My little boy just turned 6 years old, and I can’t believe it. Where has the time gone? It is really amazing how fast they grow up! Every year, I try to make their birthdays very special and involve them in all the preparations. He is a huge Star Wars’ fan, and his newest favorite character is Kylo Ren. Naturally, he wanted his favorite villain atop his cake. I sat with him and his sister and designed his cake. He wanted Kylo’s head and his light saber, and they decided on lots of stars and planets. They also wanted tie fighters, but I just didn’t have time, and I am not sure there would have been room on the cake. This cake was quite a challenge for me, and I have to say, I was excited when Kylo actually looked like Kylo. I loved seeing his expression when the cake was finished. He loved his cake 😀 His sister is already starting to design her cake, and I am a little scared to see what she will come up with..lol 😉 I hope you enjoy the cake and I have included some directions below.
I am also excited to bring this cake to Fiesta Friday #121!
The cake is a homemade yellow butter cake. I used a recipe from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. I just adore her cake recipes. I doubled the recipe and made a few cupcakes with the leftover batter. The icing is also homemade, and it’s made with real butter. This type of buttercream is more difficult and temperamental to work with than the vegetable shortening variety, but I prefer it and am willing to live with a few icing cracks. I have included the icing recipe below.
When frosting a cake, frost the top first and then the sides. Place a large amount of icing on top of the cake (you can remove excess later), to prevent crumbs from mixing with your icing. After icing the top and sides, smooth out with a cake spatula and then place the cake under a stove fan and light for about 20 minutes to slightly harden the icing. Smooth the cake by using a smooth paper towel (Viva works well). Place the paper towel on a section at a time, and gently smooth with your hand. Repeat until the cake is where you want it. I also use the paper towel to smooth the edges, by placing the paper towel on the edge, and smoothing gently from the side to the top. At this point, the cake is ready to decorate. I use a disposable cake box to store the cake in until it is ready to put the decorations on and time to put on display.
I mixed the icing with dark blue and black icing colors. It took a lot of food color to get it where I wanted it. The decorations are made out of fondant and gum paste.
- The stars, planets, and letters are made of gum paste. I brushed them with color dust to achieve the colors (red and black for the letters and silver for the stars). I let them dry for a few hours to harden.
- The light saber is made of fondant, which I used red color dust on after I formed the light saber.
- Kylo Ren is made of fondant, but his hood is a mixture of gum paste and fondant (to give it sturdiness and flexibility). I used black icing color to color the fondant and fondant-gum paste mixture. I formed the shape of his head by hand, and then cut the eye mask out of white fondant (which I generously used silver color dust on), and then the mouth piece out of the black. I used a black food safe marker to make all of the markings on his mask. I used gum paste glue to adhere the pieces. I rolled out the black gum paste/fondant mixture thinly and cut what I needed for the hood.
- I wrapped the light saber and Kylo and his robe all separately in plastic wrap, until it was time to place on the cake.
- I used a gum paste glue to adhere the decorations to each other and the cake (made with water and gum paste). I placed all the decorations on the cake a few hours before the party, but got everything ready the night before, including icing the cake.
Ingredients
- 6 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
- 8 cups pure cane confectioners sugar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Instructions
- With the flat beater attachment, beat the butter until smooth (about 45 seconds). Add the sugar (sifted if possible or at least whisked well) and beat for about 30 seconds until combined. Add the vanilla and beat on high until very fluffy (around 2 minutes). Store in a sealed container and use within a day or 2.
Check out more birthday cakes 🙂
My son’s Jeep birthday cake from last year:
My daughter’s big cat birthday cake from last year:
Oh my, what an absolutely fantastic creation Antonia! I am beyond impressed with this cake! Cake decorating has never been a talent of mine so I’m always impressed when I see a wonderful cake. I’m sure that your son will love it! Hope you all have fun celebrating 🙂
Thank you so much Heather! He really loves it 😀 It was a fun and challenging experience for sure!
You are so talented, those cakes are wonderful. I am TERRIBLE at cake decorating, can’t do it to save my life. The children must have been so happy and proud to have those beautiful cakes.
Thank you for the kind words Suzanne! I never tried it until I had kids and still can’t believe I can get close to what they envision. They really love the cakes and I enjoy involving them in the creative process. They come up with some great ideas. I would have never thought of putting colorful planets on the cake.
What a cool mom you are designing special cakes for your children. Was nice to see.
Thank you Joseph! Hopefully they will look back on this and enjoy the memories! It is fun watching them create 😀
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Your cake looks awesome Antonia! And so do the other cakes.I am sure your kids must be so excited to design their own cake. Happy Birthday to Alex!
Thank you so much Sandhya! They really enjoy it and I love being able to make it for them 🙂 Thank you, I can’t believe he is 6!
Birthday wishes to Alex!! Fabulous work Antonia 🙂 Very impressive!
