Baby Shower Cakes

Baby shower cakes can make a wonderful event even more special by adding a unique element to the party.
Baby shower cakes can be made in the shape of so many different things including a stork delivering an infant, a watering can to indicate a "shower" or to follow the theme of the event. Baby shower cakes can even be decorated to match the decor of the table settings in fun patterns such as polka dots or stripes.

Making baby shower cakes at home is fun and easy, even for novice bakers. Boxed cake mixes are readily available, inexpensive and are really delicious. Box mixes come in a wide variety of flavors, many are perfect for baby shower cakes, including carrot cake or lemon poppy seed. Even the typical flavors can be spruced up using add-ins such as flavoring, cookie crumbs or dried fruits. Try a few different versions to see what works best. Most families have a few willing cake tasters in them!

Baby shower cakes can be made in any shape or any size. Just about everyone has traditional 8" round baking pans in their kitchen arsenal. These make a lovely two tier, traditional cake. A 9" x 13" pan can also be used and then shaped using a serrated knife. Decorative shapes for baby shower cakes can include a watering can, baby booties, or even a baby. A tip for making cutting easier is to freeze the cake prior to cutting. This make the cake easier to handle and will prevent the baby shower cakes from falling apart. Specialty pans can be purchased at many department stores, craft stores or online. These pans are often shaped in the likeness of a character and then are iced in various colors.

Baby shower cakes can be made even more special by adding a special filling. Some easy options are chocolate ganache, white chocolate ganache or raspberry jam. Other popular fillings are cookies-n-cream (simply add cookie crumbs to buttercream), chocolate chop (add chocolate chips to buttercream) or coconut-banana cream (add mashed banana and flaked coconut to buttercream)The fillings can be smoothed on between the cake layers and really make the cake delicious while keeping it moist. .

To ice the cake, a simple butter cream icing can be made using confectioner's sugar, butter and whipping cream. Adding an additional flavoring to the icing such as vanilla or almond can make the icing even more delicious.

Decorating baby shower cakes is half the fun! Fondant, a stiff, pliable icing product can be purchased or made at home. This icing is fantastic to work with and can be molded into just about any shape. The fondant can be colored to just about any shade and can be rolled out to cover entire baby shower cakes. It is also easy to use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the fondant. For baby shower cakes, shapes such as hearts, rattles, baby booties or storks may be used. These can be applied directly onto the cake and are fully edible. Homemade fondant often tastes better than pre-packaged fondant.

Baby shower cakes are special and following some of the tips above will make your baby shower cakes better than ever.