Hello List,

I need some ideas/suggestions for a wedding shower. Bride hates chocolate and the Mother of the Bride says no fondant. The theme is Fall but that's all I have to go on! The friends of the Bride are throwing the shower..... MOB doesn't have any other details. She says throws some apples or leaves in there if I want???

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm drawing a blank right now. I'm not looking foward to an all buttercream cake but I guess that's what I'm stuck with. LOL

TIA

I'm doing one this week and it's a tree stump with the "carved" heart and their initials. I'm covering with chocolate ganache, but if she hates chocolate, you can use regular buttercream and just tint it brown.

Can you do fall leaves and apples cascading on the cake in fondant or gumpaste since they will be removed before cutting? If not, consider making butter cookies shaped like leaves, dip in coating chocolate or use royal icing, pipe leaf veins on them and place on top or the sides of the cake.

Another option is using marzipan to make leaves and apples. Not good for those with nut allergies though.

Good luck!

The tree stump is a good idea; I like that one. I also never thought about Marizpan. I'll email the MOB and ask about the allergies. I tried to get her to agree to the fondant accents, but she poo'ed poo'ed that. She wants all butter cream, which is okay, I think it's easier and prettier to make fondant accents though, just my choice of medium. When she told me "fall" I immediate thought of nice red apples and colored leaves in fondant, so I need to change my mind set. LOL

Thanks for the suggestions, I appreciate them.

I did a cake for a couple...theme was "perfect pair"...found a gorgeous pic of two pears side by side and did an edible image...cake flavors are awesome for fall, pear, apple, pumpkin, spice...then I found a chocolate pear mold and did favors of those wrapped in a lime green and yellow foil in little cello bags...table decorations were done by mother of the bride..she bought large glass jars in the shape of pears (cookie jars) and filled with lemon slices/oranges/pears, absolutely gorgeous.

You can also take real leaves, wash them and let them dry and then paint them with melted chocolate. If you use white chocolate you can add some painted colour to them after (or colour your chocolate at the outset). Once the chocolate has set, carefully peel off the real leaf and you're left with your chocolate version. Make sure to use the back side of the real leaf when you start because the veining is usually more pronounced on that side so your chocolate version will look more authentic.

Not sure if I saved it but will look for you. My son googled images of pears and found the photo for me....

http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/weddings/cakes-catering/wedding-cakes-season-00000000009680/page4.html think this is gorgeus painted leaves in autumn colors on buttercream

This past week I did a fall themed birthday cake and on the sides I decided to do some random scrolls in white, but then I mixed in a few leaf outlines. It looked beautiful and elegant, but also seasonal.

I'm also working on a cake with gerber daisies on it which I'm doing in fall colours - dark reds, purples, golds, orange. Gerbers are not as large as the sunflowers so you won't have the same issues with supporting them.