Utah/BYU Great Cake, Bad Game

This the first cake that I've ever really decorated. This was made for the annual Utah-BYU football game. Just to prove what an amateur I am, I had only 4 tips to work with. With Christmas just around the corner I am not actually allowed to buy anything to help fuel my new hobby.

Stats:

• 2 8" inch cake rounds
• Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix
• Filled and Iced with Italian Meringue Buttercream(IMBC)

The cake mix was prepared using the CakeMixDoctor's basic butter cake recipe. I definitely recommend her book to anyone who makes cakes. She starts with basic box cake mixes, but mixes them differently and judging my the taste of this cake, they are changed for the better. I wanted to make this a single layer cake, but found out that my Springform pan is a 9" round and not a 8". 9" is a little too big for a single box of cake mix and unfortunately I found this out AFTER I actually tried to bake it.

For the frosting, I used this IMBC recipe. It was very easy to make and since it's the first frosting I've ever made seemed easy enough to frost with. :) I was not a huge fan of the taste, however. It was too buttery for my liking. There are a couple other IMBC recipes that use less butter that I plan on trying in future, but I hear they're a little harder to work with. There is a good how-to video for the frosting from the CakeLove guy. I also saw a recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream that appeals to my Swiss heritage I will have to try.

FTW: (For The Win!)

• My first ever decorated cake!
• Cake tasted fabulous
• I have begun my journey down the path to cake decorating.

FTL: (For The Lose)

• Didn't like the IMBC flavor.
• Cakes came out really flat.

Everyone at the party I went to liked the cake, but since the majority of them were BYU fans, they refused to eat the little corner with the "Y." For my first decorated cake, I was pleased. Hopefully for Christmas, I will get new decorating toys.