There is a castle on a cloud....

I made a helmet cake for my son's fireman themed birthday in April.

My friend Angela saw it and said, "My birthday's in October and I like castles!"  Her party was Saturday, and I did my best to provide her a castle. 

She enjoyed the white cake I made for my daughter's birthday, so I used the same recipe for her cake (with the addition of blue food coloring- she loves blue food.)  The icing on the inside was white icing with Jell-O mix added for color and a fruity flavor.  (My friend also likes those fruity blue mixed drinks- I would've added rum extract to complete the effect but we were in mixed company.)

I first baked 2 9x9 inch cakes and stacked them.  I made niches in the corners with a cookie cutter (to better support the towers.)

I baked a 9x13 inch cake and, using the cookie cutter, cut twelve rounds out of the cake.  I stacked them 3 per tower. 

At this point, I iced the cake with Swiss meringue, piping turrets on the towers.

I piped the sidewalls and door onto parchment paper.

The idea was for the meringue to harden and then be attached; however, it never did.  I ended up having to bake it like regular meringue.  (Swiss meringue is heated as you make it, and does not need to be baked- that way it keeps its pure white color.)  I'll try a different recipe next time. 

The meringue and towers were determined to discintigrate.  I did my best, and it's the thought that counts, right?  I'd rather not show a picture of the final result, but in the spirit of honesty:

It sits on the bottom tier of my silver server.  I cut cobalt blue cardstock to fit (with scalloped edges) and wrote "Happy Birthday!" on the front.  She did indeed have a happy birthday and, as far as I know, lived happily ever after...