The highlight of your baby shower? Why, the cake of course. More than the party favors, the silly games or the opening of presents, it’s the cake that everyone really looks forward to. Whether you’re looking for something pastel or sparkly, full- or bite-sized, there’s plenty to delight the eye and tastebuds. Scroll on for sweet inspiration.
22 Unique Baby Shower Cake Ideas Make room! Set these striking creations at the table, and you’ll give your shindig an instant upgrade. Image: Hudson Cakery1. Lil’ Slugger Baseball Baby Shower Cake If you’re planning on a pint-sized slugger, check out this fondant-covered wonder by Hudson Cakery. It’s a home run, right down to the brown sugar bat. Image: Hudson Cakery2. Nursery Rhymes Cake Curious why the dish ran away with the spoon? It’s because said dish was topped with this nursery-rhyme-themed cake by Hudson Cakery and they didn’t want to share. If you’re in the market for gender-neutral cake ideas, this one’s an adorable winner. Image: The Candid Appetite3. Banana Pudding Cake Dreamy dollops of whipped-cream frosting make The Candid Appetite’s banana pudding-stuffed cake extra sweet. Pop the whole thing in the freezer to help the icing set. Image: The Militant Baker4. Flower Pot Cake This fabulous flowerpot cake by The Militant Baker gets its garden vibe from molded buttercream fondant. As for the “dirt”? Chocolate cake, natch. Image: King Arthur Flour5. Citrus Surprise Cake For oh-so-pretty baby shower cake ideas for girls, consider a pretty pink number, like this princessy pick from King Arthur Flour’s blog. Its frosting flourishes are easy to pipe on, and the airy cake base leaves room for a second slice. Image: Cooking Classy6. White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake It’s love at first bite! Cooking Classy’s heart-studded raspberry cheesecake is a demure, creamy take on traditional baby shower cakes. Don’t skip the Oreo crust — it brings welcome, chocolatey yum factor. Image: Sally’s Baking Addiction7. Gender Reveal Cake Gender reveal cakes can be cheesy, but this one’s pretty enough to impress even the judgiest shower guest. The lovely layered cake, by Sally’s Baking Addiction, gets its colorful punch from food dye and oodles of sprinkles. Related VideoImage: Brown Eyed Baker8. Chocolate Peanut Butter Overload Cake Everything about Brown Eyed Baker’s swoon-worthy shower dessert oozes decadence. (The crumbled Reese’s! The ganache waterfall! The nutty-delish frosting!) This one’s best served cold, so stash it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Image: Particular Cakes9. Baby Clothesline Cake Sorry, first-time moms, but it’s true: You’ve got a lotta years of laundry ahead of you. Concede/celebrate with custom-cake maker Particular Cakes’ very cute ode to the chore, starring itsy-bitsy bibs, snuggly onesies, and teeny-tiny socks for teeny-tinier feet. Image: Baker by Nature10. Hummingbird Cake Here’s one of the most terrifically tropical baby shower cake ideas we’ve seen: Baker by Nature’s number gets pina colada-esque sweetness from bananas and pineapples. Use cake flour to give it a smooth, silky texture. Image: Peace of Cake Design11. Stork Cake How to avoid having The Talk with your kid: 1. Bake this impressive little number by Peace of Cake Design, complete with fondant stork. 2. Hang photos of said cake around the house. 3. When kid asks, “Where did this baby come from?” gesticulate wildly at said cake and go hide. Image: My Cake School12. Elephant Clothesline Cake If it’s sweet, gender-neutral baby shower cake ideas you seek, this darling elephant cake (also with that baby laundry!) is the answer to your prayers. The fondant-topped delight, by My Cake School gets extra pretty points from piped-on details (like the grass and the elephants’ polka dots). Image: Wilton13. Surprise Gender Reveal Cake This festive five-layer idea from Wilton requires just one cake mix, thanks to a special “Easy Layers!” pan. Cut into the cake and pink or blue sprinkles tumble out! Image: Domestic Fashionista14. Whale Cake This swirly bundle of sweetness by Domestic Fashionistais a whale of a good time. Mix up four colors of frosting to make the whirly waves. (If you’re feeling lazy, you can just smooth the shades up the sides with a spatula instead of piping them on in curls. Still a perfectly nautical baby shower cake idea—and your hand will remain in tip-top shape for the unwrapping of gifts.) Image: Erin Gardner, author of Erin Bakes Cake15. Onesie Cake As far as baby shower sheet cake ideas go, this Craftsy creation is as sweet as it gets. Just cut out the onesie shape (see the recipe—it’s easier than you think!), smear on buttercream frosting, toss on sprinkles, and pipe on a basic outline. Image: Style Me Pretty16. Cowgirl/Cowboy Horse Cake