the rainbow birthday party: part two
October 13th, 2010
When we were thinking about what food to have at the party, my kids and I made a list of all the rainbow colors and the foods that matched. Turns out an assortment of rainbow foods makes for a pretty fantastic sandwich. So we had salami sandwiches, fruit, and chips. And I bought some grape jelly for pb&js too. My daughter wanted to know where the blueberries were, but they are very much out of season and at 4$ for half a pint I opted for blue chips instead, which are pretty much purple. Oh well. You try and think of a blue food that isn’t jello.
So the food was easy, the cake on the other hand was a pain the in ass, but I knew it was going to be. The cake is what started the whole rainbow thing in the first place, so we had to have it. My daughter was sitting next to me while I was on the computer one day and spied this rainbow cake. That was sometime in the summer and she has been talking about it ever since.
So I knew I had to make a six layer cake filled with buttercream and covered with piles of fluffy white frosting. I’m sure she must have told her friends she was having a rainbow cake, but it looked like a plain old white cake, so I’m guessing they just didn’t believe her. But when we cut the first piece everyone lit up. And it was an awesome surprise–sort of like a cake pinata (except this is a cake pinata–do not let your children see this, or you will be cursing me the night before their birthday).
If the cake weren’t a rainbow honestly it wouldn’t be a very good cake. It’s tastes a little like a wet sponge, but you are eating a rainbow so your brain tells you it tastes like a rainbow. It’s virtue lies in it’s dye-ability,if I were to make it again (ha) I would use a different recipe. The frosting is a swiss meringue buttercream with some lemon flavoring thrown it. The recipe calls for an obscene amount of butter. I used less than half and it was delicious.
For the favors we made rainbow glitter playdough. After cranking out six batches of playdough I can make it at the drop of a hat now. Why I didn’t make a big batch and split it 6 ways, I don’t know. Whatever, it’s a good recipe for a mom to have memorized anyway. We packed it in jars and I wrote the guest’s names on paper rainbows for the top. Luckily my daughter got an awesome playdough kit for a present, because I forgot to make any playdough for us.
There were definitely a lot of projects for the party, but my kids helped with all of them and none were really all that complicated. I’m not usually an all out crazy birthday party mom (or at least I didn’t think I was), but I had fun with all the projects. And the anticipation make the actual day even better I think. But rainbow fever has not abated–my daughter now wants me to make her a rainbow costume for halloween. Any ideas?
the rainbow birthday party: part one
Thank heavens you were smart enough to leave out some of the butter in the frosting. I made it as the recipe stated, and it was truly awful. The frosting is normally my favorite part of cake, but I couldn’t eat that stuff. I might as well have taken a bite out of a stick of butter. As for the cake itself…my brother took a bite and asked, “Is this supposed to taste like something?”
Next time, I’ll definitely take the idea and use entirely different recipes. (I saw one where the gal used a different fruit to color and flavor each layer.)
Love what you did – especially the decorations and play dough. And I hear you about the blue food – we did go the jello route – see it here: http://katemakes.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html
bathing in jello was disgusting but so much fun!
love the favours! So cute,
absolutely amazing. i will never ever let my children see this page…their birthday parties can never live up to yours!
okay, again, you are so super fabulous! your little one is a lucky girl!!
“Your brain tells you it tastes like a rainbow” — LOL. That’s the quote of the day. What a fantastic party! Now I want one.
My daughter went through the rainbow phase as well – right through Halloween. Her costume was a rainbow monster because she wanted to “scare people out of their pants and out of their windows” (she was 5). I bought rainbow striped fleece and made a very simple body suit that opened in the back. It had a tail and matching mitten “claws”. She wore a rainbow clown wig that I attached gigantic purple horns to (made of purple felt and stuffed with batting). I painted her face with black around her eyes and rainbow stripes everywhere else. No one knew exactly what she was, but she looked exceptionally creepy due to her face. It could have gone “cute” with different face paint. Email me if you are interested in a picture.
i made the same rainbow cake for my daughters’ party earlier this year. i also remember that the taste was a little plain but was well compensated by the ‘rainbowness’ of it. and such a pretty wash up, don’t you think?
Oh, will you STOP already? I would feel like an absolute birthday party flunkee if I weren’t so googly-eyed over that buffet. And that cake. And those favors. You rock.
Did you see the rainbow skirt/stockings over at applecyder? (http://applecyder.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/sometimes-i-get-an-idea/)?
Not sure it could compare to recent festivities, but maybe a nugget, to get the gears rolling…
I think you definitely did the right thing making 6 batches of play dough. Can you imagine how hard it would be to stir one enormous batch?!!! LOL.
Do you have a favorite glitter playdough recipe???