Something’s in the water round these parts, because all of my friends are either new mothers or expecting. Downside: being (blissfully) left out of dirty diaper and breastfeeding discussions. Upside: baby showers and the desserts that go along with them! (Oh, and the resulting babies are a pretty big upside too.) This past weekend we celebrated my friend Jane and her soon-to-be-son, and I got to do the cake for the shower.
Jane is doing a rock & roll theme in her nursery, so the shower theme was ROCK-a-bye Baby, with stars and music note decorations. I decided to roll with the star theme for the tiered cake I made:
The cake is chocolate with layers of mint buttercream. The blue and white material is fondant, and the brown is chocolate plastic. The plaque is white chocolate, and the stars on top are gumpaste.
The stars were yet another example of something that seems awesome in my head, but could use a dress rehearsal before I attempt it on a cake. The wire I had wasn’t the right thickness to support the stars like I wanted, and they kept spinning around in ways that aggravated the OCD side of me that wanted them just to stay put. I don’t know that gumpaste was the right choice–next time I might try fondant, and definitely use a sturdier gauge of wire.
The woman of the hour, the cake, and yours truly, right before we cut it. I’m bummed that this picture is blurry, but it’s too cute not to post.
And the inside, with a blue buttercream layer just for fun:
Speaking of baby shower cakes, one of the first large cakes I made (and one of my first posts on this blog!) was a baby shower cake about 3 years ago. It’s funny–and surreal–to look back on it now and see how much I’ve learned and grown as a baker and a blogger during this time, and of course it’s even crazier to think about the baby from that shower, who is now a full-on walking, talking little person. Time flies, and I’m so grateful to have these occasions to help us celebrate milestones.
Wow Liz – you are a genius! That cake is just truly remarkable. And I would love to know the secret on how NOT to have the cake layers show through the fondant. Is is a thicker layer of icing? Mine always look like they're rippled with disease.
Thanks, Megan! My fondant method: before I even apply the fondant, I make sure the sides of the cake are very smooth, and I try to go a bit heavier on the frosting on the sides (although in this instance I was a bit short, so the outer layer of frosting isn't too thick). I apply the fondant when the cake is quite cool (but NOT frozen!) so it can easily hold its shape while being pressed down on. I sometimes use a fondant smoother on the top and sides but usually just use my hands to really press the fondant on and get out any air bubbles. That's about it! Maybe it's just a matter of having a sturdier frosting that can hold its shape better?
That cake looks so good! I have never wanted to eat my computer screen until this post. I especially like the blue layer. I checked out your butterfly cake and that looks fantastic too.
Elizabeth, it was SO delicious! Your desserts are unbelievably tasty. We're all lucky to know you for lots of reasons, and this cake's a strong presence on the list. Sure glad I got to help eat it! I'm really glad you could be at the shower, too – I prefer having you around live and in person.
What a fun cake! All your desserts and goodies always look fabulous and professional!
Somethings in the water here too. I've had 5 preganancies in my staff in the past year (and I only have 15 staff).
Great looking cake!