I have a request for a bridal shower cake with charms baked into each piece Has anyone done this?

The MOB, who is organizing the shower, has read that the shower cake has to be pink with pink frosting, and have a charm baked into the cake for each person, and a special one for the bride. I am asking her to bring the book when we meet, so I can get more details.

I have found posts about baking a coin into the cake, and hiding a small plastic baby in the cake, but nothing like this. I plan to wrap them in foil first, but how do I mark where they are? It is only for about 10 people.

Help me please, I have no idea how to approach this! Thanks.

A very southern tradition that isn't done that much anymore! I believe it has Victorian roots. Each cake charm represents something and typically each bridesmaid would pull one of the ribbons.

**Do not bake the charms in the cake!!!!** Just insert them between your two layers with the ribbons going straight out. It's best to have your first layer down, add the filling, lay on the charms, add the top layer and ice. Then you ice around the ribbon pulls so the charm is hidden (while the ribbon is not. It's just the charm itself that is a surprise when it's pulled out.)

Here is a much better way of explaining this whole custom:

http://www.ehow.com/about_6589090_meaning-wedding-cake-pulls_.html

That is the cutest idea!

Thank you so much! I immediately bookmarked the page! I'll go over it with the MOB.

I was so worried about having "foreign objects" in the cake! This makes sense now.

I am assuming that you just smooth very carefully around the ribbons, and that I will still want to wrap the charms in something so they are not full of icing.

Thanks again for your help.

sweetheart6710,

Where are you in Utah? We're BYU alum. My in-laws and many of my aunts and uncles and cousins are still there. We get there almost every year.

Not knowing if the charms are food safe or not, I would be safe and wrap them in some glad press N seal. But check the description on the package because it's quite possible they are food safe. One would hope.

I know David's Bridal carries them for cheap. Was the MOB doing the shopping for them?

Some brides use a real charm as the cake pull charm and give the bridesmaid a bracelet for it as their gift.

http://www.advantagebridal.com/stsiflbrcach.html

Yes, MOB already has them. She said that she selected special ones for each bridesmaid, but that the charm for the bride is actually the mom's engagement ring! That really had me nervous about baking them in!

Thanks again for your help!

My aunt gave me a set of charms to put in between the tiers of my cousins wedding cake. I didn't bake them into the cake I baked the cake decorated and placed them between the tiers letting the ribbon hang over the sides. I didn't want to take the chance of someone swallowing them and choking.

I've done a couple of these cakes. I assemble the cake and then shove the charms under the bottom most layer then put on a border. MUCH easier.

I had never heard of this until the MOB mentioned it. I did some research and it looks like most suggest doing what Leah does, shove the charms under the bottom layer with the ribbon sticking out then put on the border. That's what I will do if the bride decides she wants it done.

Putting them underneath makes much more sense. I've been trying to think of how to smooth a cake with ribbons hanging out, and how to do it without getting grease stains all over the ribbons.

I've never seen a smoothly iced cake with ribbons hanging out! That would be a challenge. I've only seen rough iced cakes prepared this way.

Sounds like a great plan to place them underneath the cake and just worry about a border touching the ribbon. Much easier to smooth the sides!

If the MOB has specific charms for each bridesmaid, maybe putting their initial on the ribbon so they know which one is their so they don't get the ring meant for the bride.

I've done a few of these with the cake pulls.
I simply poke them into the base of the bottom tier with the ribbons hanging loosely on the cake board, then apply the border to the cake.

Definitely do not bake the charms in the cake. They should be applied after decorating.

I like the idea of the initials on the ribbons. I was thinking maybe different colored ribbons, but that is a lot of ribbon to buy, and all the colors might detract from the cake.

How deeply do you poke them in? and do you just do it with your finger? or with a dowel or something else?

Thank you EVERYONE for your help. I am feeling so much better about this cake now. It's not due until October, so I will post pics then.

If the MOB selected which charms the BMs get, it's not really a traditional cake pull. The whole idea is to pull a charm out at random and see which one you get, you know, like fate. And the bride does not usually get a charm, she is the one who gifts the charms to her bridesmaids. Maybe the MOB just wants a clever way to present the charms, I don't know, but it seems to take the fun out of it.

One way to keep the ribbons from moving while icing the cake is after you put the cake down over the charms with the ribbons sticking out, tuck long strips of parchment or wax paper under the edges of the cake and tape down or around the board. This should keep the ribbons from moving around or getting frosting all over them. Then just pull the paper out when you're done and apply the border. By the way, make the ribbons longer than you intend them to be just in case one gets pulled under the cake, you can pull it back out and simply trim them later.

They have these all the time in NC, where I grew up, and I've seen it once in VA when we were visiting family. A lot of the time, BMs will tie the ribbon in their hair or around their wrist and wear it in the wedding. It's cute and not as silly as most of our other Southern traditions.. lol..

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for your help. I delivered the cake last weekend. Here's a picture of the final product. I think everything turned out just great!

OK, let's try again!

Alright, not sure what's happening, but I did post it successfully in my gallery, so if you are interested, that's where it is!

Thanks again everyone!