New Zealand’s first bloke Clarke Gayford has shown off his baking skills, producing an astonishing television cake with projected cartoons for his daughter’s birthday.
Jacinda Ardern, 40, and her partner Clarke Gayford, 44, celebrated their daughter Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford’s third birthday on Sunday.
The Labour leader made cakes for Neve’s first and second birthdays; a coconut-coated rabbit in 2019, and a chocolate piano last year.
But this year, Mr Gayford took it upon himself to make a cake shaped like a vintage television, complete with a fondant screen inside to play his daughter’s favourites.
He ingeniously projected cartoons and films, including kids’ favourite Moana, onto the screen so it looked like a real television.
To celebrate his daughter’s third birthday Clarke Gayford took it upon himself to make a homemade cake shaped like a vintage television (pictured) which he projected her favourite films into
The prime minister’s fiancé shared the results with his 50,000 Instagram followers, explaining how he came up with the idea for the quirky dessert.
‘So the birthday cake brief for my almost three-year-old client changed daily from Frozen to Moana then Mickey Mouse and repeat’, he wrote.
‘This has been going on for nearly a month, so I came up with a plan to make three cakes into one, #HappyBirthdayNeve #neverusingfondantagain.’
The television host covered the rectangular chocolate cake with a layer of white icing, adding two feet, an TV antenna and buttons.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern allowed her partner Clarke Gayford to make the cake for their daughter’s third birthday this year. (The family pictured in February 2020)
The Labour leader made cakes for Neve’s first and second birthdays; a coconut-coated rabbit in 2019, and a chocolate piano last year
He uploaded a video pretending to turn on the cake screen with a remote, switching effortlessly from Moana, to Frozen and finally Mickey Mouse with the use of a projector.
Ms Ardern said Neve was delighted – but not necessarily by Mr Gayford’s attention to detail.
‘She’s three. Everything’s exciting,’ she said.
‘She’s still a kid that loves dolls. She’s easy to please.’
Speaking to TVNZ, Ms Ardern said Mr Gayford had won himself the chance to make Neve’s cake next year.
‘If it makes anyone feel better it literally took hours and he spent more time on a third birthday cake than he has on our wedding,’ she said.
After meeting in 2012, Ms Ardern and Mr Gayford were engaged in 2019, and plan to wed this summer near the pair’s summer holiday town of Gisborne, in New Zealand’s remote north-east
The proud dad explained he had combined three cakes into one, after his young daughter couldn’t decide between a Moana, Frozen or Mickey Mouse theme for her big day
‘That is actually true and zero exaggeration.’
After meeting in 2012, Ms Ardern and Mr Gayford were engaged in 2019, and plan to wed this summer near the pair’s summer holiday town of Gisborne, in New Zealand’s remote north-east.
Hundreds of people took to the comments to praise the proud dad for his efforts.
‘Are you kidding me with this cake? WOW’, one woman wrote.
‘Best Cake ever! Gotta step up next year though dad. Rā Whānau Neve Happy born day’, another user joked.
‘Holy heck! Way to outshine your partner! I mean good effort from Jacinda the last couple of years, but she can definitely step down from cake maker now’, a third user commented.
To celebrate her daughter’s second birthday last year, Jacinda Ardern made a piano cake (pictured) from the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book
Last year the New Zealand prime minister stunned the internet by taking the time to make her daughter a homemade piano cake for her second birthday.
She took to Instagram to explain the recipe she had used from the Australian Women’s Weekly Birthday Cake Book had not run exactly to plan.
‘Cake making lesson number two- don’t focus on making the cake look in proportion with little to no attention on structural integrity,’ Ms Ardern wrote.
‘There is a jar of lentils propping this thing up.’
‘Happy Birthday Neve! Thanks for ignoring all of the imperfections in life and just being a joy.’