Thank you for the sweet compliments Freda! Thank you for the birthday wishes 😀
most welcome dear 🙂
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Happy birthday to your little sweet boy!! And what an absolutely beautiful cake!! I have never really tried my hand at cake decorating but I’m sure I’ll suck at it lol. You are so talented👍🏼
Thank you for the kind words! I never tried it before my kids came along. You may be better than you think 😀 It is definitely fun. I enjoy fondant and gum paste, because it’s like working with play dough and you can be so creative 🙂 Thank you….I can’t believe he is 6 years old 😀
so amazing! What a work of art. If you ever want to make me a Chewbacca cake… 😉
Thank you very much! No problem 😉
So wonderful Antonia!!
Thank you Paula!
Lovely cake Antonia 🙂 you son must be proud of you.. Belated birthday wishes to your son 🙂
Thank you so much Trupti! He really loved it 😀
Looks absolutely brilliant Antonia 🙂 Belated birthday wishes to your son 🙂 I am eagerly waiting to see what your daughter is going to come up with – I am sure you would do a great job with her cake too! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words and birthday wishes 😀 Thanks, I am too…but also a little scared..lol! You are so sweet 🙂
What a special cake. He must have been thrilled. Well done, mom. 🙂
He was very excited to see it come together 😀 Thank you Diana!
Ah Happy Birthday to Jedi Alex!!! Many more-love the cake Antonia! Cheryl xx
Thank you very much Cheryl! You are so sweet 😀
My pleasure, I hope he had a wonderful birthday!!! Happy Memorial Day Antonia. Cheryl xx
He did, thank you 😀 He is growing up so fast! Thank you, Happy Memorial Day to you as well Cheryl 😀 Enjoy the long weekend!
Thank u-yes, Antonia they do grow up quickly!!! xx
too fast 😉
Yes, I look at my oldest she is 11 y.o. (going on 21) LOL-the youngest (fraternal Twins-5.y.o.) seems like yesterday I had them???? Happy Memorial Day! Cheryl xx
It really happens so fast 😀 Wow, 5 to 11…you have your hands full! Happy Memorial Day Cheryl!
Ha-yes a 9 y.o.and 7 y.o in between! Keeps me on my toes Antonia! xx
Wow, Cheryl! I bet they do keep you busy! Have a fantastic day my friend 😀
Thank u -yes very busy Antonia!!! xx
Sounds like it 😀
xx
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Wow this is so cool! You are so talented Antonia!
You are so sweet Lynn! Thank you!
I love those cakes and wow very artistic. So special that you and your kids work on the design, a lovely project!
Thank you Lynn! I really enjoy and cherish the time, and they come up with such great ideas 😀 Have a great rest of your weekend!
I am sure you do, so special! xx
Thank you my friend!
Xxx
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Fun cakes and the kids especially enjoy them. I use to make them too and they were always a big hit 🙂
Yes, it makes it very special and fun 😀 Have a great weekend!
What a lovely birthday cake Antonia. You are a woman with lots of talents 🙂 x
Thank you so much Lynne! I appreciate the kinds words 😀 Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
What a fantastic cool birthday cake,..I would have happily had that for my birthday too! A lot of work for you though,..but well worth it! 🙂 MMMMMM!
Aww, thank you Sophie! It is a lot of work, but I agree..totally worth it 😀 Have a great rest of your weekend!
What a fantastic cake! You are a better mom than me…I direct my boys in the direction of cakes I’m willing to decorate. If I let them pick it would be a design from something like Cake Wars which would take me days to prepare! With three boys having birthdays three months in a row I need recovery time!
Thank you very much Gretchen! Their designs are definitely getting more complicated, so we will see if I can keep up with them..lol 😀 Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
Happy happy birthday to your little guy! Can I just say that my nephew would LOVE this cake. He loves Kylo Ren and wants to dress up as him for Halloween this year. Way to go on the decorations, very impressive! I hope you guys had a blast celebrating! 🙂
Thank you so much Anita 😀 I have to admit that I like Kylo too…I’m such a big Star Wars fan! I was happy he picked this as his theme. Thank you again for the kind words 😀 Have a wonderful day!
I like him too! I’m impressed that they were able to come up with such a great villain, he had such a big mask to fill, so to speak haha. Happy to know another Star Wars fan! Hope you have a great week! 🙂
I am too! I can’t wait for next May to see the next installment! I want to know who Rey is 😀 Thank you, I hope you do as well!
Yes! Me too. I guess the current speculation is that she and Ren are cousins, and she’s Luke’s daughter. Wow, too bad we have to wait so long. But fortunately this Christmas they’ll release “Rogue One” so we don’t go into total withdrawal, haha! 😉
Too true…Rogue One will help some..haha! It would make sense for her to be Luke’s daughter. Only a year away and we’ll know!
Xronia Polla to your son! 🎂🎂
Efcharistó polý Krystina! I can’t believe he is 6 years old!
What fun. and a very Happy Birthday to the young Jedi.
Haha, thank you Claremary! He had a wonderful one 😀
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What a fabulous looking cake! All four of my sons would have loved that when they were young, although Kylo Ren wasn’t around then. Your cake decorating looks truly professional . . . you’re obviously a very creative person. I’m sure your son had a wonderful birthday.
You are very kind Millie, thank you 😀 He loved it and had a wonderful day. I hope you have a great weekend!