Giraffe & Baby Carriage Baby Shower Cake

Baby shower cakes are one of my favorite cake projects to do because they represent such happiness and excitement for families.  This particular cake had a heartwarming and happy story behind it which only sweetened the already yummy vanilla and raspberry interior.  This particular couple had been trying to have a baby for years, and had been putting off having a wedding while they pursued several different ways to give them the opportunity for a family.  Sadly, they had no luck conceiving and decided to go ahead with having their wedding.  I was happy to make the bride's cake for her wedding shower just 8 months ago (A lingerie inspired cake).  The bride had a beautiful wedding; however felt incredibly sick on her big day and continued to not feel well in the weeks after.  Following a visit to her doctor, she was stunned to find out that she was pregnant with a baby boy!  I was so honored to make an adorable cake to celebrate such an unexpected and meaningful event for this couple. 

A special family friend of the mother-to-be threw her a baby carriage themed bridal shower in her Central Park West apartment.  I decorated the cake with fondant details including a blue baby carriage and a mommy giraffe, since they plan to decorate the baby's room with a giraffe theme!

 As is tradition with all cakes for this client, I included the mom's name in the design, spelling it out with fondant baby blocks to top off this cute as a button cake! 

This cake was a great experience for several reasons.  It represents the fact that life has many gifts for you, it is just a matter of when you will be given the present.  It showed me that the people of NYC have kind hearted souls.  They offered to hold my cake while I maneuvered through the subway turnstiles and swiped me into the subway after I realized my metro card had fallen out of my pocket.  It made me realize that even though it may seem silly to deliver a cake through the subway instead of taking a Taxi, it is so much more satisfying when the delivery is complete...and well worth the sore biceps (=  It was also great because now I feel like every cake design could use a sweet long necked giraffe to finish it off, it is just so darn cute!

Wedding on the Charles

Some pics from a recent wedding I baked for!

 

The wedding favors were sugar cookie rounds that I decorated with a teal lemon royal icing base coat and intricate white royal icing lace details.  The cookies were placed in clear bags and tied with silver ribbon or lace ribbon bows.

The tables were decorated with simple and sweet details.  Table numbers each had interesting facts about the couple.  Pots of burlap wrapped violets and mismatched vases of "fresh from the garden" flowers gave you the sweet comfort of sitting down at gram's perfectly imperfect kitchen table. 

photo courtesy of: kim@tinyphotostudio

The main cake was a white vanilla cake filled with vanilla cream and fresh strawberry puree.  The cake topper was made up of two stuffed mice dressed up as bride and groom, perched atop a small fondant round with teal lace piping wrapped in lace ribbon.  The tiers were iced in a smooth Swiss buttercream and piped with a buttercream lace detail reflective of the vintage style lace adorning the bride's dress.

The next two cakes were decorated in more of a home style manor.  I used vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream to create wide sweeps of frosting all over the cakes (or wide spackling as the Groom called it!).

These two cakes played a strong supporting role as they were made of a rich chocolate cake filled with a delectable mocha cream filling.

The little mice toppers were unbelievably adorable with the the paper fans and embroidery hoops gracing the wall in the background.  The mice gave the couple a reminder of their little kitty, their much loved baby who had to stay at home!

photo courtesy of: kim@tinyphotostudio

One cake was perched atop a tin cake stand, while the other two sat upon white washed custom cake stands.  All the cake were arranged on or around old fashioned wood crates that I found collecting dust in the basement.  Mercury glass votives provided the perfect mood lighting, while small glass and milk glass vases filled with flowers that looked like they were picked right out of the garden added the touch of Grammy nostalgia that was so meaningful to the bride.

photo courtesy of: kim@tinyphotostudio

The mother of the bride's fiance continued his crafty contributions by creating multiple signs to place around the wedding.  He crafted leftover pieces of wood in these simple and gorgeous signs to direct the guests to the ceremony, cocktails, reception, and gift table at the wedding.  He even used some of the old paints from the bride's grandmother's collection, another way for the bride to feel her grandmother's presence since she was unable to attend the event.

photo courtesy of: kim@tinyphotostudio

A simple bunch of old fashioned baby's breath wrapped in burlap bows were the perfect detail to the already gorgeous wooden bridge leading to the ceremony. 

photo courtesy of: kim@tinyphotostudio