Fabulous 3-D Birthday Party Cake

Throw a Whale of a Party!

Make your closest friends feel extra special this year with a glamorous spin on a custom, 3-D birthday cake. Start with a theme, then design a shamelessly decadent cake; It's a a fool-proof formula to keep them young at heart.

Theme

A very dear friend celebrated his birthday this year with a nautical-themed celebration and out-of-this-world cake that would make Captain Nemo stand at his helm in ovation. The 3-D cake was shaped as -- what else? -- a majestic whale.

Check out the stylish collection of birthday party invitations (like the one above) at Tiny Prints!

Invitation

My friend designed his very own birthday note cards. Engraved, bordered in blue and topped with his favorite whale image, the party invitation complemented the sea-faring mood. In fact, the whale invitation festively matched his 3-D birthday cake -- water spout and all.

Decor

The whale-themed birthday party started with a palette comprised of blues, greens, yellows and creams. The bar and neighboring tables were decorated with nautical ropes, votives and tight bouquets of hydrangeas. The bar was set-up with champagne, wines, bourbon, mixers and crisp white linen napkins. Silver holders with tea lights were scattered across the dining tables. In the center of the tables, gorgeous arrangements of yellow roses and wild flowers illuminated the room.

The Cake

Famous New York based cake designer, Ron Ben-Israel, was called upon to create this one-of-a-kind 3-D whale cake. Ron's cakes have been dazzling clients and their guests for years. A true arbiter of edible masterpieces, Ron has appeared on Oprah, Martha Stewart and the Today Show -- to name a few.

Over four feet long with edible spouting water, floating red tower and waves, Ron's 3-D cake creation was a blue ribbon winner!

Pick the right soundtrack for baking a cake -- and blowing out the candles! We recommend:

• "Birthday" by The Beatles
• "Happy Birthday" by Stevie Wonder
• "Birthday Boy" by the Pet Shop Boys
• "In Da Club" by 50 Cent

Make Your Own Whale Cake:

1. Break out your favorite box cake mix, and prepare the pound cake recipe on the back.
2. Bake the cake using an Easter Egg-shaped pan (like this one by Wilton) to create the whale's body. Use a loaf pan to create the whale's tail.
3. After the cake cools, remove the two halves from the egg-shaped pan and stagger one half on top of the over, creating the whale's head and mouth.
4. Using the cake from the loaf pan, cut out a whale's tail.

1. Ice the entire whale cake with buttercream frosting to create a sticky surface for the fondant icing.
2. Roll out fondant icing and knead in colors you'll need to create your whale, including blue for the body, red for the tongue, and white for the teeth, spout, and eyes.

Expert Tip: If the fondant dries out, make sure to add Crisco, not water, and roll as thinly as possible.

Now that's a birthday cake worth celebrating!

Enjoy and remember we'd love to see your fabulous cake ideas and photos on Celebrations!