Buttercream Blonde: Baby Shower Cake

Baby Shower Cake

Saturday, February 25^th, 2012

I had an opportunity to make a cake for a friend who, after having three boys is now blessed with not one, but two girls! Twins! (I see a mini van purchase in the near future). Today was her baby shower and she asked me to make a cake, using a couple of pictures she found online as inspiration. I was especially pleased as she started to unwrap the gifts because most of the clothing, blankets, bibs, etc. matched the cake. Lots of pink and brown! There’s something about that color combo that is so cute! Maybe because it reminds me of Baskin Robbins?

So, the first for me on this one was the fondant bow on top. I formed all of the pieces the day before so they would have time to dry and assembled it at the last minute. I had a hard time getting it to look seamless since the pieces had no give. (Notice the blob of fondant holding it together in the center…) I think next time I’ll put the bow together before the pieces are completely dry so they’re easier to adhere. That’s the fun part about being given some leeway with design; it allows you to experiment, and worst case scenario, switch to plan B if it doesn’t work.

I also planned to try out a quilted pattern on the top tier, but was afraid to try after putting the cake in the fridge. I just knew if I didn’t do this while the fondant was still soft it would probably crack, so I played it safe and left it alone. Next on the project list – a wedding cake for Wednesday and cupcakes for the following Sunday. Super excited!

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My story -

I’m Jennifer and I have a fascination with everything food related. Cooking is my passion, and the kitchen is where I am truly happy. However, baking was never my first love. Baking is an exact science; where measuring cups and teaspoons are used, and timers are set. Where’s the fun in that? I love improvising; cooking a meal without an exact plan in place and tasting as I go. Although I may read a recipe for inspiration I prefer not to follow one. I would much rather wing it and see what happens.

In 2006 I fell in love with the look of fondant covered cakes;
discovered through a reality television show based on a bakery in Baltimore. Two years later when I found some extra time on my hands I jumped online to learn how I could replicate those amazing creations. I found a site which taught me how to make marshmallow fondant and I couldn’t wait to try it. My first effort was a success, for first try standards; an 8 inch round chocolate cake (using a boxed mix), covered in fondant that I tinted purple and decorated with vertical stripes.

Although my first attempt was somewhat successful, the cakes that followed were not. I was cursed with cracked, sagging fondant and lopsided tiers. Perhaps pay back for not making my cake from scratch? (Silly as it sounds, the thought crossed my mind). Delivering the finished cake was a whole other level of stress. There was always a pothole or a bump in the street that would cause some sort of damage. The last straw was when a birthday cake that I made slid off the front seat and hit the dashboard as I slammed on the brakes. I watched it fly through the air, in what seemed to be slow motion, and I was powerless to stop it. That’s when I said to myself “maybe this isn’t for me”.

I gave up for a while then recently decided to give it another shot. Using the knowledge I gained from trial and error, I made a few more cakes for friends and thought, although they weren’t perfect, they weren’t bad. More importantly I had fun making them! I used real ingredients rather than boxed cake mix. I realized that I didn’t have to follow a recipe exactly; I could tweak it to make it my own. This is when I really fell in love with cake. So, the desire to start my blog was born! I wanted to chronicle my adventures in the kitchen and connect with others who love to bake “outside ofthe box” as much as I do. Enjoy!