Copyright newsweek
When these parents couldn’t find a baker for their daughter’s birthday, panic set in—until dad Daniel Bolger decided to take matters into his own hands. With no baking experience, Bolger told his partner, Elissa Corrigan, both 40, that he would make a three-tiered princess castle cake himself. With encouragement from Corrigan and her Instagram followers (@misselissac), he committed—and over $1,000 (£800) later, on October 27, Grace was presented with the cake of her dreams. “I reached out to a couple of bakers a month in advance but didn’t have any luck,” Corrigan told Newsweek. “It would have been easier to keep searching for a baker or buy a cake, but doing all of the leg work created a core memory that our daughter, Grace, will never forget. She was so excited when she saw it.” Two screenshots from the viral video showing Bolger whisking eggs and making a castle turret. Corrigan, the owner of Elle-Sera, a female hormone-balancing supplement brand, explained that Grace had her heart set on a Cinderella’s castle cake. But with their busy schedules, she didn’t think a homemade cake would ever be possible. “Daniel owns multiple businesses, including restaurants—he is always up and down the country. I wondered how he will have the time to do it,” she said. Despite having catering staff on hand, Bolger, who lives in Liverpool, England, turned down help from the chefs. Corrigan told Newsweek: “I believed he could do it. He is more than capable. “He is a busy guy who spends a lot of time away from his family, so when he can get stuck in to do something like this for his daughter, it made me so proud of him,” she said. To Corrigan’s surprise, Bolger’s previous experience as a builder and joiner came in handy. She explained: “He treated the cake like a construction job — the sponge was his brickwork, and the fondant was his water.” The process began two weeks before the princess-themed party. The sponges were baked and frozen, and three days before the big day, he started assembling the cake. “It’s the middle of autumn and so cold right now, but we couldn’t put the heating on as the icing would melt,” Corrigan laughed. Grace celebrates with her proud parents. She can also be seen smiling in her dad’s arms next to the cake. According to a 2024 Everyday Health Group survey of 404 women aged 18 to 44, parents spend an average of $314 on a child’s birthday party, with one in five spending over $500. Costs typically rise as children get older. The poll also found that 97 percent of mothers have hosted or plan to host a birthday party for their child — exactly what Corrigan was doing. Corrigan didn’t get involved in the baking process. Instead, she focused on capturing footage while planning the party. She told Newsweek: “The maddest thing is I hate cake, but it genuinely tasted amazing.” What started as a baking dilemma turned into a viral moment, earning almost 14,000 views on Instagram. With users praising Bolger’s dedication and complimenting his masterpiece, calling it “incredible” and “fabulous.” It may not have come from a professional bakery, but in the end, it turned out to be a fairytale come to life for Grace.
