Amigurumi Birthday Cake. Want to Make One Too?

About a month ago, after seeing the little cupcakes that I had created, my son challenged me to make a cake for an upcoming birthday. Silly son, did he forget that I am always up for a challenge? :D And so, I present to you my versatile celebration cake!

I did not attach the decorative fruit toppings, thinking different things could be made for different occasions.You could make crochet icing roses or little chocolate kisses, or even do cross stitch names and greetings for the top!  Also, there is storage compartment inside the cake so the fruit and candle can be kept in there. Or, it makes a terrific toy for a little one who enjoys hosting tea parties for his or her stuffed animals or dolls.

I looked for patterns to make this, and found many patterns for cake slices, and an angel food cake, but I wanted more of a layer cake and I could not find a pattern for that, so I just went ahead and invented my own. I decided on chocolate, but of course it could be made in cream for a vanilla cake, red for a red velvet cake, orange for a carrot cake etc, -- any colour (flavour) you would like. You could even make one for a bridal shower in white with pretty roses to decorate it. Make a few tiers of varying sizes and you would have a keepsake for the bride to be to keep! (If you are going to have multiple layers, I would make sure to use something on the bottom layers to keep the sides firm -- see below --- and I would also put stuffing in to help support the layers on top) The top layer would not need to be as strong though)

The top is just a large crochet circle ..... magic ring, sc 6, join. chain1 2sc in each around the top. For the next round ( sc in first st 2sc in next) continue this pattern for the round. Next round ... sc in next 2 st then 2sc in next, continue in this pattern, increasing number of stitches between the 2sc in 1st for each row. I wanted it to be a little wavy on top rather than really flat so I did a few rows of extra 2sc, if that makes sense to you. (Every 3rd or 4th row I did not do the increase in the number of sc before the 2sc in 1 st). My cake is about 18 cm (7 inches) in diameter, but it can be made any size you like!

Once you have the desired size for the top, sc around using the back loops only. After the initial round, crochet into the full previous sc. I continued the icing colour for about 2 cm (1 inch) then I did a row of 2sc in first st, chain 2, 2sc into next st, chain 2 etc around the cake,  into the FRONT of the st only. This was to  make the icing "drip",  Cut the yarn and change to the cake colour now, and crochet into the back of the stitches behind the dripping icing.

I crocheted 4 rows (all around the cake 4 times with the cake colour), then I added a row of strawberry jam---- do not cut the yarn, just leave it for the time being and join on the jam colour. Working in the front of the loops only, as with the icing drip ..... do 2sc in first stitch, 3sc in next and continue this pattern all the way around. ss to join, then cut the jam colour and weave in the ends. Go back and pick up the main cake colour again, and work in the back of the loops (behind the jam colour) and continue to sc all the way around. I did 3 rows of sc then I added a layer of cream filling. Leave the cake colour without cutting, join on the cream colour, and again, work in the front of the loops only, do 2sc in each stitch all the way around. Ss join and cut the cream colour, weave in ends. Go back to the cake colour and work in the back of the loops, continue to sc until the cake is as tall as you want it to be. Mine is about 10 cm ( 4 inches) high. Do a ss all the way along the bottom edge (this gives you a strong base to use to attach the plastic, see directions below)

Make the base plate for the cake by crocheting a large, but this time FLAT circle at least 3 rows wider than the top of the cake. (Mine is 3 rows wider, but you could make a larger plate if you like). The edge of the cake follows the pattern  (5dblcr in first stitch, skip a stitch, ss in next, sc in next). Repeat this pattern all the way around for a picot edge on the plate.

To keep the cake standing straight, cut some plastic canvas (you can get this at the dollar store, I had some already here so I just used it, but it is easy to find). Measure the circumference of the cake very carefully, and the height of the cake and cut a rectangle of the plastic to fit perfectly. Join the short edge of the plastic so you have a tube. Put the plastic inside the cake, then use a darning needle and cake colour to whipstitch through the plastic and the bottom (inside of the cake) sc all the way around. For extra strength, and in case this is going to be a toy for a little one, I also used the cake colour and attached the plastic to the cake near the top edge with a running stitch though the cake and plastic. If the cake is used to store the decorations or other treasures, I did not want them to get stuck between the cake and the plastic, but that is probably not necessary.



Centre the cake on the base, and oversew the edge of the cake to the plate. I made sure I just picked up the top of the loop on the plate so the stitches do not show through to the bottom of the plate, but that is just my preference. I like the little finishing touches like that! If the cake is going to be used to store things, do not sew all the way around. I left about 22 cm (9 inches) open so the cake opens up to reveal a secret compartment! LOL

I crocheted little fruits and a candle to put on top, but did not attach them. You could easily sew them on for a permanent decoration if you like. The fruits are just crocheted circles in the fruit colours, then folded in half and sewn together. I embroidered little seeds or such to make them a little more lifelike. I have an orange segment, a lemon, lime, kiwi, watermelon, and a few strawberries. There is also a tiny banana hidden in there. I decided not to put stuffing in the fruit as the crochet is firm enough to "fluff" them out if I wanted them to be more 3D than flat, but a little stuffing would not have hurt.  Have fun with designing the fruit toppings! There are several patterns for strawberries on the internet, I just wing it for myself. You could make some icing flowers instead of the fruit if you wished, or any other things you want to decorate the cake with. I made a candle by crocheting a small rectangle, to fit over a plastic straw. Put the rectangle over the straw and whipstitch along the long edge. Cut the straw slightly shorter than the covering, and sew the bottom and top closed so the straw does not fall out. I made a little flame to sew on the top. Again, I just winged it .... about 3 sc, turn, do about 3 rows, then decrease by crocheting all stitches together and do a sc for the point of the flame. Turn and ss all the way to the base to make the flame stronger. Sew the flame onto the candle. My candle will stand well if supported by the fruit, but if you are only going to put candles on the cake, you may need to secure them or make some kind of base for them.

Have fun, that is what this whole hobby is about for me! It gives me a lot of pleasure to see how things turn out, and I like to try different things as I am creating.

This is not a true pattern, I know, it is just some easy directions if you are tempted to try your hand at making your own celebration cake!

My abbreviations .... sc single crochet, ss slip stitch, dblcr double crochet
It is very basic crochet, nothing overly fancy about it!