#58: Lazy Ladybird

Last month my little guy number two had birthday number one, and this time, I was determined to make the cake work:

EPIC WIN!

In the year and three-quarters I've been at this project, I've learned a lot and gained baking confidence, so I felt much more prepared this time around.

Despite this, I was shocked that I successfully produced this cake AND improvised with confidence when things started looking pear-shaped. Two years ago I would have panicked, started chucking things in left and right (and chucked a few spoons into the sink with unnecessary force) before binning the remains and going to the Cheesecake Shop... but not this time!

The pear-shaped part was that I couldn't find a pudding steamer to bake the body in, so instead used a deep ring pan and stuffed the hole in the cake with a muffin.
Then I had to carve the whole thing into a neat dome, which sounded easy enough, but it quickly turned into a crumbling, lop-sided molehill.
However, I refrained from throwing spoons around and persisted to harry that molehill, covered it with fondant to give it a nice, smooth shape, then buttercreamed it. Rescued.

And the little man was very appreciative, although I'm sure he would have been just as appreciative of an unharried, lopsided molehill with three eyes and no head, so long as it was covered with icing and chocolate freckles.

Birthday Boy!

Lazy Ladybird 
http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/cookingtips/784279/lazy-ladybird-cake