The Indian Princess Party

Juju contemplates her cake.

As I mentioned last week, I made the cake for a friend's four year old's birthday this weekend.  The party  was at the Rare Hare Art Studio in Normal Heights, a super-cool space for art classes and parties for kids and grownups alike.  I'll let Jora tell you more about it, but I thought I'd share a few shots, and of course, let you know how the cake turned out!

Party guests - appropriately attired. :)

The birthday girl had requested vanilla cake, and I went searching for a new recipe since up until now, I haven't really found one I like all that well.  This one from Bakerella fit the bill.  I didn't have White Lily flour, which she said she had used, so I used a combination of two cups regular self rising flour and one cup of cake flour with one teaspoon of baking powder mixed in.  The cake was tender but rich, and I really liked the flavor.  I made my usual cream cheese frosting and tinted it pink, since  I wanted it to look just like it does in her picture.  :)  I also upped the recipe by half so that I could fill three 9 inch cake pans.

There can never be too much pink on a four year old's birthday cake.  At least that was my theory. :)

The decorations are fondant - that was the fun part.  I had a grid mat and a little rolling pin, and cut them out with an exacto knife, pizza cutter and piping tip (the large end.)  Funny thing - while I was making the decorations in the kitchen, James and my nieces were watching Romeo + Juliet in the living room - the modern version with Leonardo di Caprio and Clare Danes.  Everytime I look at those teepees on the side of the cake I hear Shakespearean dialogue in my head.

The gifts from myself and the girlies - I could have happily kept them myself! 

I picked up these gifts at the store at their school - the Snake and Lily.  Are they the cutest or what??  I had wanted to get her a little Indian girl, but she already had one - so I contemplated whether to get the brave, or a mama with a papoose - luckily, she got the mama and papoose from someone else - so she has the whole set now.  :)