Last weekend was the "Blue and Gold" awards banquet for the Cub Scouts where Tyler promoted from a Bear Cub Scout to a Webelo 1 Scout. :) Fun stuff! The theme for the evening was Pirates and each of the scouts was challenged to make a pirate-themed cake to bring to the banquet for a contest and then later to be eaten for dessert. Tyler and I had a great time brainstorming for his cake, shopping for the "accessories", and then baking and decorating his Pirate Battleship!
Our inspiration came from www.familyfun.com and from Kristen Bryant's Pirate Birthday Cake creation a few years ago. Tyler worked hard on all of the little details and won a 1st place ribbon for "Best Appearance". Way to go Tyler!
We started with 2 round chocolate cakes - baked them, cooled them, and then sliced them in half with a little off the bottom curve of each half circle to give a solid platform to sit on. Tyler put a layer of icing between each of the 4 layers and then we set it up on it's flat curve and slid straws through in 3 places to make sure that it held firm and the sides didn't fall off. :) Tyler then iced the body of the boat to cover the whole cake.
Tyler was diligent to cut all of the "boards" of the ship into the icing to make it look more authentic.
Tyler used Ho-Ho's for the cannons with candles for fuses (inspired by Kristen Bryant's cake) and Piruoette Cookies for the edges of the ship and for "the plank".
Tyler worked hard on the masts that he cut out of paper in 3 different sizes and then drawing the perfect skull and cross bones that every pirate ship needs.
Tyler used rolos and whoppers for barrels and cannons and gold. The lego figures finished off his masterpiece. :) Way to go Tyler! What fun!
Tonight, Tyler and Kevin get to experience a real life Battleship as they "camp-in" overnight on the S.S. New Jersey with Tyler's Cub Scout pack.
I have to admit that I'm a little jealous to miss this experience. :( The girls and I will have a fun girl's night I'm sure though!