The past couple of months have been hectic, to say the least. Boy started Kindergarten, we are trying our best to stick to a strict homework-play-sleep schedule, we celebrated our anniversary and then got to planning and celebrating our little fella turning the big f-i-v-e. Oh, how my Boy has grown over the past year! Last year when I planned his Hot Wheels themed birthday, I really thought he’d never outgrow that phase and we’ll just keep repeating it for the next 15 years.
But how a year has changed him! He graduated from Pre-K to Kindergarten and developed keen friendships already, which I previously thought was not possible until 8 or 9 years of age. He started taking karate lessons and looks absolutely adorable in his too-big robe. He discovered a whole slew of superheroes, not superman or spidey, but Ninjas and Power Rangers. His favorite TV show is no longer Pocoyo, but American Ninja Warriors. And best of all, he admits he likes curry best. Nothing warms my heart more…touch wood!
We didn’t throw a huge birthday party, it was just us three at home this time. But he did have a full-fledged snack party at school with his classmates. Nevertheless, we decorated the house, baked a cake, cooked his favorite dinner (biryani and kheer!) and got his favorite toy – all in his selected theme, the Power Rangers.
Boy really is an old soul. I mean, who watches Power Rangers any more? Most of the stores do not even carry many of the Power Rangers merchandise. He has already picked out a Troy costume for Halloween, and the sales guy told us that no one has ever asked for it in the last couple of years. This Boy is absolutely sure about what he wants.
He had specific directions about the cake as well. It has to be the exact chocolate one as this cake, but with white frosting instead of blue.
And of course, it must have all of his favorite Rangers. Now, mommy is yet to dabble in fondant, so she took the easy way out by buying mini toys for cake toppers.
These little guys were found after months of intense searching and comparison shopping on Amazon, eBay and elsewhere, and cost me a little fortune.
But they were the perfect size, well-made and worked like a charm as cake decorations. And the biggest bonus, they are the coolest collectible toys any Power Rangers fan would want!
I always bake the best cakes when I least expect to. But any time I bake for an occasion, I get jittery and sweaty-palmed. But over the years, I’ve come to realize that us moms have a secret ingredient and if you add a generous dose of it, nothing can go wrong. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?!!
I doubled the original recipe for both the cake and the frosting. But I baked it as three layers only and not four, so each layer is slightly taller. I did have some frosting left over, but you can never be sure before you begin decorating. Anyway, it is always better to go over than under. I did the whole “bake, chill, crumb-coat, chill, frost and decorate” shebang, so the cake was way neater than last time. (I always bake our anniversary cake as a sort of dry run for Boy’s birthday cake, so I knew exactly what to do. Shhh… just don’t tell my hubby!)
The cake was pretty, held its shape really well and was really delicious. I just cannot stress enough how delicious the cake and frosting recipes are. They are my best discoveries ever. Chocolate cake always tastes better on the 2nd or even 3rd day. This one has a touch of coffee too, so you can imagine how heavenly the leftovers must be. Yum… not that we have a lot of leftover cake though. And that’s why I have no shot of a cut slice of cake to share with you. So for now, feast your eyes on some sprinkle cake eye-candy. Nothing like chocolate, sugar and sprinkles to make anyone happy, right?!!
Go here for the chocolate cake and vanilla buttercream recipes. I doubled the cake recipe and baked it as three 5-inch layers, though you can also do 4 slightly thinner layers. But I wouldn’t recommend stacking more than that for a 5-inch layered cake, lest it end up like the leaning tower of cake-sa. I doubled the frosting recipe too and had some leftover frosting, though no one is complaining about that! We can always make cupcakes later, can’t we?!
Say it with me one last time, Go Go Power Rangers!!! I love you, my precious little Boy. Please take your sweet time growing up, mommy is in no hurry.
What special requests do your kids make for their birthday? How do you celebrate? Do share.
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The cake is super awesome. Thanks for the idea. Will bake it for my soon-to-be 5 yr old. Where did you find the toys?
Thank you. I am sure it’ll come out awesome for your lil’ one’s Birthday.
I found the mini figures on Amazon.
Whatta cake!! Your little one would have been so delighted! Belated happy birthday to him 🙂
Thank you!
What great idea! My husband is a big Power Ranger fan and since I haven’t any little boys to throw a party for I think a grown-up version of this party would be great 1 Thanks for the idea! The cake is truly lovely!
Oh, I bet he would love that!
What a gorgeous cake! It surely looks like the perfect birthday cake to me!
Thank you, Martina!
