Ok this is really going to sound insane, but I have NO idea, as in ZERO ZIP ZILCH NIL, what kind of cake to make for my elderly (well ok 69) mother. Seriously, every person I've made a cake for has several hobbies, passions, interests. I've asked the rest of the family for ideas. We're all stumped - my mother is recently retired and not into anything, at all. She was a career receptionist most of her adult life- but since she's retired for a couple of years now, that isnt really relevant. Her birthday is in September, so I figure I'd consult the pros here for some ideas
I might start out by saying I'm not even close to being professional or practiced at frilly female type things- such as flowers- because I thought that would be the one thing to do for her because she does like plants and flowers in her apartment, but I have never even attempted a flower before -as much as I think she'd like just a maybe round cake, single or tiered, with cascading flowers- BUT other than like practicing every day for the next 2 months, I can't see attempting that

So....any ideas? I need all the ideas I can get - sorry I can't offer anything you know like when people say 'i need to do a new york rangers theme cake or something' -nope, nothing to offer, sorry

Have a look on my website, in the "Adult Birthdays, Holidays and Special Celebrations Album"
On the first few pages there are alot of birthday cakes for older people. My favorites are the "life quilts" which have a place for where they were born, went to school, went to church, got married, their kids and grandkids, their jobs, their pets, their hobbies. The possibilities are endless. You can click the search tab, on the upper right of the page, to type "life quilt" which will bring up all of the quilts in one search. Have fun looking and I hope something inspires you. Let me know if you have any questions

http://www.sugarfrosted.com


Good Luck!
Anna

You could get the number pans and do her age. You could get a shape pan and do it all in stars. Those are easy and come out cute. Does she have a dog, cat or family pet? Is there a favorite tv show she likes? You could bring a photo of her as a baby to a bakery and have them print it off so you can put that on the cake.

You could do a topsy turvy cake. Use bright color fondant and make different shapes.

I'm sure you will come up with something really cute.

You can buy gumpaste flowers online if you want. I bet someone here would make them for you if you really want them and don't have the time. I think something simple yet pretty with some dainty details would be enough. Fresh flowers, too. Choose her favorite colors and add some nice shape to the cake(s). Sorry I am not much help!


Anna the quilt idea is really cute.

In my Wilton Course 1 book there is a picture of a white round 8 x 3 inch cake with drop flowers as the bottom border and then some spread around on the sides and top. It looks very feminine. And the drop flowers are way easier than Wilton rose. The book says tip 2D was used for the drop flowers, and tip 3 for the dots in the center of the flowers. In the book they are pink...but you could use her favorite color.

There was also a loaf cake in the book that had a shell border on the bottom and 2 color alternating shell across the top.

Good Luck!

You could make a small batch of MMF and shaped flowers out of it. I was surprised how easy it was to make a small rose shaped flower by just rolling and pinching a small strip of the MMF. It dried in about 24 hours and then I could attach to cake and pipe leaves next to them. I can't do flowers either, but this was my alternative until I decide to undertake flower making!

Drop flowers are easy - mix up a batch of royal - color to your choice and then get a sheet of foil and start twisting! Some will be wonderful - some won't look like flowers - play with different sized tips - just have fun and don't stress when one looks like something other that a flower. When they dry go back and make centers then when they are totally dry - next day - pick up the good ones and store in dry place for the cake. They last forever as long as you keep the dust away.

Another idea I did for an middle aged lady - doll cake! She cried! She said she always wanted one as a girl but never got one. At the very least it would remind her of her "little girl".

a life "to do" check list:

grow up -- check
get married -- check
have kids -- check
don't kill the kids -- still in progress
have a career -- check
retire -- check
then list something(s) she's always wanted to do.
including
have a happy birthday -- check!

Doug, that is the coolest idea! I may suggest that for my MILs birthday cake. I'd say she was elderly but she'll be turning 80 and still line-dances and mows her own lawn! Love that idea of the "to do" list.

You rock Doug!!

kos

thought of one more for the check list:

get revenge on my kids -- spoil the grand kids -- CHECK!!


(sleep...what's that!?!?)

and can't say here what first came to mind -- that would be over in the "Naughty Cake Discussion" forum but if my mom were still alive...I KNOW what I would have done

OMG I LOVE That quilt idea!
Challenge with my mom, she doesnt have a domestic bone in her body- born and raised in Germany, she's not that matronly cooking dinner and baking pies and cakes for family and knitting or ANYTHING like that lol, she was busy raising us 5 kids for well til i was 6 then I went to live with my dad (which is why I don't have this huge connection with her where I can say oh yeah she'd like such and such' ok - so she's not into gardening or reading or anything- althoughhhhhh I had an idea, when I was spotting some gorgeous lilac cakes in here (my favourite flower EVER) - I have a mission (with absolutely no experience b ehind me) to learn how to make flowers before september Am I a lunatic? Please tell me? I shall have to get practice boards . Is it possible to learn to do lilacs and what not without taking a course? OR should I not bother with the flower idea (She DOES love flowers)

