I offered to do a baby shower cake for a friend at work. They want a sheet cake (2- 11 x 15 pans- half choc/half white put together). It is a surprise shower, but the mom-to-be is in on it (her hubby works here) and emailed me the comforter that they are using in the room. I really want to incorporate this, but not sure how to go about it... attached is the picture.

I was thinking of doing the stripes on the sides and the dots on top... but at a loss on what to put as far as words... I even thought as to going with two different cakes- one with the stripes motif and one with the dots motif- just to make it easier for me to carry in by myself at 6 a.m. since I have to come to work early that day because we get here at 6:30 and he is super nosey (MEN!)

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated... I thought about starting now and playing with MMF since I am very new, but should be able to pull off such a simple design.

Thanks!!

Does it have to be (2) 11" x 15" sheet cakes? If you could use different sizes, you could stack them and use the striped pattern on 1 layer and the dots on the other. JAT

I asked that and the person giving the shower is adamant about sheet cakes... only because we have to feed the people at work and they are easier to cut and serve. They have no imagination here... except the giver wanted a cake with a baby surrounded by computers since we work with computers... thank goodness I talked to the mom to be and this is what she would like to see so the giver was all for that!

I think your idea was great, stripes on the sides and the dots on top. As far as words, I would assume it is a girl because of the colors. Yesterday, there was a thread going about a baby shower and someone posted a link to baby sayings. I will try to find it but you can google baby sayings and maybe you can find it. good luck

Thanks! I know it is going to be a busy cake... more than they are used to up here, but eventually, I want the business part at least for my friends and for them to see what I can do creatively...

I do agree, the stripes for the sides, dots on the top, and maybe alternate the border colors with the 2 shades of pink and the mint green. I love the colors and how they go well together, so I should be able to pull something together.

And yes, it is a girl.

I agree with everyone! The stripes on the side and the dots on the top. That will be super cute!! As for the words, you could put something like -- Welcome baby! Welcome _______! (The little girl's name if they already have it picked out). Or you could use the words from a Hallmark card or something.

Good luck!

I like the stripes on the sides and dots on top if you decide to go with one cake.

If you decide to go with two separate cakes (ease of transportation), what about something like this? ** Mind you, I am not an artist **

Thanks for the drawings! Those are cute! I know not to use true fondant... dad already complained about that when we were talking about me making cakes and the classes, but he did sound up for the MMF. I may have to make some next weekend when we don't have a softball tournament and play with it. If not, freehand BC is how I will go, but at least I have 27 days until the shower to get this together...

Right now, Morgan is the name... until I ruined it. He wanted a name with no chance of nicknames and I didn't know that and went "Oh we can call her Mo-Mo... that's what we call my daughter's friend..." LOL

Thanks for the drawings! Those are cute! I know not to use true fondant... dad already complained about that when we were talking about me making cakes and the classes, but he did sound up for the MMF. I may have to make some next weekend when we don't have a softball tournament and play with it. If not, freehand BC is how I will go, but at least I have 27 days until the shower to get this together...

Right now, Morgan is the name... until I ruined it. He wanted a name with no chance of nicknames and I didn't know that and went "Oh we can call her Mo-Mo... that's what we call my daughter's friend..." LOL

The MMF is easy to make and easy to use. Someone sent me instructions for BC Fondant the other day. Sounds really easy to make and work with as well. I will see if I can find the note and share with you.

Here is the recipe that "caseyhayes" shared with me.

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Supposed to be award winning recipe and although I've never used this recipe, all others that I have used from this source have been wonderful.

Rolled Buttercream
1 Cup Crisco
1 Cup clear corn syrup
1/2 tsp fine grained salt
1/2 tsp citrus(lemon or orange)oil
2 pounds confectioners sugar
paste food coloring

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl (including food coloring, if desired) and beat until just blended. reserve one cup of the mixture and keep it tightly wrapped in plastic to be used to soften the icing if it becomes too thick. (Rolled BC cannot be thinned with water) If using a stand mixer attach dough hook and knead at low speed for 2-3 minutes. If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a counter top lightly dusted with powdered sugar and knead for 2-3 minutes until well mixed.
To check consistency, pinch off a small piece and roll it in the palm of your hand. If it's sticky, add more sugar. if it's smooth and glossy and doesn't stick, it's done.
To store rolled BC wrap in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap then put it in a ziplock bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. It will keep very well in the fridge for weeks. this recipe makes enough to cover a 9x13 high cake.

Thanks lees_luv! I really appreciate all the help. I saw that recipe on here and considered it. Do you know if it works like MMF but tastes like the BC that everyone loves?

I haven't tried it yet, but I hope to this weekend. I will let you know. But if you think about it, it should taste very much like regular BC icing because it has the same ingredients (except the citrus oil). It just subs out 1 c of shortening for 1 c of corn syrup.

I wonder if you can use any kind of oil? I would assume so, but don't want a big bunch of something that is not very tasty.

I made the rolled buttercream tonight to see how it would turn out... I hope I can work with it because I love the taste... I didn't have any oil, so I added Wilton Butter flavor and it does taste just like my buttercream with a hint of corn syrup, but not bad at all. And it took the color really well. Will try to use it next week on the softball cake that I have to do. If it doesn't work, I can always pull it off and goes with the star tip that I didn't want to use... a softball is smooth not bumpy and really didn't want to just smooth it on with a spatula... lazy me. Plus this is a free cake... doing it for my daughter's softball end of the year party, so as long as it looks cute, tastes good, they won't care...

