ugliest cake ever????

I tend to think that I am a pretty good cook, baker or whatever you want to call it.  I make it and it usually tastes darned good.

That was NOT the case for Chase's birthday.  I missed the mark BIG TIME.  Not only was the cake I made, the UGLIEST cake ever (no lie... just wait, you'll see....), but I didn't make enough food to feed the starving army.

For the kids' birthdays, they get to pick whatever they want me to make them for the meal and the cake of their choice.

Chase chose a roast beef ring.  It's not healthy, but one of his favorites.  I got the roast beef, the croissants, the swiss cheese and the onions.  I put it all together, looked at it and wondered if it would be enough, made another half.  Added a big salad, had to get something healthy in them, It wasn't enough.  Jake looked at me and told me that was a great appetizer, but where was the rest of it.....  just a reminder of my day all over again....

 For the last few years, each boy has picked a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and cherry pie filling poured over the top.  It's yummy, easy and I have that one down.

Chase decided to go a different route this time and wanted a lemon cake.  I get online and found a HEALTHIER option and decide to roll with it. I'm feeling so good about it, excited to try a new recipe however....

Something went wrong, VERY WRONG.......

The cakes didn't rise correctly, they had hard edges, they weighed a TON!  But, Brian tasted it and said it was really yummy.  I went with it.....  BIG MISTAKE.

I made the lemon curd to go between the layers.  It didn't set up correctly, was a little runny, I put too much on it, it caused the top layer to slide all over the bottom layer, it ran out the sides.....  a TOTAL MESS!

Still I rolled with it, I'm beginning to question my judgment here...

So, I made the frosting.  It tasted good, looked good, no problems here that I can see.  I start putting it on the cake.  UH, Houston....  we have a problem.

The icing wouldn't go on anywhere the lemon curd was.  I mean really, it was just falling off.  So, I now have a flat cake that weighs 20 lbs, with lemon curd all around the sides and frosting somewhat on top, but not really on the sides.  WHAT THE HECK????

I wasn't going to take a picture, but decided to at the last minute.  This really doesn't do it justice :)

I bundled up Miss Madelyn and Brian and we took off for the store and a box cake mix.  Oh hell, let's just get the frosting and the cherry pie filling too.. But, since we are being different, let's go for a different flavor.....

The funniest part of all is that the cake tasted good. Chase preferred it over the box cake, the other kids did not prefer it... I don't blame them,  I felt like a rock was sitting in my gut all night long. Another lapse in judgment on my part.....

Happy Birthday Chase, next year I'll stick with the chocolate cake.....  or maybe I'll find a HEALTHIER version......

How did I miss getting a photo with Brian P?  We get to do it all again in 10 days.....  We have TOTAL Birthday domination in January!