12 Layer Birthday Cake

So I had this "brilliant" idea for my baby girls very 1st birthday cake. I didn't want just any ol' bday cake...I wanted a special one. A cake with LOTS of color and layers, and then I created this image in my head of a miniature 12 layer b-day cake!!! That sounds fantastic!

I know what you're thinking..."Why 12 layers?" Well, I thought it would be neat to have one layer for every month since she's been born!!! 

And when I get something stuck in my head, there is no turning back...even if mid-project I think to myself "what did I get myself into?!?!" 

(which I may or may not have thought during this cake extravaganza...)!?!

It was most definitely a learning experience...so here are my tips for the future 12 layer cake maker:

p.s.You should start prepping about 2 days prior to the day you actually want the cake!

Main ingredients (not to bad right?!) but you will also need wax paper and plastic wrap. 

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I made the cake mix and poured it into an 11x17 pan so that it would be much thinner and only cooked it for about 15 minutes. I let it cool completely!
For the first layer I wanted it to be about the size of my small mixing bowl, so I traced it and used that as my starting point:

I would then place my " paper circle" on the cake and cut around it. After each time, I'd cut the paper just a bit smaller for each layer. Trust me, you'll think you don't have enough cake but you will!

Afterwards, so the layers didn't stick to eachother I put wax paper in between them...

 I then wrapped them good and tight with the plastic wrap...and put them in the freezer over night so that they were hard enough to frost. (this is where I messed up...my friend jamie told me you should freeze and frost (aka the crumb layer)...then freeze and frost again(the last frosting layer will be nice and smooth)...you live and you learn right?!

So anyways the next day I made 12 different colors of frosting...mixing all sorts of die together. After about the 7th layer I was running out of ideas so you just have to get creative with your mixtures! ha

 it makes a bit of a mess...but worth it!!!!

I didn't want to mess up the frosting by putting the plastic wrap all over it, that would have been a bummer. I have this big glass jar that I use for decoration (now don't laugh), so I just stuck that over it and put it back in the freezer for one more night.

About 3 hours before the party I took it out and let it soften up... 

then when the time came I excitedly brought the mini 12 layer cake over! I just KNEW that my baby girl would scream with excitement--and as you can see she screamed alright but not with excitement. She wanted nothing to do with it. I mean I know the frosting job isn't perfection but geez.

**sigh. Oh well. It was fun to make...even though I am bummed I didn't get a good picture of the final product. But you get the idea?! A mini cake for my little mini-me. At least the other kids loved it. ha.