Need To Commission Someone For a Birthday Cake (Akron, Canton: construction, vs.)

[NEOhioBound]

I am looking for someone in the area who can make a birthday cake for my son- not a basic sheet cake, but something a little more better- I am trying to decide between a Max & Ruby theme or a race car or construction set theme.

Does anyone know of anyone in the Canton, Massillon, Alliance, Hartville, Akron area that makes some amazing cakes?

Photos of past made cakes will help

Thank you so much

[ImaMichigander]

While I don't know anyone in your area, I can tell you my son turned 2 months after we moved to Findlay. I had nowhere to go, as I always got my cakes from one market back home. So I got some recommendations from neighbors and such and went for it. My little guy loves Ike LaRue, obviously a much less known character than say Elmo. So I took a book and the lady that made the cake made it PERFECT. The cake itself was a little dry and wasn't as good as the cakes we're used to back in Michigan, but it was SO darn cute! SO we considered that a success.

Now, this month my daughter made her 1st Communion, so we needed a cake. I called in to Wal-Mart, didn't go in. The instructions were, include lavender and light blue flowers, make it girlie and write "God Bless Victoria". (Her best friend had had success with Wal-Mart for her party earlier this winter and it was cute.)

When my husband went to pick up the cake, I swear to you it was the most grossly decorated cake in the history of cakes!!! It was yellow, with turquoise writing, with a huge white plastic prayer book, a black rosary, and a dark brown frosting cross about 6 in. tall by about 4 in. wide. Oh yeah, and it had "birthday party ballon" purple grapes. I freaked out. I mean I FREAKED out-- it was the ugliest cake ever. It looked like a cake for an 82 year old man's funeral, not an 8 year old girl's communion.

So I called and they said they would fix it. They did fix it, but not much better, though they did change it significantly. It was now the second ugliest cake ever.

That cake however was moist, had whipped cream frosting, which was not as heavy as the usual buttercream, and had a custard filling. Still not as good as our market back home, but closer.

So all this rambling really means, talk to your friends, neighbors and co-workers, see if they give you some names and if their is a general winner that comes out on top. And weigh cute vs. tasty, as sometimes it is hard to find both in one cake!

Good luck!