Cheating - for the first time ever

I seem to remember I tried making a cake once, many years ago and it was a complete disaster. I've never bothered again! For goodness sake OP why would you feel guilty about getting a shop bought cake even if you didn't have a frozen shoulder? Why do we women always feel guilty about these things - men never do!

Frozen shoulder,ooh very painful, I have had it twice,ask your Dr for a steroid injection, it really helps
You are allowed 3 in a year I think
Good luck with the cake,

Don't fret, I had a frozen shoulder twice for 2 years at a time (takes ages to go away...and then one day just disappears all by itself). The only excuse I have for not baking my own cakes, is the fact that nobody likes eating cardboard! I attempted to bake my sons favourite coconut sponge only the other week, he was really looking forward to it....of course it was a disaster....so I give up!! Shop bought sponges for me everytime with a little bit of customising work just as well!!

Shysal WOW!

It isn't cheating! It's cheating maybe if you say you made the cake, but no need to do that, and if you decorate it , you've done the creative bit. You aren't cheating on your husband or the bank! Those would indeed be things to be concerned about, but you might as well just enjoy decorating the cake and sharing it .

Maybe one of your adult children could step up to the baking plate?
I was just wondering the same. DD1 makes much more elaborate cakes than I ever did!

I don’t blame you a bit for wanting to save some effort. I make my GS’s birthday cake each year and it gets more and more daunting. After this year’s Minecraft cake, which caused me to wail and gnash my teeth more than usual, I determined that I would let DD choose a cake for him and give her a cheque to cover the cost!

Over the years I have made Christmas cakes, puddings and mince pies from scratch and provided meals over the Cristmas period (up to a week at a time) for up to 20 family and friends. I have cooked hundreds of Sunday dinners and home-made puddings for an expanding, shrinking and expanding family again and baked and decorated countless themed birthday cakes. There is always fresh cake in the tin. Or there was.

I haven't been very well on and off for the last couple of years and I’m worrying about this Christmas because the family have asked to come to us. So I’m cheating. I already have Christmas dinner (which I bought) in the freezer. I will probably buy a baked ham too. I will pace myself and make a few mince pies and Christmas puds from family recipes that shop bought goods really can’t match. I’m going to buy the Christmas cake from a market stall that makes it as well as I do, if not better. There will be pasta bakes and pie bases in the freezer, some bought, some home-made, and some simple puddings for those lingering on after the festivities.

This year, I plan to spend more time relaxing with family than cooking. If I’m not well over the holiday, anyone can read the instructions on the packets and put things in the oven. It’s either this or tell my lot I don’t think I can manage this year. I don’t think of this as cheating though, I see it as being pragmatic.

https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201711/medium-422485-memphis-cake-snip.png%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201711/medium-921016-c-cake.png%3C/span%3E https://signal-corridor.live/uploads/talk/201711/medium-41994-pug.png%3C/span%3E

I make all the cakes for one side of my family. On the odd time when I have been too lazy busy to go to a lot of trouble I have used a betty Crocker cake mix and bought an icing cake topper from Ebay for only a couple of pounds. You can submit your own photo or find a ready printed one in any subject you can think of and they will add a greeting. If you cover the cake in plain fondant and edge with a tube of ready-made piping icing the job is done within minutes. I will add some examples of mine. Good luck!
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=personalozed+cake+topper&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xpersonalozed+icing+cake+topper.TRS0&_nkw=personalozed+icing+cake+topper&_sacat=0

What a kind thing to do Smithy. I hope her family were suitably chastened.

A friend of mine feels the need to make birthday cakes for all and sundry (family members that is), and ice them. Then when it's her birthday, no one bothers but still she keeps on making them.
This year I thought I'd surprise her with her own cake so bought a lovely little fruit on at M and S. Well I'm not good at cake making, and she was delighted.

No it's not cheating - heavens above, you're in pain, but you're still going to decorate the cakes! Guilty? I don't think so . I rarely make birthday cakes these days, except for a special birthday. Sainsbury's, M&S and many others do great celebration cakes

I don't think it's cheating. It's cost effective and time saving.

It was my DS's birthday last week. Neither of us is very fond of cake so he wasn't disappointed when I didn't make him one. Youngest grandson, on the other hand, did not think his Uncle had a very good birthday. When asked if Uncle M had a good day GS3 said no, there was no cake, no candles or sparklers, and Uncle M didn't get a cape. (On his birthday the previous week, he got a Spiderman cape!) On his birthday of course, he turned 5.

I can’t imagine anyone will object. Maybe one of your adult children could step up to the baking plate? My kids are much better at baking than me and I’m happy to pass on the task, or if not, to Mr Waitrose.

It’s not cheating - it’s being sensible. I’m sure they will be perfectly happy with your offerings and I wish you better