wonder! Daaawww! (Ok, done being creepy, I’m sorry).
These wee cakes are utterly charming! Couldn’t be more perfect for your gorgeous little ones!
Happy birthday Sweet Neve! I love the wee cakes and the beautiful photos! My daughter, Eva, had the same cupcake hat for her 5th birthday (remember my attempt at the rainbow cake for her birthday last month??). I found the hat at a Cracker Barrel in Ohio and couldn’t resist buying it for her birthday. I love the adorable little toques the girls wore! Where did you find those?!
I just discovered you from your mention on the A Thought for Food Blog. And honestly my first thought was, dang, another fantastic food blog I have to follow! Your pictures are lovely and your recipes look great. I look forward to more!
She’s a beauty, like her mother! Actually, both the girls are super pretty! Happy birthday to her! :)
Oh Rosie…these pictures of your sweet girls are beyond adorable! I’m pregnant with our first baby (a girl!!), and I have dreams of cute little pink play kitchens and pink birthday cakes! Happy birthday to your sweet Neve!
Those pictures of Lovey (and others!) are absolutely adorable!!!! What a beautiful little lady I have for a niece ;). Love the cakes too!
These are so sweet, so beautiful and perfect, they look like precious toy cakes. :) As always, lovely job, Rosie. And also as always, a joy to see your beautiful babies.
Thanks my dear friend, Darla! xo
Thank you so much for sharing all of your amazing ideas. You are so very, very clever.
*omg* the kids are sooooo cute, they look like dolls *____*
Oh my goodness. Those pictures melt my heart, and I’m not even her mom. Love the little chef hat one! So sweet.
I just have to say, you have the most adorable children. Your photos are precious. The cake is just perfect.
when you make smaller cakes, how does the baking time change?
What a total cutie, Rosie! She’s a little princess! And that cake? Perfection :)
that must be the prettiest pink birthday cake in the whole world and your daughter is so cute, love the kids photos! thank you for sharing all these great cake recipes, our kitchen aid is going to work overtime from now :)
I am making your strawberry layer cake with the whipped strawberry frosting for my little girls 2nd birthday on Thursday. I’m thinking I might decorate it like this one, though. It is so adorable. How do you get your icing so smooth?
I made this little cake, dyed turquoise on the day of my daughters first birthday. Was really the ‘trial’ for your three tiered Love, Cake and Sprinkles cake for the party day. BOTH turned out exactly as the picture. And now I am obsessing about when I can make another of your gorgeous creations. Am REALLY in love with your blog.
So glad to hear it, Maria! Thanks so much for the kind words :)
So pretty–I just wish I could get my frosting looking like yours–your cake looks super smooth–almost like fondant–WOW.Enjoyed this blog.
What height are the 4 inch cake pans you used? 3inch or 2inch?
did you use 4×2 or 4×3 cake pans?
That little girl is beautiful!!
And what a cutie cake!
xo
awwwwww… your little girls are so cute!!! and i loved your cake. it is simple yet elegant, just perfect enough to outshine any cake that is way to decorated and is dripping sprinkles. :) not that any of your cakes are like that, though… and i admire your patience. after the first two tries i would just be sooo annoyed and go sit and sulk on the computer chair to look for another recipie. i also love your photography!!!!! thanks for putting on an awesome blog!!!!!
love,
“Serena”
Girls are cuties , Happy Birthday to your little one :)
The link for the recipe to yeild a wee cake takes you the page to yeild two 8 inch cakes……what are the correct quanitities to create this stunner? Love love love little cakes, look far more cuter ! Thank you
where do you purchase the cute stand for the wee birthday pink cake? its fab…please do let me know
Your girls are so cute! Love your blog! I would love to make this little cake for my daughters first birthday and was wondering since I would be using smaller cake pans does the baking time differ? Thanks!
Hi! I have been assigned the task of baking my nephew’s first birthday cake. I am hoping to use your wee cake recipe, but I am a little nervous about adjusting the baking time for the smaller pans. Do you have any advice? Should I just check them at 20 minutes or try a little earlier?
Your website is gorgeous and your recipes are delicious by the way!
Your kids are just too beautiful! I have a two year old (well not quite 2) and I’ve turned to your blog for inspiration for her birthday cake. I have learned so much by reading your posts. Thank you!
Oh my, I just love your photos of your little ones. They so adorable!! And the cake is so perfect and delicious. Lovely, lovely post!
Hello! I love your recipes but I cannot find Fluffy Vanilla cake on the blog anymore.. Did you delete the recipe? Is it possible to somehow have it back?