I agree stripes on side & dots on top. I thought this thread is neat because one of my daughters name is Morgan .. we don't have a nickname for her .. just Morgan. And both my daughters play softball, so I am making their end of year softball cake like you kdmoffett.

For what to write on the cake .. I have been wracking my brain to come up with some kind of computer type/baby saying .. like "Microchip off the old block" or something like that. Hmm will have to keep thinking.

I love the colors of the comfort.. very cute! and I agree with the stripes on bottom and polka dots on top I did have a question about the fondant recipe that was just posted though, I tried to make this fondant tonight and I cannot get it smooth, am I doing something wrong? it just keeps cracking! Did you have the same problem while you were experimenting with yours?

If it is cracking you have too much PS in it, and is too dry. Try adding some more crisco to it little by little.

I didn't have a problem with cracking and I am probably the worst person to ask... I learned my techniques on cooking from my mom... I didn't measure the powdered sugar, just threw the entire 2 lb bag in there. I used Crisco sticks, Domino 10X Powdered Sugar, Kroger Corn Syrup, Wilton Butter Flavoring, and Wilton Lemon Yellow coloring. It is still pliable. I rolled some up in a ball and played with it and it was not sticky... then of course popped that into my mouth and it tasted good, so I was happy.

Just don't let my family see me making icing. I go through a new spoon each time instead of rinsing and drying because I have to taste every time... and I am diabetic... bad me, but at least my sugars are good.

Lees_Luv, I also drew it out last night again and came up with the following sayings:

On one cake it will say, "Congratulations on your upcoming bundle, Erica & Lang!" This could be bundle of joy, not sure yet...

The second cake is the one I truly love... "Ten tiny fingers, Ten tiny toes, She'll be cute as a button, And Sweet as a rose!"

I thought about putting roses on the inner corners of this cake, but can't decide if I want to put something on the corners of the other, like mini fondant booties or something... I just haven't decided on this part yet... any ideas?

kdmoffett, VERY CUTE IDEA and I LOVE that poem. I used it on a web page that I created for my sister's babies' pictures. I think that the roses would look great on the cake with the stripes and your poem. Is that what you were planning?

As for the cake with the polka dots, have you seen the acrylic pacifiers (about 2 1/2") at your hobby store? I have a couple of pics in my gallery with them. They would look adorable on it. You could put a fondant (or ribbon) bow on each of the pacifier rings and put one on each corner. Or you could do something different on each corner... fondant booties in one, a pacifier in one, a rocking horse in one and a bottle in the other.

When did you say you were doing these? I can't wait to see the results.

Yes, the stripes on will have the roses and the poem. I thought it would not look good with roses and dots, just my opinion.

I have to attempt a bow to make a bow... I am very new! Let's just say, I am dreaming big already and I have made one cake, but by the time this is due, I will have enough under my belt to handle the roses and shell border. Plus, playing around is learning too. I make my first public cake next week, the softball party cake, which is going to be a 12 x 15 sheet cake, two layers, white with BC icing with some saying, still at ends on this one, with the chocolate Wilton Sports Ball on top, covered in the Rolled BC, with grass, etc.

The baby shower cake is due June 3, so that gives me some time to play. My poor son will be the tester on this as he was so upset to come home from his friend's last night and see icing, but no cake... darn that thing was thrown in the freezer (my class cake for next week) before he could get his paws on it! He ate over 1/2 of my first cake by himself and he is 9!! This is the child that barely ate 1/2 of a piece of his store bought birthday cake... mom is a good cook to him... LOL

You can make "rolled roses" with the Rolled BC that would look cute if you are not comfortable with the BC roses when time comes to make your cakes. You could also roll multicolored balls (matching your stripes/dots) and alternate them around the base of your cakes. The shell border is pretty easy though.

The bows are super easy.... if you are taking the Wilton classes, you won't get into the fondant until your 3rd Course. Edna (tonedna) has a great "how to" video on YouTube for fondant bows.

I think most "team" cakes usuallly just have team name and maybe the date, possibly the players first names.

As for your first cake, you did a great job. The BC is so smooth and that red is perfect. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE **And of course he ate 1/2 of it. Homemade is always better than store bought.

Well they were 1st in the county, so I was thinking of something like "Way To Knock It Out Of The Park Girl!" And then freehand their names either around the cake, or like they signed the ball... The wording will probably be their team color as with the border, Royal Blue. I though about the grass tip for the entire top and the sides smoothed green or white to show names with the bright yellow softball on top. Maybe mini yellow balls around the cake border on bottom since I made plenty of rolled BC.

I thought about the rolled roses, but I am hoping I can make the others since they are pretty and dainty.

I am a pretty good reader and self-teacher... that cake was not even smoothed with Viva papertowels, but the Sam's brand that is rough, but I was determined... LOL

Sounds like some good ideas to me.

Good luck with the roses! It comes easy to some and harder for others. I hate BC roses and threatened to quit decorating cakes if I had to make any more. LOL

Obviously. Keep up the good work!