For Throwback Thursday, I thought I’d post some photos of a few past birthday cakes, just for fun.

2010: One of a long series of “flower” cakes requested by my daughter.

2010: The Earth was my son’s request.

2011: My daughter’s colourful paintbrush cake.

2012: The girl requested a surprise animal. This was my first attempt at using leaves as chocolate moulds (for the ears).

2013: A dual birthday party cake–the spice cake owl was for my son, the chocolate log, for my daughter. I had always wanted to make meringue mushrooms…

2014: After the 2012 success with chocolate painted leaves, I used the same technique for flight feathers on the LOTR eagle. Unfortunately, it was a blazingly hot day, and the wing tips melted and sagged within an hour.

2014: The swan used more chocolate painted leaves—white chocolate this time, which managed the heat a little bit better than the dark chocolate (though the icing holding the wing to the body did not). It was also my first, not so attractive, foray into marzipan (for the beak).

2014: My marzipan, cake, and candy triumph—Smaug was the joint birthday party cake. Tail, neck, head, and legs sculpted from marzipan, clear candy wings and jewels studding the treasure pile.