I'll never learn!

Well, after the cake disaster last year (read about it here) I said that I'd buy Raleigh's cake this year. As soon as I mentioned cake Jason said we're buying one from Rhodes Bakery. We have nothing against Publix, but their cakes are just not the same. Raleigh's party was princess themed so I said we needed a castle and not a castle stuck on top of a sheet cake. When Jason called Rhodes to find out the price, they said they would have to do fondant (which we wouldn't want) and that it would cost...$250!!! I'm not sure what Jason told them then, but they never heard back from us. Thankfully while roaming the cake aisles at Hobby Lobby I found a castle kit and they always have 40% off coupons! I begged Jason to let me do it and I didn't have to beg much because I think he knew I wouldn't stop until I made the cake. I started as soon as I got home from work and made the cakes. That wasn't the hard part, but it took a while to cook them and let them cool and to get all the icing made. Stacking it and icing the round cakes was not hard. The castle kit however was not as easy as it looked! You must use icing to stand the towers up or insert them into the cake. We followed the directions, but the ones in the cake wanted to fall over! Not only that, but the cones on top had to be held on with icing as well and getting them on top without messing up the icing on them was difficult. Finally after a few collapses I finished it at 2:00a.m.! I snapped some pictures because I had a feeling it wouldn't make it until the party on Saturday. Thankfully it did make it through the night, was able to be moved to the dining room table with only one mishap (thank goodness for extra icing to correct the fall), and survived the party (with a little extra help from some princesses). I know I'll never learn, but to see Raleigh so excited and happy about her castle cake made it all worth it! I'd do it over in a heartbeat!