The cake

When GillIan heard that it was Aunt Betty's birthday last week, the first thing she said to me was "When do we get cake?" She was a little distraught to find out that we weren't going to have any cake. I suggested that maybe we invite Aunt Betty over this weekend and make her a cake. GillIan loved that idea. "Yes, ask her!" I asked her "What kind of cake should we make?" GillIan said "A pretty one. Maybe pink. Or blue or her favorite color!" We brainstormed for a while about what to put in the cake and how to decorate it. Gillian loves cake so it is easy to keep her talking. So I asked Gillian why she liked cake so much. She said "I just want to eat it forever!" 

This morning, Gillian and I made Aunt Betty's cake while John was at karate. Gillian was very excited to help. She insisted on wearing her "Olaf" apron. 

We made a simple box cake. But Gillian was in charge of mixing. "Mama, you do the eggs. I mix!" She was an excellent assistant. She was patient and helpful. And waited until I was ready with the next ingredient. She mixed with a spatula. 

 

And she got to use the hand mixer too. It was her first time using one. She did tell me, "I get to lick them when I done!"

And yes, she got to lick the beaters. 

After we mixed the batter, we added orange sprinkles to make the cake confetti but with only orange. Cause orange is Aunt Betty's favorite color. Gillian helped me pour the batter in the pans and I put them in the oven. Gillian constantly checked the oven to see their progress. While the cakes were baking, Gillian made Aunt Betty a card. 

The cakes cooled and I frosted the cake with orange icing. I asked Gillian to decorate the top with sprinkles. She used orange and mixed sprinkles. She actually took handfuls of sprinkles and put them on top. But she was pleased with the finished product and that's all that matters. 

Aunt Betty came to visit today and Gillian was so happy to show her the cake. 

The cake was delicious and Aunt Betty was so happy. I'm glad I got to spend the morning with my little lady and Gillian was happy to get some cake! And surprise Aunt Betty too!