What a cute cake – Power Rangers are still around I guess! I made a cake for a nephew perhaps 15 years ago and I used a Power Ranger on a motorcyle. He was into that group at the tiime 🙂
Thank you! Power Rangers are quite fun actually 🙂
Happy Fiesta Friday Anjana! First, I have to say that it warmed my heart reading about your “Boy”… I think you know that’s what I call Mike…”Boy”. There’s just something about them, isn’t there? My husband and I were just talking last night about Mike…and just how cute he was when he was little… and every movie that he ever watched..he became. Like Men in Black… for two years, I swear he walked around wearing a suit coat, a tie, sunglasses, and a neuralizer that he got from Burger King. Then it was Spider Man, and he walked around wearing a too small spider man costume forever! And George of the Jungle… he walked around in his underpants and swung from the willow tree!! You brought back happy memories for me.
And will have those happy memories of your boy someday too. Enjoy him while he’s little…they grow to become young men so quickly…. although you’ll always have those memories to cherish… and then you’ll enjoy him as a young man too. They never really leave their moms…boys love their moms, they just show it in a different way.
Now…that cake. It is absolutely gorgeous… and the love that you put into it truly shines. There is something absolutely beautiful about a simply frosted cake with sprinkles. But then again…I love sprinkles. It’s a festive sophisticate. And the Power Rangers were the perfect topper. I love that cake. It’s perfect.
Happy Anniversary!
Awesome..AWESOME post. <3
Aww… boys are the best, aren’t they? Thank you so much for sharing those boyhood memories of Mike. They are really special. And you are absolutely right about boys loving their moms… I just wish they didn’t grow up so quickly!
I had fun making this cake for him and glad it turned out good. He loved it and that’s all I want!!
Aww, such a cute cake! 😀
Thank you 🙂
This cake is adorable, that’s a lucky little boy you have!
Thank you, Michelle. I am the lucky mom of a sweet boy!
Adorable! I am sure your little guy went goo goo over it!
Thank you. He loved it!
Super cute! LOVE the sprinkles. 🙂
Thank you. Sprinkles make everything look festive, right?!
That cake looks so perfect! And so cute 🙂
Thank you so much!
Awesome :). The kids do grow up very very fast! A very happy birthday to the sonny boy!
They sure do. Thank you, Sonal!
Absolutely gorgeous Anjana, and I’m sure your son was well pleased! What a good Mamma you are! So you really went to town stacking the cakes eh? I must say it looks pretty impressive. Great job!
Aww… thank you so much, Loretta!
Such a beautiful cake! And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me 😉
Haha… thank you 😉
What a breathtaking cake, I KNOW he loved it! And you’re right, sprinkles will make any celebration special. I love your dedication to find your sweet son his power rangers and make his day. Wow it seems like kids grow up so fast!
Thank you so much. He really enjoyed his special day!
Beautiful cake Anjana..You kind of know it is tasty just from the look of it. Time to start trying your hand at fondants.
Speaking of fondants, happened to see this one from cake Canvas, I am not sure how to cut and eat it though.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.639877892776644.1073741976.284028921694878&type=1
Thank you. He enjoyed it very much 🙂
I’ve never tried fondant yet because we are a buttercream kinda family. Even Boy hates the too-sweet, sort of pasty-tasting fondant. Or maybe I’m just lazy…lol!
Go Go Power Rangers! The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers! Lol
Sorry, you’re talking to someone who was obsessed with watching Power Rangers every single morning before she would go to Kindergarten. It’s awesome that there are still kids out there with good taste in shows lol
And wow Anjana, this CAKE! You did an excellent job with both decorating it, AND making me want some soooo baaaad. Thank you for sharing this great post and great cake 🙂
Oh Jess, you guys could be BFFs!!! He heard about Power Rangers at school, one day he came home and told me specifically where to find the shows – on Netflix. We are all fans now, I love how gender neutral it is. Boy is always the red ranger and I am the pink/yellow one!
How totally adorable Anjana! Love the cake (very neat, no crumbs at all!) and the toys you found for him! What more can a power rangers fan want indeed 😀
Thank you, Naina. I am not much of a cake decorator, but I love how this turned out. Needless to say, he enjoyed it very much 🙂
Wow! Anjana. Gorgeous, oops Handsome Cake this is 🙂
Thank you. He enjoyed it very much 🙂
Nothing like chocolate, sugar and sprinkles to make anyone happy,…
Right … very true
Thank you 🙂
Sounds like a special birthday! And what a beautiful cake!! Wonderful Anjana! And Happy Anniversary!
Thank you, Lori. He had a wonderful time 🙂