Baby Cake

I was shocked and dismayed to learn that thirty people RSVP’d in the affirmative for this weekend’s baby shower. Typically, we have a huge invitation list because we know that only a third of the folks on the list will actually be able to participate. But this was different. Most of the ladies were able to attend.

We had a good time, other than my extroverted {or, at least, I perceive her as more extroverted than I} aunt deciding that a good idea was to have her introverted niece run the game.

Hello? Haven’t you been reading my blog?

Apparently, she has a life.

Ahem.

The real fun for me was in making the cake, and again in making sugar cookies for the favors. I had planned a normal size of a cake, and as the RSVPs rolled in, the cake got taller…and taller. What you see in the pictures is three boxes of cake mix {yes, I make homemade frosting, but use a plain old less-than-a-dollar box}. I baked this in only two layers, the cake pan being large enough for one-and-a-half boxes to fill it.

Our theme was based on some disposable napkins and plates my mother purchased that are, I think, intended for christenings. They had baby booties on them, pink flowers, a little silver cross, and had “A Baby is a Blessing” inscribed on each and every one.

When I saw a pair of size zero patent leather off-white booties, I knew what I had to do. I had to figure out how to use these as a cake topper without ruining them, so that my cousin (the mother-to-be) could keep them and use them for the baby. I am thinking these will be fabulous shoes for Easter.

While I was out buying my supplies, I grabbed a 99-cent bit of fake flowers that looked similar to what I was imaging for the cake, just in case I needed them. Wow, am I glad I did that!

But before I share the photos, I have to tell you my Cake Horror Story. Part One is fairly typical. I flipped the cake over in the Usual Way, to remove it from the pan in order to continue its cooling. I couldn’t believe how perfectly it came out–not a bit of it had stuck to the pan. It was, however, quite raised in the center. I knew I’d need to slice it down to level it a bit, but I was going to let it cool just as it was. All of a sudden, it gave a little shudder. It looked like an earthquake, and it split lengthwise, perfectly down the center.

Three years ago, I would have panicked, but now I know that this happens about every three cakes. So, I called my husband to help me wrap it in plastic wrap, and we held it together as best we could and popped it in the freezer.

Did you know it is much easier to frost a cake if it is frozen?

This was only Part One!

The next day, I was going to frost the cake on-site so that I didn’t have to risk transporting a decorated cake. I don’t have any of the right equipment for transporting. I packed my beloved industrial mixer into the trunk, along with the two frozen layers of cake, and a laundry basket full of cake decorating supplies.

As I rounded a corner midway through my drive, I heard my mixer turn over. Oh. My. Word. I knew this was bad, but it was very foggy and the road was narrow and there was nothing to do but to keep driving.

When I opened the tailgate to retrieve my supplies, I found the mixer–the entire mixer–on top of the cake!

Score two for freezing cakes! Had they not be frozen, they would have been destroyed, but instead all we had was a dramatic indentation in one of the layers, meaning we knew which layer was going on the bottom.

Ahem.

End Horror Story.

Now, for the photos. Here, we have the top of the cake as I was beginning. I had entirely frosted what I call my “base coat” and added on the booties and the fake flowers which ended up being indispensable:

Here is the top after I had finished with the inscription and done the borders. I always do flowers last because I don’t really know how many are appropriate until everything else is done. One of my weaknesses is inscription, and that is mostly because I have no practice. Writing with frosting is quite different from writing with pen. You cannot lift up as easily, and the cursive is true cursive, with all of the letters completely attached to one another.

Here is the finished product. The lighting is also better here. You can see another one of my weaknesses in this photo. See how the border reveals a hill-shaped top of the cake? Someday I will buy a real cake leveler, but for now I use a knife, and I am too timid in using said knife to level it well. But it works, and I don’t think most people noticed. In fact, that is my Philosophy of Imperfect Cake Decorating: people want to like the cake. They aren’t looking for imperfections, unless they are the typical American bride, which is why I would probably never, ever do a wedding cake.

Ahem.

As I was saying, here is the photo: