How Much Cake to Make?

OK, it’s party time! You’ve sent the invitations, gotten a few replies (why, oh why don’t people RSVP? – alright, we’ll discuss that another time), and are ready to make the cake. Unless you want the duty of personally eating all the leftovers yourself – eating it now so it won’t tempt you later – it’s a good idea to have a grip on how much to make.

Here’s a handy little guide:

Cake Feeds
8” round, 2 layers 10 – 14 guests
9” round, 2 layers 12 – 16 guests
8” or 9” square, one layer 9 guests
13” x 9” sheet cake, one layer 12 – 16 guests
10” tube pan 12 – 16 guests
12 cup Bundt pan 12 – 16 guests
9” loaf pan 8 – 10 guest

Need twice as many? Just make another layer! Need half as much? Too bad! Stick to cupcakes or blow your diet (smile).

Cake Decorating... airbrush style!

You’ve seen them – gorgeous cakes that look like they ran smack into a rainbow. They’re color drenched works of art, and they were made using an airbrush.

I haven’t tried one yet, but have been looking into how they work. Basically, an airbrush is used to spray ink (or in the case of a cake decorator, food coloring!). You load it up, pull the trigger, and then a stream of air goes through the airbrush, carrying the color with it and spreading it out on the surface of the cake. You can load the airbrush with more than one color at a time to get that rainbow look. You can use an airbrush to do the background of a cake or to give it kind of a tie-dye looks.

Apparently it takes some practice to get your airbrush to do what you want it to. Lots of professional decorators use them, and swear by them. So it’s worth a try!

Have you used an airbrush for your cakes? How did they come out? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?

Welcome to Beast and Bug Cakes for Boys!

Hi There!

Welcome to the Beast and Bug Cake blog! My name's Sue "The Cake Mom" Anderson, and I'm also the author of the Beast and Bug Cakes Guide, which is on birthday cakes for boys (and nearly finished with the Critter and Cricket Cakes Guide, which is on birthday cakes for girls).

You can hop on over to my web site at www.beastandbugcakes.com to sign up for the free newsletter, Life's a Party! which sends you tons of great tips, tricks, and easy ways to add fun to your family's daily life (and special occasions, too!).

Meanwhile, why not take a look around my blog, hang out, have a cold glass of milk and a slice of cake, click around a bit, bookmark it, and be sure to check back regularly for all the latest yummy morsels.

And don't forget to leave a comment and give your two cents about turning your family life into a party!

Sue