My son is so thrilled to have won his own prize-winning cake!
Many moms of boys I know get a bit sick of Minecrack Minecraft. My boys play and play and play. They stay in on the computer too long and I find it hard to get them off willingly. I have to resort to turning it off or taking away another privilege. But last weekend I actually turned their obsession into something else fun. (We’ve done Minecraft themed Halloween costumes and decorating before too!)
Our town has a library that Mark Twain started and each year the library puts on a country children’s fair called the Frog Frolic. My kids run around safely unattended for hours and hours (while I volunteer at one or two stations) in the sun and fresh air, bouncing on one of several bounce houses/obstacle courses, and do cute games. For the past couple of years the fair has had a Cake Walk– kids and adults bake/decorate cakes that are then auctioned off in a contest. The contestants walk around on top of numbered lily pads and when the music stops whomever is on top of the drawn number is the winner of a cake– of their choosing. The cakes are also judged (Town First Selectman and Library Director were two of the judges this year) and awarded prizes. There are different ribbons awarded for children and adults. So this year my sons turned their obsessed over game into a Minecraft Zombie cake (with a little help from me). We used a TJ’s boxed cake mix since its awarded on the decoration not the taste (so it need not be original).
My sons mixed and poured. I helped them make the fondant. I did also make a butter cream frosting (which I was making anyway for the 2 dozen cupcakes that I had to throw out instead of donating them to the cupcake tent- butter was off. Ick!) as a crumb layer so that the fondant had something to stick to. I use marshmallow fondant (recipe I found online years ago, so I don’t remember original source) and make it by sight. It’s easy and I like the taste better than more traditional fondants.
Super Easy Fondant
½ package marshmallows (mini are easier to work with)
1 tbsp water
3-4 cups powdered sugar (more or less as needed)
Add the marshmallows and water to a microwaveable bowl and heat on high for 30 seconds so marshmallows puff and melt. Stir together and heat longer if all the marshmallows aren’t melted all the way. Add powdered sugar slowly mixing thoroughly . It’s done when it’s stiff enough and not too sticky. I then divide it to add different colors– you can add it earlier if you are just making one color. Form into a ball then roll into desired thickness to cover cake.
Boys made this Minecraft Zombie Cake for our town’s Frog Frolic Children’s Fair!
My youngest sons mixed and rolled the fondant whereas my eldest one actually decorated the cake to look like a Minecraft Zombie. The fondant was cut into little squares square-ish pieces.
The boys made a Minecraft Creeper last year. This year their Zombie won a prize and my middle son picked it when he won one of the Cake Walk contests. They had fun making it, winning and eating it!
My son making his Minecraft Creeper Cake last year.
Almost finished!
This is one of those areas where I break from my only healthful foods. So I let go of one obsession while they let go of another.
Funny thing is that I didn’t expect them to win their cake, but it was okay that they did. I was really hoping for my friend’s cake because she’s a fabulous baker. But I got to taste her margarita cake the following day on my Cinco de Mayo birthday!
