Thanksgiving was extra special this year...

I am thankful for so many blessings in our life... My wonderful husband, our 2 wild, crazy & adorable little boys, our awesome families and friends, the fact that my dad's lung cancer is gone! So many things, how could I not give back to those who need something to lift their spirits??? When I started my cake business a few years ago I wanted to allot time every month to give back to one very special organization. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh.

They offer wonderful support, a home-like familly atmosphere and most of all love during very difficult times in people's lives. They house the families of chronically and termanilly ill children, for free, while their loved one is being hospitalized. Where I come in is in the form of a monthly cake donation. It's a very small way to give back for all the wonderful things they did for the patients of the hospital I worked in before I became a stay at home mom... Once a month I take a cake for them to enjoy during their monthly family dinners... It is such a great joy to me to bring cakes & cupcakes to them that even my 5 year old son, Stephen, asks to come with me on the deliveries. This Thanksgiving, not only did I have my son, but, my wonderful sister-in-law, Linda came with me... Doing something for others truly made our Thanksgiving that much more special.

For their dessert I was thrilled to get inspiration from my cake mentor, Sharon Zambito. She had a 5 part Thanksgiving installment on her blog of different Thanksgiving dessert ideas and the Pumpkin Pilgrim Cake was an instant inspiration for The RMHC Thanksgiving meal... While Sharon made a mini version of the pumpkin cake, I did a full sized bundt cake version--let's just say that flipping a 10 pound cake to cover it with fondant takes nerves of steel, people!! =) But, the end result turned out absolutely adorable! And, the folks at the RMHC loved it so much they already sent their thank you note! Today is Sunday-3 days after Thanksgiving, and the note came in yesterday's mail... It just warmed my heart at how much they loved the cake...

Ok, drum roll... I know you've patiently waited to see how he turned out... FYI, I lovingly named him "Pilgrim Pete"... His little face just reminded me of my 2 1/2 year old, Pete, so much, that I had to give him a name =)


Ta da!!! May I introduce Pilgrim Pete... =)



2 full sized bundt cakes and 1-10" round cake made up the body...



Gingerbread cake with Cinnamon Spiced Vanilla Buttercream, covered and decorated with fondant/gumpaste details...



All in all "Pilgrim Pete" weighed in at about 15#'s! He was the cutest little thing and so freaking fun to make! Now I just have to come up with an even more amazing cake for their Christmas Party!!!

You won't be disappointed and this cake would make any Thanksgiving (Or Halloween, for that matter) centerpiece amazing!

Thank you for reading!! HAPPY BAKING EVERYBODY!!!