You don't have to order an expensive baby shower cake in honor of the mommy-to-be. While they are definitely beautiful, they can really make a dent in your budget. Why not try your hand at making a cake yourself? No oven or afraid to bake? Bakeries will sell you un-iced cakes, or may even put a base coating of royal icing or fondant on for you for a minimal fee.
You don't need to stick to the traditional round cake. Why not try a square or even hexagonal shape? You could also cut the round into wedges and make a gigantic slice. Sometimes just changing or tweaking the shape makes a difference to the mood the cake gives off.
Neither do you need to know how to make decorations for the cake, even if you can purchase plain fondant and paste coloring online on baking specialty websites. There are myriad sugar decorations available, both online and in nationwide craft stores. Look beyond sugar decorations, too! If a toy is safe to put in a child's mouth, it's also safe to put on a cake.
Here are a few baby shower cake decorating techniques you can try out:
First of all, lay out your design. It's not enough to draw it or picture it in your mind! Try placing the sugar décor on a pan of the same size, or even just a piece of parchment as big as your cake. Then, you can make adjustments when you find out the design is not what you envisioned or if it's too much for the cake's size.
If your final design is off a bit, mask the fact with an extra sugar flower or three, or with an extra sprinkling of sugar confetti. Everything can be fixed, just be willing to think outside the box in order to find the solution.
Look at how you can decorate your cake as well. Do you want a diorama or show a scene? Picture out how you'll reproduce that in 3D. For example, if you want to show a teddy bear, you could use a toy by having it sit on a plastic disc or on a piece of glass on top of the cake. Decorate the foundation with candies or sugar flowers you “glue” on with royal icing. Done!
Look beyond typical décor. If you have access to organic flowers, they'll make a beautiful bouquet on top of the cake. Candied or dried fruits make beautiful accents as well. Are you using glass pebbles as accents on your tables? They can go on your cake too, after being washed well of course. Or use rock sugar instead if you want only edibles on your cake.
Don't forget the sides, either! Décor shouldn't be limited
to the top. Stick candies or cupcake toppers on the side; or take
the simpler route and cover the side with a length of ribbon to
make a cake with an old-fashioned flair.