Pirate ship birthday cake

Tomorrow is our gorgeous little boy, Austen’s very first birthday.  What a crazy thought, a year ago today I was in the difficult process of trying to get him out, and tomorrow out whole lives changed.

It’s been the most rewarding and challenging year all at the same time.  Austen arrived on Sunday afternoon and took us on a crazy ride of worry and sleep deprivation for the next 2 months, varying health problems for both of us and, of course, the crash course in parenting you have to go through to get to the first birthday.  I’m sure we still have so much to learn, each phase seems to have its share of joys and difficulties.  Looking back on it all there’s no way you can prepare yourself for any of it, people can warn you, tell you, help you and the rest of it but each parent, child and experience is different so you just have to work it out.  As hard as it’s been, I wouldn’t change a single thing (ok, maybe all the times I’ve been peed and pooed on) because this little man is the best thing ever!  The love and emotion that he creates within me is indescribable.  I can watch him for hours, laugh and giggle and snuggle with him for days. A social little boy, who loves to be the centre of attention and gives so much love to all he comes into contact with.

And somehow we find ourselves getting ready to do it all again with a second child in July!

So yesterday, we threw Austen his first birthday party.  It was such a special day full of all our loved ones, sun, laughter and delicious food.

I tried my hand at my first kids birthday cake from The Women’s Weekly “Kids’ Birthday Cakes” a pirate ship. As you can see it isn’t perfect, but I was happy at my attempt and it really wasn’t too difficult.  I didn’t eat a piece when we served it, the ‘black’ icing just didn’t seem right to me!  Everyone else enjoyed it though.

Cake

375grams butter, softened
3 tsp vanilla essence
500grams sugar
6 eggs
675g self-raising flour
375ml milk

8 skewers

Frosting
black food colouring
375g butter, softened
720g icing sugar
6 tbs milk

Decorations

9 x 25g packets Curly Wurly
24 crazy bananas
12 white Life Savers
15g milk chocolate block
3 x 10cm – square pieces of white cardboard
3 X 8cm – square pieces of white cardboard
6.5 x 8.5cm Jolly Roger picture

Preheat the oven to 180C.  Grease and line a deep 26cm x36cm pan.

Beat butter, vanilla and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time until combined.  Stir in the flour and milk in 2 batches.  Spread mixture into pan and bake in oven for 1 hour.  Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes and then turn onto wire rack to continue to cool.  Using serrate knife, level the cake top.

Cut cake in half lengthways. Cut side down, cut 7cm piece from each half, as shown.

Assemble cake pieces on board to form galleon, as shown, secure with five skewers.

Trim front of galleon at angles to make how, as shown, discard cake trimmings.  Trim skewers to the same height as cake.

Beat the butter until as white as possible. Gradually beat in half the icing sugar, milk then remaining icing sugar.  Tint with black food colouring and spread all over galleon.

Decorate galleon with pieces of Curly Wurly, as shown.

Decorate galleon with Crazy Bananas and Lifesavers.  Position chocolate for plank (support by placing piece of skewer or toothpick underneath.

Thread large then small cardboard pieces on remaining skewers and position Jolly Roger on top of centre skewer.  Position the 3 masts on galleon.