Birthday Cake with Cookies!

In April I posted about great-nephew Alex's birthday cake here and back in February, it was his cousin Josh's birthday here. This past weekend, Josh's sister turned seven. She had been thinking about her birthday cake since Christmas. She wanted her name, Allison, in BIG letters on her cake, and the letters should be standing up.

I bought this set of alphabet letters and numbers at a craft store and used a 40% discount coupon, feeling very good about the purchase. I am sure they will be used again and again.

I went to the cake supply store for a box, cake board and advice on icing for the cookies that wouldn't be rock hard, but would set. I came home with the items I went for, along with cookie skewers (wooden dowels without a pointed end), frozen sugar cookie dough and a bag of royal icing mix.

Two days before the party, I rolled out the dough, cut out the letters and gently inserted a skewer into each one.

After cooling completely, I mixed half the royal icing mix with a few tablespoons of water and food coloring to a consistency I wanted for piping an outline around each letter.

I mixed the icing that remained from outlining with the rest of the dry mix and more water to get a paler pink that would flow between the outlined piping. I used a large decorator tip and it went quickly and easily.

The cake was a tiered layer cake. The larger bottom layer was Devils Food cake, the top 9x 13 layer was yellow cake. Because I wasn't sure how the cookies on sticks would hold up, I waited until just before serving to put the skewers into the cake.

Shortly after I got to the party, Allison looked in the box and seemed a little disappointed at how plain the cake looked, but she didn't say anything. After dinner, while everyone but her cousin was outside, I added the cookie letters and alphabet birthday candles. Alex supervised.

Not only were the letters a bit wide for the cake, the "N" wanted to spin to the back so I had to stagger the letters to get them to fit and face forward.
The Christmas Tree Store sells birthday name candles for $1.99 per set, but had been out of Allison for quite some time. I bought Alexandria and Nelson in order to get the letters I needed. I used the leftover letters to spell out a possible name for Alex's sibling due in September. Somehow his mom didn't think Deanna Rex was a plausible name for her baby.
Allison was surprised and happy with her cake. She pronounced it was exactly what she wanted.

As soon as one of her friends realized those were cookies on sticks, a near feeding frenzy began. Hungry sharks had nothing on these kids! Each one wanted a letter that was in their name. My niece (Allison's mom) did a good job accommodating everyone, and thankfully the number of cookies and kids came out even!

Two flavors of ice cream to choose from was a BIG decision!

Such an intense expression on this little face!

It isn't easy balancing a plate with cake, ice cream, a fork and a cookie on a stick!

I think I am done for a while. Unless I decide to make a special cake for my birthday. What do you think...yarn and knitting needles on top or just simple diamonds and sapphires?