As Geisel’s narrator and sister sit in their house on a rainy day, the Cat appears. Without knocking or asking permission to enter, he enters without knocking or knocking and announces himself as someone there to provide “many fun things.”
His improvisational balancing acts with household objects – books, rake, milk in a bowl and toy ship- are an allegory for his performance with two hundred words assigned as part of phonics practice.
Theme
This Cat in the Hat cake features two layers of perfect chocolate cake with whipped buttercream. The bottom tier features hand-cut white clouds and kites, while Thing 1 and Thing 2 feature in its design as well. Finally, there is also an adorable hand-sculpted goldfish to complete its design!
The Cat in the Hat was written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name of Dr. Seuss and published in 1957. It tells of an eccentric stranger named the Cat who visits two children named Sally and Sam alone while their mother is away. The Cat wears a bizarre outfit comprising of a tall anthropomorphic cat wearing a tall hat with a red bow tie; upon arrival, he attempts to amuse Sally and Sam using various tricks before their pet fish tries to stop him.
After finishing, the Cat asked the children if they’d like to play a game. Although they admonished him that their mother would disapprove of his antics, but the Cat persisted. He tried balancing a fish on top of his umbrella in front of them, but the fish protested, to which the Cat replied it was all just fun and games.
The Cat in the Hat has been featured in many media, from an animated TV special in 1971 to a live-action film in 2003. Dr. Seuss made him his signature character and featured him extensively across his works; on TV series, this chaotic and messy persona was toned down for viewing purposes.
Layers
Instead of making a multi-layer cake, I opted for a two-tier option with two 8-inch rounds at the base and three 4-inch rounds as top tiers – this made for more accessible transportation and reduced the costs significantly. I used chocolate marble mudcake with double chocolate buttercream frosting as a filling.
In 1957, Theodor Geisel (better known by his pen name, Dr. Seuss) found himself feeling creatively uninspired and searching for ways to help children learn to read. While searching for a manageable list of words for his story, he discovered “cat” and “hat,” which became the cornerstones of the tale he created around them.
The Cat in the Hat follows two children named Sally and Sam during an unsettling rainy day while their mother is away. A strange figure known as The Cat appears as an eccentric stranger wearing an extravagant red and white striped top hat and red bow tie in order to entertain them with his magic tricks, but their pet fish, known as Thing One and Thing Two, refuses to move out of the house!
The book has been adapted into numerous other forms of media, including a 1971 television special and 2003 live-action film, both of which are popular with children and have made this one of Geisel’s best-selling titles for children, making The Cat in the Hat an icon associated with Dr. Seuss brand mascots; He even narrated an educational television program entitled The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss from 1996 – 1998 which featured stories set around Seussville.
Decorations
Decorated cakes can range from simple to elaborate; for instance, this cake by The Icing on the Cake features Thing 1 and Thing 2, dressed in sugar paste hats made by The Icing on the Cake, hanging from a kite under an overhead kite line. Other Dr. Seuss characters, including Lorax with his Truffula Trees, Horton with his pink Clover, and fish from Green Eggs and Ham, are also present in this masterpiece!
The Cat in the Hat has become one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature since being created by author and illustrator Theodor Geisel (better known by his pen name Dr. Seuss), becoming an international cultural phenomenon and beloved character among readers worldwide. Over generations, it has charmed readers as it inspired countless adaptations.
One of the book’s key lessons is that it is okay to let your imagination wander freely. The Cat in the Hat encourages kids to use their creativity and take risks, both of which may be difficult for many kids. He also shows them it’s okay to make mistakes – as long as errors can be turned into positive experiences in the future!
Although The Cat in the Hat is often mischievous and playful, he remains a responsible parent who knows how to set boundaries for his children. He teaches them how to have fun while staying safe while always clearing away his mess before their mother returns home – an important reminder for all parents and a reason why The Cat in the Hat has become such an endearing character.
The Cat in the Hat’s impulsive and spontaneous personality perfectly aligns with those found within Enneagram Type 7 (The Enthusiast). He’s creative, intuitive, and adventurous – characteristics found within this Enneagram personality type. Though this can often lead to chaos and disaster, The Cat is still capable of finding ways to entertain himself and others and has a natural sense of adventure – not to mention being an excellent listener who’s quick to assist when necessary.
Fondant
Fondant is a type of sugar-based icing used by cake artists to cover and decorate cakes. More stable than frosting, fondant can be colored or shaped into virtually anything a baker can imagine – making it the ideal finishing touch for theme cakes! Plus, it resists temperature changes better than buttercream or whipped cream, plus food dyes allow them to create any shade they desire!
Fondant can come in several different forms. Rolls look like pie dough and are most often draped over cakes as a cover or cut into strips for decoration purposes. Sheet-form fondant may also be purchased and used as an ornamentation on cakes or pastries or poured directly into pans to create glaze-topped desserts.
Rolled fondant is typically made using water, sugar, vegetable oil or shortening, gelatin, and glycerol. Once assembled, it can be shaped and molded into decorations for cakes; alternatively, it can be kneaded and manipulated into three-dimensional figures that sit atop cakes and even created as edible stamps, embossing tools, or food coloring for added accents or highlights on cakes.
Pros: Fondant is ideal for cake decoration as it offers a smooth surface for decorating cakes with ease. Furthermore, its temperature-resistant properties make it more practical than most icing types, and it can even be stored in the refrigerator until needed for use. Plus, fondant tends to be cheaper than buttercream while being far easier to work with than dense, creamy frostings.
Fondant can be difficult for beginners to work with. Its sticky consistency necessitates using confectioners’ sugar as an adhesive preventative. Furthermore, fondant may taste bland; adding natural or artificial flavoring agents may help improve its flavor profile.
Fondant can be an extremely versatile and beautiful decoration tool when appropriately practiced, ranging from creating flower toppers and bows, forming letters or numbers onto custom cakes, or shaping characters for birthday parties and other celebrations. Homemade fondant can provide that final finishing touch for any cake!
