My sister in law had a baby 2 weeks ago (my first niece, so cute!). Since my husband and I have been SO busy renovating, I haven't been able to plan a shower, but another good friend of my sister in law did. I called last weekend to ask if I could bring a cake...and she said no! She said she was making something....I told her that I have done some cake decorating on the side, but she wants to do this herself. She asked if I could bring some bars or something sweet instead.....I am trying not to have my feelings hurt, it is her perogotive to make a cake for the shower....but I had a pink princess dream cake all designed!
I think I will make a smaller version of it for my sister in law and her hubby some time later on, and bring cookies or cupcakes to the shower.
Any suggestions for attention grabing designs for either of those?
Awww...sorry you can't make your cake. You can always decorate baby themed cookies!
Have you made the cake balls, yet? I started making them last week (favorite flavor is lemon, dipped in almond bark). THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!! My freinds and neighbors think they will be my best sellers!!!
Anyway, you should make some of these, decorate the top somehow, and completely show her up! They taste fabulous, and you would be showing her up without being rude. Just say thanks to all the compliments you get! She'll know she should have gone with you just by hearing everyone rave about the flavor!!!!
In my freinds' opinions all it will take is for someone to taste these tasty treats and they will have no choice but to wonder about my cakes!! 
Just my opinion, but I would be afraid to bring cupcakes. It might really make her mad or cause bad feelings (at an otherwise joyous event) by bringing them when you already know there will be a cake. People will have the tendency to only choose one or the other! Either do the cake balls or the decorated cookies, or something like that.
I guess I am going to disagree on this one. I think if the party hostess said she was making a cake, then I think it would rude to upstage her. I think that's what will happen with cookies or cupcakes. I looked at your cakes in the gallery. You are a fantastic decorator. I know how you must feel, but you certainly don't want to put your SIL in the middle of a cake fight!
Is it possible that this friend has taken some decorating classes? My feeling is to bring the world's best bars (like she requested). If her cake is sad looking, people are going to all gravitate to your dessert. I have family members who also request making dessert. What we get is a lopsided cake decorated with marshmellows, licorice, candy corn. Whatever Family Circle has in the current magazine! More than likely, the shower is going to be a room full of women. Make the most sinful chocolate sweet that you can, you'll be the hit of the party by doing exactly what the hostess wanted you to do.
If the woman is a super competitive witch 
, then bring fancy decorated cookies or petit four.... if she is just someone who wants to make the cake herself and is not trying to be hurtful, then I would bring a simple but delicious dessert, as requested. IMHO, of course.
I just think that unless she is really being a pill, I wouldn't try to upstage her - it may have a reverse effect and make you look bad 
. Maybe she never gets the opportunity to do these kinds of things. As for your neat cake idea, why not bring that (on a smaller scale) for the couple when the baby is born? You could still take pictures for your album, etc...
Don't some baby showers have favors? You could ask to do cookie favors?
I am very much with flameon58 on this one...besides, there is no reason you can't make the cake and bring it to your SIL to celebrate the birth! Right now, however, the hostess is the hostess and she has a plan; it will serve everyone best to respect that and bring what she requested. Have some fun, make something yummy, but let the hostess have her day, too. Celebrate the child's birth with your spectacular cake and really complement the event!
Thank you so much for your responses.
This woman is very, very sweet, and I would not want to upstage her. She has the Wilton Beginner's cake decorating book, and has some cakes for her children - I think she wants to try something else.
I think I will just bring something very chocolate-y to the shower - time to go through my cookbooks!
As for the mini cake...the baby was born 2 weeks ago (I guess we do things a little different in Canada!), so I think I will just bring it over on a Sunday afternoon for coffee.
I agree with Flameon, the hostess requested bars, so that's what you do. To do otherwise would be rude and makes the party about you, not your SIL and her new baby. The hostess may not even be thinking about cake. Strange to say some people don't like decorated cakes.
I agree with flameon and funcakes. She is the hostess and it would be bad form to try to upstage her no matter how fabulous your cakes are (and they are!). Look at it as if the tables were turned and you were the hostess and someone tried to upstage you? Make your special cake and save it for another occasion say sil b'day? Or special dinner party with the new parents?
