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Baby showers today are becoming ever
more elaborate, giving you plenty of opportunities to show off your
style and creativity. One of the best ways to make your guests and
the mom-to-be “ooh and ah” will be the baby shower cake.
Not only should it be delicious, it should be creatively designed.
Here are some great ideas for your cake:
Miniature Cakes: A fun and sweet idea is to serve each guest a miniature
cake, shaped like a square building block. You or your baker can
frost, trim, and decorate each square with letters, such as B-A-B-Y
or the initials of baby-to-be or the parents. The colors you choose
can be in line with your theme. You can also choose cupcakes as
your individual portions, decorating them with frosting, gel, or
shaped sprinkles to make baby-themed images such as bottles, rattles,
teddy bears, etc.
Shaped Cakes: Now this is going one step further. It’s possible
for you (or your baker) to put together a cake in pretty much any
shape. One idea is to purchase baking accessories (shaped pans);
though you may not find baby-specific shapes, a heart or a flower
shape is still sweet and might even be in line with your theme.
If you’re more adventurous, use a regular square, rectangular,
or round pan, and then cut the cake to match your design. This can
be made easier by tracing your design on a piece of wax paper first.
Your baby shower cake can then be virtually anything – what
about a rubber ducky, a bottle, or booties? Depending on your skills
with frosting, you can even make your cake look like a large pregnant
belly! Some bakeries even offer cakes with a diaper design.
Unique Photo: Bakeries have been “printing” photos onto
cakes for years. A special and unexpected way to surprise your guests
is by bringing an ultrasound photo to the bakery and having that
image on your cake (you might get the dad-to-be to be your accomplice
so it will be a surprise). Some moms-to-be also do photography sessions
showing off their pregnant tummy, sometimes with older siblings
– this might also be a lovely idea for your cake.
Classic: If you like, you can go with a simple, elegant tiered cake
– even a wedding cake would be appropriate. Decorate the cake
in baby colors such as baby blue, pastel green, or light pink; you
can even add subtle detailing such as stripes, polka dots, gingham,
or a weave pattern. A choice like this might be especially appropriate
for a more formal shower.
And don’t forget – even a traditional rectangular or
round cake can be frosted into a baby theme. Imagine a sheet cake
frosted uniformly and then piped into squares – add a few
letters or images and you have a baby quilt! Or, if you know the
sex of the baby, keep it absolutely simple and to the point and
just choose colored frosting and simple wording: “It’s
a Boy!” or “Here Comes Little Jenny!” Whatever
you end up choosing for your baby shower cake, be sure to explore
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