This is a cake I made for my lovely friend Karen. Karen and I played tag maternity leave when we had our kids. As I went back to work after having Beau, she left for maternity leave to have Dylan. Then it happened a few years later with Darcey and Ewan. We hardly saw each other for three years!
Our four kids get on really well and Beau has a special soft spot for Dylan. Marriage has been discussed. They are 8!
Karen worked in the art department at Woman and Home so she’s super talented and creative. When it was Dylan’s 5th birthday she designed a rocket party invitation and asked me to make him a birthday cake to match.
Of all the cakes I’ve made this is one of my favourites. I love the simple design and bold colours. I think the wording works well (thank goodness ‘Dylan’ is a short name!) and the fire coming out at the bottom just adds to the rocket theme. I think this was the first cake I made that I actually was happy with and wouldn’t have changed a thing!
The jokes on me!
One of the guys in the Art department is Glen. Glen is an amazing photographer on the side. Karen was talking to him about the party and how I was doing a rocket cake and he suggested that the stars on the cake should light up. Never one to shy away from a challenge I set to planning and working out how to do it. Little did I know that he was actually joking! I didn’t find that out until after the party though!
Lighting up the night stars
I decided that the easiest way to make the stars light up was to use battery operated fairy lights. I had just finished shooting the christmas interior features and it was the first time they were so readily available. I was a bit addicted to them!
I started by drilling large holes into the cake board which were sealed up with cellotape. Each side edge of the cake board was set up on thin strips of wood so the battery pack could be hidden underneath, whilst still being easy to switch on. I used a ton of tape to position a fairly light into each of the holes in the board. This meant that when the lights were turned on the holes in the board lit up.
The top of the cake board was covered in blue icing sugar. Different sized star cutters were pressed into the icing on the board and the blue icing where each star was was removed. A corresponding yellow or white star was then cut out and popped into the space on the board. I then carefully smoothed the whole board so it was nice and flat. The stars with lights behind actually had thinner icing sugar than the rest so that as much light as possible could shine through. I added the moon in the same way. Then I could add the cake to the board and the wording to finish.
So all that’s left to say is thanks Glen for an original idea. Now I need to think of where else I can add lights!!!
EmmaMT
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That is ingenious!
Now you do realize that George is going to have something to say about the Dylan marriage business – or at least I do!
Darcy, if this is the case, it looks like you land Sammie. Can you imagine those two? They’re already like an old married couple!
Hi Emma,
Thank you very much for this awesome blog of creative ideas on cakes. I am making for my son’s 1st Birthday party a rocket cake. I haven’t seen the pictures of how you made this gorgeous cake but I can guess from the form that it’s similar to the pirate ship cake. Fingers crossed when I decorate mine today. 🙂
How did it go? Do you have pics you can share? Head on over to the CakesBAkesAndCookies.com Facebook page so I can see!!!
EmmaMT
is there an actual how to make the cake?
So sorry, I made this cake before I had the blog so there aren’t any step shots but it was pretty straight forward.
-I made a rectangular cake and cut out the basic rocket body shape then sliced off the edges so they were curved.
– I covered the cake in red sugarpaste and made wings for the sides
– I added the details on the body of the rocket the added the number 5 and the name ‘Dylan’ (OMG Dylan is now 10!- Can’t believe how long ago I made this cake!)
– The rocket flames were cut out and layered up underneath. I think this cake looks good as the shape is on a diagonal slant making it look like it’s flying through the air.
– I made the board a week before the cake – drilling holes in the board, covering them with cellotape and then covered the whole board with blue icing. While it was still soft I cut out stars where the holes were and added stars. Battery operated lights were taped to the bottom of the board so the stars would light up.
I hope that helps
EmmaMT