I have encountered this with my family, they all know i do beautiful tasty cakes but they feel its not worth the stress it puts on me to do the cake AND attend the function, and with just cause, i have been known to show up stressed out over transporting the cake (i live out of town from most of the family) with either my hair still in rollers or my kids not looking picture perfect because i had to obsess over the cake and i turn into a raving lunatic b*ch from hell if its not perfect. They will tell me "you just come enjoy yourself, we'll order a cake" and they think they are being nice to me but i miss an opportunity for getting my cake into the mouths of new people. I should also note that i have gotten much better about the stress, but still make the drive in my curlers! lol
**my cakes are so fresh they're 15 minutes late!**
Don't waste your time and energy getting your feelings hurt by this. She is the hostess for the shower, therefore she is running the show. She gets to do whatever she wants. I doubt this is a "put down" of your cake-decorating skills from her.
Having been the one in charge of many a shower and party in my day, I know I REALLY appreciate it when the people participating will simply do what I ask them to, rather than wanting to do what THEY want, and turning it into a competition.
This IS your sister in law. You can always create the pink princess dream cake and take it to her and her husband at some point in the future.
Here's a couple!:
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From: jackie in pa.
Black Bottom Banana Bars
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tp baking powder
1 tp baking soda
1/2 tp salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in bananas. Combine the flour baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide the batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 13" x 9" baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until the bar test done. Cool.
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HELLO DOLLY BARS ; Recipe ByAnnie Forsberg; Serving Size : 36
1/4 pound butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips -- semi-sweet
1 cup nuts -- chopped
15 ounce can condensed milk, sweetened --
1 package butterscotch chips
Line a 9 X 9 pan with foil. Melt butter in bottom of pan. Press the graham cracker crumbs into the butter and pat into an even layer. Layer ingredients in this order: coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and nuts. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over surface of bars. Press the entire mixture down into the pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Freezes well.
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TURTLE BARS Dark brown sugar gives these buttery treats an extra-rich taste.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (about 5 1/2 ounces)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and 3/4 cup butter in processor until well blended and crumbly. Press mixture evenly into ungreased 9x13x2-inch metal baking dish. Bake until crust is light golden, about 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Meanwhile, bring remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, and cream to boil in small saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove caramel from heat.
Sprinkle pecans over crust. Pour caramel over pecans. Bake until bubbles form and color darkens, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand until chocolate melts, about 5 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread chocolate evenly over top. Chill bars until chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. Cut into 1-inch squares.
Makes about 70 1-inch squares.
Bon Appétit
July 2003
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Knock you nakeds brownies
1 pkg. (18 1/2 oz) German Chocolate Cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup + 1/2 cup evaporated milk-divided
1/2 cup melted butter
60 vanilla caramels, unwrapped (one 14 oz pkg)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for eight minutes.
In the microwave or top of a double boiler melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer. Cover with chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter on top of morsels. Return to oven and bake 18 minutes (or less for gooier brownies).
Let cool before cutting.
The restaurant serves them with vanilla ice cream...A chocolate lover's dream.
Makes 16-20 bars.
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Knock you naked variation Recipe by 7yyrt
Use refrigerated sugar cookie dough.
Pat into bottom of 9x13 pan, bake for 7 min.
Meanwhile, melt 14 oz package of caramels and 1/2 evap. stir until smooth. Pour over half-baked cookies. Sprinkle on 1 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup toasted coconut. Bake for another 10 minutes, turn off stove, leave in oven until cool. Dig out into serving cups.
Makes soft, gooey caramel like a snickers bar, with pieces of crust and chips. VERY RICH!!!
Oh 7yyrt, YUMMMMMMMMMMMY thank you for sharing and I can't wait to try the recipes!!!!!!!! Yum, yum yummy. You are the best for sharing and oh ya and those "Knock you nakeds brownies " with some vanilla homemade icecream - to die for! Thank you, thank you.
This is the gooiest chocolate recipe I have.
Rocky Road Fudge Bars
This was the $5,000 winner at the 23rd BAKE-OFF Contest in 1972. Printed in the Pillsbury Classic Cookbook #193 (March 1997)
BASE:
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped nuts
FILLING:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened, reserving 2 ounces for frosting.
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1 (6 ounce) package (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows
FROSTING:
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup milk
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, cut up
Reserved cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 13x9 inch pan. In large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup margarine and 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in 1 cup flour and remaining base ingredients; mix well. Spread in greased and floured pan.
2. In small bowl, combine 6 ounces of the cream cheese and all remaining filling ingredients except nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Beat 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy; stir in 1/4 cup nuts. Spread over chocolate mixture; sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven; bake an additional 2 minutes.
4. While marshmallows are baking, in large saucepan, combine 1/4 cup margarine, milk, 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and reserved 2 ounces cream cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat; stir in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Immediately pour frosting over puffed marshmallows and lightly swirl with knife to marble. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator. 48 Bars.
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