Summer Birthday Party Fun

I found these totally awesome sprinkle balls at Williams Sonoma.  They are HUGE and so pretty! I knew I just had to use them, so I came up with this Sprinktacular Cake.  It is SO easy to make and is so fun for a kids birthday party.  Everyone loved how it looked and it literally takes a few seconds for seconds for the final décor.  I only made my cake two layers high because we were having other cakes and cupcakes as well.  If this were going to be the only cake at the party I would make one 3 or 4 layers high for more of an impact. If you decide to go with 3 or 4 layers it is always a good idea to poke in about 4 skewers cut to the exact height of the filled cake so that it keeps the cake layers intact when it comes time to cutting-just don’t forget to remove them.  I recommend doing the final assembly on this cake less than 2 hours prior to serving so that the sprinkles don’t get soggy.  You can have all of the ingredients prepped and ready to go at least 4 hours prior to assembling.  (cake layers, strawberry filling, whipped cream(keep refrigerated), cake platter and sprinkles)

Sprinktacular! Summer Birthday Cake

-2 chocolate cake rounds 8 or 9 inch rounds(using your favorite recipe)

-2 pints fresh strawberries, washed and dried (see Strawberry note below)

-a smidge of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract-see note below)

-granulated cane sugar

-1.5 pints heavy whipping cream

-powdered sugar (3 Tbsp. or to taste)

-variety of different sized sprinkles (mine were a combo of Wilton and Williams-Sonoma)

Bake and cool cakes completely.  (This can be done the day before as long as you wrap them well with plastic wrap after completely cooling.) There is nothing worse than dry cake!! Next, roughly chop the strawberries and sprinkle with about a tablespoon of cane sugar and a little vanilla bean paste. Set aside while whipping the cream.  Whip heavy cream with a little vanilla bean paste and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.  (Do NOT overwhip!! Remember, you cannot undo overwhipped cream.  I like to beat the cream using an electric or stand mixer until I almost have soft peaks and then finish beating it by hand with a whisk.  This ensures that you won’t accidentally overbeat it.) Place bottom layer of cake on plate or platter that you will be using and spoon strawberries and accumulated juices on top.  Top with ½ of the whipped cream and another layer of cake and finish with a thick layer of whipped cream.  The strawberry juices will seep down into your bottom layer of cake, giving you an extra moist, strawberry infused layer.  Sprinkle the top with a dense layer of all of the different sprinkles and voila! You are done.

Vanilla Bean Paste: I love the vanilla bean paste because it has the little flecks of the seeds from the vanilla bean and isn’t as watery as the extract.  You used to only be able to purchase this from specialty stores like Williams Sonoma and Whole Foods, but lately I’ve seen it at a lot of conventional grocery stores as well.  The consistency of the paste is kind of like maple syrup or honey so I find that the best way to get some out if I only want a little, is to stick a clean table knife into the jar and then scrape off the amount that clings to it into my bowl of whatever I’m making.

Strawberry note: When I’m using strawberries in cakes, frosting, etc. I like them to be as dry and concentrated as possible so that things don’t get watered down.  What I do is rinse them and drain them and then place them in a 250 or 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  This isn’t long enough to cook them, but it will dry the residual water that is clinging to them off as well as help concentrate the sweet flavor of the berry.

cake and cupcake display

To go with my theme of fun, summery bright colors I made flag bunting using:

-sheets of scrapbooking paper (Mine were two different sizes, which in my opinion just added to the whimsical appearance of the bunting.  You can use just one size if you don’t like a random look.  I also bought paper mostly in colors of pinks, reds and oranges)



laying out flags in desired order



-brightly  colored cord ribbon

-white circular paper hole reinforce stickers

-glitter (love, love, love the various Martha Stewart glitters available at Michael’s)



stringing flags



-glue stick, craft glue

-hole puncher

-pom poms

-pinking shears and regular scissors

Cut each sheet of paper into 3 long triangular flags.  I used pinking shears for about 2/3 of my flags and regular scissors for the remainder.  Save the scraps for gluing on flags later for extra pizzazz if desired.  Punch two holes in the top corners of the flag and then place a reinforce sticker on both sides of the hole.  Decorate flags as desired.  Some of mine I left plain, while others I decorated with leftover scraps of other paper, glitter and pom poms.  If using the pom poms, be sure to use plenty of craft glue and then let them dry for at least 6 hrs before stringing them.  I glued the pom poms on some of the flags to make them look like upside down party hats.  Next lay the flags out in the order you would like them strung.   I tried to have one larger flag alternating with a smaller flag and always different papers next to each other.  I also dispersed the flags with the pom poms so they only appeared every once in a while.  I made each strand about 20 feet long, as I felt that was a manageable length to work with.  Next string the flags on the ribbon cording tying each end in a loose knot.  To store until ready to use, fold up in an accordion style. 

I purchased these tissue paper flower pom poms from the Martha Stewart crafts section at Michael's.  One package makes quite an impact! I purchased a package of the large pom poms, 2 packages of small pom poms and 2 packges of the tiny garland pom poms.



Fun birthday place cards I made