What I learned about making a construction cake

#1. A 4 year-old is fully capable of mixing his own cake.

(He will also tell you that you only need eggs, milk and flour to make a cake and insist on writing "eggs" on your shopping list, then carry said shopping list around the store to insure you get all the items on the list, even though he can't read the list and keeps asking what is on it and if you got it yet.)

#2. The original size cricut will not cut a 4 out big enough for your cake, so don't waste your time getting it out when you will have to make a 4 stencil on your own anyway.

#3. A 4 year-old can crunch up the vanilla wafers "dirt" in the food processor, but an anal mom will only allow him to put those wafer crumbs on the cake for about 2.2 seconds...then it's just mom's turn.

#4. Coloring vanilla frosting takes a lot of black food coloring...chocolate frosting would have been easier, and I would have liked it more:)

#5. You should frost around the top perimeter of the cake BEFORE putting the crumbs (dirt) on because frosting doesn't stick to crumbs very well...and may cause cursing and re-frosting and adding more black to the sides to cover up some yellow frosting that may have fallen right of the top and right down on to the sides where it doesn't belong.

#6. If you just start adding the stripes on the side for your "caution tape" without really paying attention, they will not be evenly spaced or at the same slant.

#7. Little "construction truck" candles make any cake cuter....and adding piles of "dirt" can improve a cake even more.

#8. Adding other decor around your cake takes away from any flaws you see.

#9. When using "dirt" on top of the cake...remember that those candles have to be blown out which means blowing will occur...and blowing causes "dirt" to go all over the table and floor.

and finally...the #10 thing I learned about making a construction cake...

Kids don't care what the cake looks like...

only that they can put it in their mouths!

Okay...so the final picture actually looks like a decent cake...must be it's good side:)