Thanks for the brainstorm re topsy turvy cakes and stars and what not- no idea is too crazy- I shall pocket them all and swish them around in my head and make a decision what is feasible with my limited experience )

Zamode, that was lots of help- no apologies please lol- any idea is a good idea I figure )

ashley, thanks for hte ideas re cake pans- sale tomorrow I'm checking out- will see what they have- but i'll also be in the 'city' next month and hit the BIG stores, see what I can find

BJWelch, as I was browsing at the flowers gallery (searched 'flowers) I was thinking some of those didnt look TOO TOO hard, like the MMF ones- we'll see, Im making MMF next week- i'll save some and practice with it

Cowdex, it could be total llack of sleep last night, but I'm not following on the twisting foil technique. If there's a forum explaining it I'm sure I'll find it- will look this weekend after I catch up on sleep

Doug, that absolutely rocks!

I must submit a tidbit of funny (albeit neurotic) info about my mother- the only thing she's REALLY obsessed with is health products, like cleanses, and can't help but get suckered into buying the latest parasite cleanse or whatever from her health food store (so lets see if anyone else besides my family comes up with any 'joke' ideas surrounding that one I REALLY do think the colon idea would be hilarious but knowing my mom, she wouldnt get it

Doug, can you be my new mom? or at least take her under your wing and teach her about spoiling her grand kids? LOL

ok sorry for the long post LOL

Good luck with you cake. But most of all remember I love this website because everyone is so super friendly and nice WE ARE ALL A BIG HAPPY FAMILY

Since her birthday is in the fall, maybe you could do a cake with leaves and such instead of flowers. If you search the galleries here under "Autumn" there are some nice cakes. You could cut leaves from MMF or use chocolate molds. Just another idea.

OMG -- we have our mothers in common -- mine too is German and has no hobbies other than cleaning and their old country herbal cure alls. Mine is 74. She comes from Bavaria, so their colors are blue and white. I did her cake the Bavarian Blue with white writing and decorations on the top and bottom. She loved it as the coloring was perfect and reminded her of the old country......

Ok, I don't do flowers either, barring an occasional drop flower because butter cream and I don't get along, I have hot hands. However, I can make royal Icing flowers (go figure!) plus you can make them ahead of time, let them dry and then use the ones that turn out well. It isn't expensive to make and the worst that can happen is that you wind up tossing crunchy stuff.

Mhill, I love the fall idea, I'll check out those pics - seems like cutting leaves out of MMF or even making them out of choco might be easier lol
thanks oh and DIG the monkey pic ! I have that on a postcard somewhere someone gave to me

Lol pooch, I lived in Bavaria as a kid- that woulda rocked! My mom was born and raised in Bonn- big city girl- hmmm I'm getting more ideas as you guys keep em coming! Thanks for the creative juices

ok off to give some friends this new banana bread recipe I tried (hope it tastes as good as it looks lol

Elderly?? At 69??!! I'm still a ways from there, but it's not looking elderly anymore!

Drop flowers wouldn't be that hard to make and you have a little bit of time to practice. I mean, I am a pretty bad cake decorator but can make a reasonable flower.

Love Doug's idea, too. Specially don't kill children!

Or, cover a cake in ganache, simple border on bottom, and some tootsie roll roses or even real roses.

Let us know what you decide. Actually, I think you will be able to learn to make some flowers - I mean, if I can do it. Mine aren't perfect by any means but people who don't decorate cakes think they are great (or maybe I just have good friends). Good luck.

LOL @ Bon bons, too funny ya goof
I think I'll just make a cake in the shape of a bottle of her favourite colon cleanse and see if she finds it as humorous as the rest of us LOL

Well I like taking on challenges so I WILL give making flowers a try- some simple ones- actually I analyzed the lilacs thing a bit more from a structural point of view and they may not be that hard to make- unless someone can tell me what tip to use to make them so I can go out and buy it if i dont have it already lol- but I will spend the next couple of weeks trying a few different kinds of flowers- if they dont look half bad (I mean in my eyes not compared to all you pros lmao) then I'll possibly do a round 2 tiered cake with sprinkles of flowers and seashell chocolates (I already make the chocolates for sale- never occurred to me until I saw the gorgeous cakes in here with sea shells all over that even 'I' can do that lmao

but back to the drawing board- you guys rock by the way

You could do a nice autumn themed cake...with maple leaves, etc.

How about taking the fall leaves a step farther and make a family tree cake? That wouldn't be too hard, I don't think.

Here is a link to an autumn leaves family tree birthday cake I made:
http://www.sugarfrosted.com/albums/adult/normal_0748-12x18-80thbday-familytree.jpg