It’s been awhile since I made this cupcake cake for my son’s 5th grade teacher…Things have been a blur since school let out over a month ago. But this one was special, so I thought I’d share it…

To give a little background here, this class began their 5th grade year with a bit of a reputation. There are 15 strong-willed, rambunctious, inquisitive, competitive boys (mine being one of them) and only 7 girls in the class. Previous teachers had gotten worn down and exhausted by mid-year — they are definitely a handful (I want to be clear, we’ve loved each and everyone of their teachers).
Then came Mrs. Hammerton. She was tough but fun. Strict but silly. Demanding but compassionate. She expected a lot from every single one of her “Angels.” She got results and and inspired them everyday.

And they loved her for it.

On the day before school let out, we surprised her with this cake, ice cream, and an angel bracelet and poem. We wanted her to always remember her “Little Angels.” We also had enough donations from parents to get her a really nice gift card!

 

For ease of serving, it’s a cupcake cake made from 24 chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, iced all together to look like a cake. I wanted it to look like a piece of lined paper with doodles and the simply drawn image of an angel. The angel is actually an icing transfer made by piping layers of icing onto waxed paper in the shape of an angel (the elements nearest you go down first, layering until it’s all filled in). After freezing for a few minutes, the waxed paper can be peeled away and the image carefully laid onto the cake.

Congrats for making it through 5th grade, kids, and thanks so much to Mrs. Hammerton for being an inspiration and Guiding Angel to all of us!

We love you, Mrs. Hammerton!!