Growing up my mom always made me my birthday cakes. I thought it was lame and that the store bought ones my friends had were WAY cooler. Then I grew up and realized that my cakes were the best. My mom and her sister always made their own cake pans. You can make them in any shape you want. I love doing this and wanted to show all of you how to do it.

These are a few cakes that I have done in the past. I don’t have a photo of my favorite.   My husband draws cartoon pictures and I made a cake of his cartoon face as a surprise for his 25th birthday. I will have to do it again because I’m so sad that I don’t have a picture of it!

Here’s how you do it:

1st decide on a shape and draw it and cut it out of poster board (the straighter the edges the easier it is). Make sure that it is not too big and will fit on a cookie sheet. If you want to make it bigger than a cookie sheet then you can find some cardboard and completely cover it in aluminum foil, just make sure that it isn’t too big to fit in your oven….this cardboard is now a fully functioning cookie sheet!

2nd you can measure the edge of the cut out poster board (I just eye ball it), add at least two inches to the the measurement and get that much Heavy Duty aluminum foil.

3rd fold the foil almost in half, leaving 1 inch at the end, then fold that piece over again, still leaving the 1 inch at the end. This is going to be the edge of your pan.

4th tape the inch of foil you left on the foil to the bottom of your poster board with masking tape. You will need to shape the sides of the pan as you tape the bottom.

5th once you’ve made it all the way around the poster board overlap the tin foil with the extra 2 inches.

6th place your homemade pan on a cookie sheet and fill the pan with batter and bake. Watch the cake carefully because cooking times will vary depending on the size of the pan.

7th Once the cake is cool you can simply pull off the foil and frost it. The poster board will remain underneath the cake, be sure to remember that while you are cutting the cake.

I know that you are all thinking, no way, this will all just catch of fire. The first time I did it I had the same fear. My mom and aunt have done this for years and NEVER had a fire. Just be sure to place it on a cookie sheet and it should be just fine.

Shape Ideas: You really can do anything!