Baby Shower Cakes

Baby shower cakes are made to celebrate both the mom and the future, or newly delivered, little life. They fall into two categories, cakes you can eat, and cakes you can look at until the mom tears them apart to cover that new baby's little bottom. In either case, they're charming to see.

If you aren't sure where to purchase a baby shower cake, one of the first things you can do is ask other young mothers where they got their shower cakes. You may discover the names of several wonderful bakeries. Another option might be to commission someone to bake a cake for your shower. It shouldn't be too difficult to discover the names of people who bake cakes in their homes as a home business. Make sure you get references from those who have already used these home bakers, and don't be afraid to ask for pictures of cakes these people have made in the past. You should decide on a budget, however, before you begin your search, so you know just what you'll get for your money.

Even if you haven't had a cake decorating class, you might be surprised to learn how easy it is to create a perfect cake for a baby shower! You can keep it simple or make it elaborate. One word of advice, however. If you've never attempted the cake you want to make, do a practice one first. That way you are learning as you go, and if you make any mistakes, it's not a problem. Plus, you can taste the cake to see if it is as delicious as it looks!

Here's a plan for a charming, easy to create cake. This one is called a butterfly cake.

Baby shower butterfly cake

What You'll Need:

Heart shaped cake pan
Rounded bottom muffin tin
Ingredients for 3 cakes (same or different flavors)
Icing (enough for 3 cakes)
Food coloring, cake decorations
Cardboard
Foil

The heart shaped pan will become the wings of your butterfly, the rounded muffin tins will be the body. Be sure to grease the pans very well. I choose to use the spray that is the grease/flour combined. If you want you can have the entire cake be one flavor or you can make different flavors. For the cake you will see, it has a body of strawberry, and wings of chocolate and white cake.

Prepare all cakes according to the mix. Since you only have one heart tin you will need to prepare the wings separately. All cakes must be very cool prior to starting. Some choose to bake the cake the night before to allow for maximum cooling. One trick is to use different cake flavors to offer variety to your guests. This is great for picky kids at birthday parties too.

While you are baking or waiting for the cakes to cool, take a large piece of card board, we used the middle section of a school project board, and cover it in foil. This will be your cake board.

Once the cakes are cooled and your board is ready, you need to level the cakes. To do this take your cooled cake and a very sharp knife (Be very careful!) and take off an jagged edges on the bottoms of the cake. This is more important with the muffin tins.

You will want to do this over something other than your board. I'd also recommend wiping the knife down in between cakes to prevent crumbling.

When you have done this on all of the cakes from the muffin tin, take a small amount of icing and place it on the bottom to secure the cake to the foil covered board. This will keep it from moving around while you're working or during the party. Remember to mentally plan how you will lay this out prior to securing the cakes.

Choose an icing color and either make it using food colors or buy it prepared. I actually purchased frosting that was whipped and added green food coloring until it was a pale green. I used this for the wings. I choose a pure white icing for the body. I iced the body before placing the wings. Once the body is iced, you can place the wings. Be sure you've leveled them out and added a bit of icing on the bottom to secure them to the board as well.

After you've place the wings, ice them with your icing. Then you can choose to decorate them a variety of ways. We actually purchased some colored frosted packets and intended to do some intricate designs, but the icing bag broke. We quickly substituted colored sugar crystals which turned out to work nicely. You could also use small candies. We choose to add the eyes and antenna in black icing.

As you can see this cake is easy and fun to make. It was a big hit at our party. You can also do variations on this theme, including using the muffin tins to make a caterpillar. I also use this delightful cake for baby's first birthday and little girl tea parties.

Baby buggy cakes are always popular, and this cake will work for a baby boy or girl.

NEEDED: Pans: One round 12-inch cake (1 1/2 mixes) and Two 6-inch 1-layer cakes (about 1/2 mix each) 2 1/2 mixes total
Pretty Foil
19 x 14-inch cardboard
NOTE: If you use the handle in the back of the buggy, you might rather use a 24 x 17 inch cardboard.
Tips 1, 5, 8, 16, 18, 21, 48, 104, 352
Buttercream or Bettercream Icing, 2 batches or 3 lbs
COLORS:Pink, blue and white icing for decorations.

DIRECTIONS: Choose whatever colors you prefer. Pink, blue and yellow do nicely.

1. Place the 12-inch cake on the cardboard allowing space for the "wheels".

2. Cut a wedge from the front of the buggy and place half of the wedge at the back of the buggy for a handle.

3. Ice the top part of the buggy and handle as usual (Thin the icing down when icing cut-cake-handle). Crumb-coat the bottom part of 12-inch. OR - use cake icer tip - easier/faster.

4. Set the 6-inch cake wheels in place and ice them smooth.

5. Basketweave the buggy, tip 48 horizontal and tip 7 vertical.

6. Mark lines on the 6-inch and the top of the buggy.

7. Pipe tip 1 cornelli lace on top part of buggy

8. Pipe tip 104 ruffles as shown. Add tip 16 shells at tops of ruffles.

9. Pipe tip 21 shell bottom border around 12-inch cake.

10. Pipe tip 8 balls over wheel and buggy-top marked lines.

11. Pipe tip 18 reverse shell borders on handle and around wheels top and bottom.

12. Pipe tip 104 roses to the center of each wheel and top . Add tip 352 green leaves.

NOTE: This cake can be placed on a 100-serving sheet cake if more servings are wanted.