Making Sam's Firetruck Cupcake-Cake

This is the obligatory "How I Made Sam's Birthday Cupcake-Cake This Year" post. (See other years here and here!)

Look online for Firetruck Cupcake-Cake patterns. Give up in despair, take a picture of a picture of a decorated firetruck cake at Bulk Barn...

...and ask your husband to make up a pattern.

Get your mother to make the cupcakes the night before while you are trying to convince the birthday boy "it's really time to go to bed because it's sooo late (10:15pm)." Thanks Mom!

Borrow your landlord's hand mixer at midnight because 1) you've had too much on your mind and totally forgot that icing was easier to make with a mixer and 2) they are NOT morning people.

Wake up at 7 the next morning and assemble the cupcakes according to the above diagram.

Start making the icing and, when ready, use an ENTIRE bottle of red food colouring to try and eliminate the pink-ness of the icing.

Take a stress break and lick a beater!

Start your decorating by putting the white icing on. Then join the cupcakes with the red icing.

Make sure it is all smooth!

Admire how far you've gotten!

Use yellow icing gel to add embellishments.

Hope your three-year-old, also known as the birthday boy, approves!

Again, admire how far you've gotten.
You even went a little crazy and added a hose :)

Pipe on the ladder with the homemade icing bag
you got your mom to make with a ziploc bag.
Thanks again Mom!

Admire the finished product.

Listen to your son's idea about adding an ax.
Remember he IS the birthday boy and
this is HIS cake.

Add the ax.

Admire the finished product.
Again.

Decorate the remaining cupcakes with the
birthday boy's name and age.

And enjoy the biggest smile on the part
of the birthday boy and bask in his approval.

And that is how you make a Firetruck Cupcake-Cake!