How To Make An Adorable Upsherin Chalaka Cake

When a young couple who are like family are coming for shabbos with their almost three year old son (and 8 adults total) decorations to celebrate the upsherin (haircut in yiddish) or chalaka (haircut in hebrew) are in order! I was pressed for time as usual, but fortunately came up with the idea of making tzit tzit and a kippa for our wooden parrot, and using these little plastic guys as cake toppers, by giving them kippas and tzit tzit (only had time for one.) The results were as cute as can be! I took these photos before I iced the cake with glaze and sprinkles, but you get the idea! The birthday boy was so excited and his mother says he’ll remember the party his whole life. Hmmm, but surely with my photos he will! Okay, let’s get to it, make these far in advance and you’ll have time to dress all the little boys in tzit tzit, which will be even cuter.

Supplies for Upsherin Cake Toppers:

• little plastic men that sit on the edge of a glass and are sold as holders for propogating cuttings

• felt circles in a variety of colors

•colored paper, white paper and bits of white string

•bamboo skewers

•hot glue and a black fine line pen

How To Make Upsherin Cake Toppers:

1. Using the felt circles, make kippas by cutting a slit just up to the middle, and glueing one side on top of the other to make a kippa shape. Glue kippas to figures
2. Make tzit tzit with white paper, attach little strings with hot glue
3. Make flags and wrap around skewer, adhering with hot glue
4. Glue figure to flag pole
5. Add felt circles as decoration both below each figure and above at the top, in some cases.
6. Use felt circles to decorate tray or bottom plate that does not touch the cake. (And in that way they can be re-used)
7. Cakes always look the best on cake stands or simply elevated by placing the plate on top of an upside-down bowl.
8. Enjoy!

Really truly adorable and an idea that I’ll be using for our family in another year or so!