Classroom Treat for a Special Arrrrr!ccasion

Cupcakes seem to be an acceptable treat to share with classmates to celebrate a birthday.  My son wanted a pirate theme this year so we made up some 'pirate booty' cupcakes.  I used a boxed (WHAAAAAA?)  white cake mix and stirred some multi-colored sprinkles into the batter, then iced them using my Mom's recipe for Chocolate Fudge Icing.  The decorations include crushed graham crackers, pirate ship flags and a Rollo candy to add that sparkle.  My son came home that day with a couple names of the children who did not finish their cupcakes but he said they all enjoyed them very much!  Quick and easy and super-cute!

Then the birthday cake......

The best compliment came from my good friend's nine year old daughter, Maddie, "I don't know what your job is, but you should quit and go into the cake makin' business!"  I loved making this far from perfect looking cake, it just so happens I have the absolute best Chocolate Mocha Cake recipe in the world.  I got it from a cooking school owner/teacher when I attended some classes at the Western Reserve School of Cooking.

Participating in just a few basic cooking classes has completely changed the way I think and feel about food and of course, cooking!  If you love to cook or bake, I encourage you to take a class from a professional, because no television show or book can truly teach you the basic techniques like a real person.  Learning from grandma is wonderful too but I wouldn't always expect all the measurements to be available to take home with you!  If you hate to cook, I encourage you to take a class from a professional because you only need to learn a few tricks of the trade to make meal preparation easier, tastier, more healthy and affordable.  It will better your life, and impress your friends' kids if not your own family!

The Ship idea came from familyfun.go.com.  I looked up several pirate cake ideas before deciding which bits and pieces to include in the final presentation.  I love the gold wrapped chocolate border and crushed graham crackers for a sandy look.

Soon after the birthday party, my soon-to-be three year old informed me he would like a Lightning McQueen cake.  With that being licensed material and all, I may have to leave that one up to the experts!  I'm sure he won't mind.  I'm caked OUT!