Cake Contest

February is the birth month of the Boy Scouts of America. We celebrate the birth of the scouting program with the Blue and Gold Banquet.

I thought it was really cool that this year, the boys in our pack were challenged to a Birthday Cake Contest. Each cub and his mother were to make a cake together and "bring it to the banquet to be judged."

We regressed at the Pinewood Derby last month (poor Jake...but bless his heart, he did 90% of that car on his own), so I thought this might be an opportunity for him redeem himself a little with the cake contest--even if it was just "honorable mention". We sat down together and planned it out. We came up with a theme--a hot air balloon that would say "Soaring into 100 Years of Scouting" (since next year marks the 100th birthday for scouting) and we went and bought supplies for it. The day before the banquet on Tuesday, 2/24, Jake baked the cakes after he did his homework and before his piano lesson. It was even baked from scratch.

The day of the banquet was a crazy one. Jake had auditioned for and made the school talent show which was that afternoon at 1pm. After crumb coating the cakes with homemade butter cream frosting, the three other kids and I went up to see him perform around 12:45. He was the second to last act and the only piano player. Karcyn wasn't happy to be there because she was tired, so I spent 45 minutes out in the hall carrying her around trying to get her to sleep. My back and arms were killing me. Fortunately Calvin was in a stroller next to Cooper and fairly content. Jake did a great job (he's got more guts than me! I'm so glad he's getting these experiences early in life). It was early out for the kids at school so I just took Jake me after the talent show. Then it was off to Costco for rolls and individual pats of butter that I said I'd get for the banquet that night.

Costco had the rolls, but of course, I couldn't find the pats of butter that I had clearly seen before at one point when I didn't need them. Before we left though, we treated ourselves to a swirled frozen yogurt to celebrate Jake's accomplishment.

Then we hit two more stores looking for individual pats of butter before settling on the regular cubes of butter.

Once we got home, Jake tackled his homework quickly while I frosted the cakes again in preparation for our decorating. We were going to work with fondant, a new experience for both of us. We rolled out the yellow fondant for the basket and realized that we barely had enough for the basket part of the cake, let alone the balloon part which was going to be solid blue with different colors as accents. So we had to be MacGuyvers and think fast for another alternative to solve our problem. We decided to use some card stock and trace the bottom part of the cake pan. Then Jake drew the balloon sections that would be different colors and cut them out. We rolled out the fondant and used the card stock pieces as patterns and Jake used a knife to cut around them. I placed them on the cake. And I think, considering the circumstances, it turned out really well.

I carefully moved the cakes and arranged them on the blue background. Jake separated the strings of Twizzlers to act as the cords between the basket and balloon and we attached them to the cakes. Jake then used an edible marker to write the theme on the basket. He also thought he should put marshmallow clouds on the background. I think the marshmallows TOTALLY made the cake. They were perfect. Not symmetrical either which I love. And here's a picture of the final product:


We finished with about an hour to spare. Just long enough to get the kitchen cleaned up and ready to go to the banquet. Jared had his own YM stuff he was doing that night and couldn't help or go to the banquet. Plus he was on call. So I was on my own again.

It was pouring rain when we got to the church. Jake took the rolls inside. I got Calvin in the stroller as water poured onto his face and Cooper took him in for me. I let Karcyn out and directed her to the door, while I got the cake. Phew...we made it.

Imagine my surprise--and honestly, my deep disappointment--when I found each cake, many of which looked just as time intensive as ours, being given tiny little ribbons with different titles. Jake's cake got "Most Cheerful". Wow...what is that, like, the Miss Congeniality of Cub Cakes? I was really bummed. Jake was let down as well. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the process and working with Jake but when someone says "contest" and that the cakes will be "judged" not given participation ribbons, I can't help but think of a "real competition" with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. And if that had been the case, we may not have won anyway, but AT LEAST...our work wouldn't have felt like it was done under false pretenses. I probably would have done something a little LESS labor intensive had I known that everyone was going to get a pat on the back. Fortunately we're both over it. I'll just make sure I clarify next time.


Interestingly enough, that same night Jared was planning activities with his young men at our house. They were talking about doing some kind of Iron Chef type activity where they get in groups and make or bake something to be judged by the Bishopric. One of the young men raised his hand hesitantly and asked rather sheepishly, "Will there actually be a REAL winner?" Jared said, "Absolutely!" You gotta learn how to be a gracious winner just as much as you need to learn how to be a good loser.