For cowboy baby shower cake ideas, take a cue from this hot-to-trot Western wonder: the Golden Zodiac cake spied on Style Me pretty. Its glimmery metallic accents add Pinterest-y cool factor. Serve with horseshoe-shaped cookies for extra yee-haw. Image: Rose Bakes17. Sugar and Spice Twin Cake What are little girls made of? Sugar and spice and everything nice, like this cleverest of clever girls baby shower cake ideas. Rose Bakes’s lollipops and sugary delights are all made of fondant, but feel free to cheat and pop a few real lollies on there—we’re pretty sure no one will mind. Image: Cakes by Lynzie18. Baby Sprinkle Cake Easy baby shower cake ideas have one thing in common: sprinkles, and lots of ‘em. Get inspired by this this masterpiece by custom-cake designer Cakes by Lynzie. It’s covered in adorable pastel-hued rainbow jimmies, as well as some gorgeously crafted fondant. Image: Sweet Style CA19. Blueberry Lavender Ombre Cake This elegant stacker by Style Sweet CA brings its A-game with a gorgeous ombre facade (rendered in vanilla buttercream), a white-chocolate cake base, and lavender (!) ganache filling. It would look plenty pretty without the edible pearl toppers, but they do add a Hepburn-esque sophistication. Image: My Name is Yeh20. Funfetti Pony Pinata Cake Simple on the sides, party on the top: That’s the thought process behind one of the funkiest baby shower cake ideas we’ve spotted. The brainchild of food writer Molly Yeh, the donkey “pinata” is decked out in M&M’s—don’t smack him with a bat, but do bite his head off to see what’s inside. (Hint: it’s sweet and yummy.) Image: The Baking Fairy21. Whale Boy Cake Fishing around for baby shower cake ideas for a boy? This sparkly two-decker from The Baking Fairy has something for everyone: a vanilla topper filled with tongue-tingly homemade lemon curd and a chocolate base oozing with raspberry jam. Image: Cottontail Cake Studio22. Woodland Cake Looking for pastoral inspiration? Bambi and friends would approve of Cottontail Cake Studio’s darling woodland creatures cake. Fondant forest friends deliver bunches of cuteness in every slice.
14 Adorable Baby Shower Cupcake Ideas Single-serve cakes make for easy serving and eating at a baby shower, where guests aren’t typically sitting at a table. Make extras! These picks are so tempting, guests might want more than one. Image: Persnickety Plates1. Monkey Cupcakes If you can’t wait to meet your mischievous little monkey, treat yourself to a teaser with Persnickety Plates’ darling simian snacks. Nilla Wafer ears and chocolate sugar “fur” serve up extra, textural cuteness. Image: I Am Baker2. Succulent Cupcakes Succulents flourish whether you have a green thumb or not—and the same goes for these gorgeous edible versions. To create the cacti on these haute cupcakes by I Am Baker, make a tasty tower of frosting and pipe on leaves with a flat frosting tip. Image: Preppy Kitchen3. Rose Cupcakes More garden-gorgeous baby shower cupcake ideas! Preppy Kitchen’s beauties are crafted with ultra-thick buttercream, and the cake base gets nice, tangy moistness from a scoop of sour cream. It’s elegant for any party, but extra sweet as a baby shower cake idea for girls. Image: The Baker Mama4. Cosmic Surprise Cupcakes These star-struck cupcakes by The Baker Mama are galactic goodness in a wrapper. Bonus: The centers are packed with celebratory sprinkles (think edible confetti). As baby shower cupcake ideas go, this one’s especially out of this world. Image: Lil Fish Studios5. Woodland Cupcakes We couldn’t resist more baby shower cupcake ideas with little furry creatures taking center stage. Use this delightful design from Lil Fish Studios as inspiration. The moss is dyed graham crackers and the grass is candy shred. Genius! Image: Dessert for Two6. Tiramisu Cupcakes Pastels and fondant not your thing? There are plenty of delicious baby shower cake ideas with a more rustic vibe. Case in point: These yummy creations from Dessert for Two. The espresso-Kahlua soak is drizzled in after the cakes are baked, so leave a few virgin varieties for the expectant and nursing moms in the house. Image: What’s Gaby Cooking7. Molten Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes If you’re craving chocolate, these chocolate lava cupcakes by What’s Gaby Cooking are here to satisfy. So delish, so decadent. (If you’re watching your caffeine, as pregnant moms do, just curb your coffee intake that day.) Image: Erin Gardner, author of Erin Bakes Cake8. Sparkly Moon and Star Cupcakes Forget unicorn Frappuccinos. These glitzy little cupcakes on Craftsy = glitter for grownups. Cut pieces of parchment into stencils to make the dreamy moon and star shapes, and shake on star-shaped sprinkles like there’s no tomorrow. Image: Baked Bree9. Bottle Cupcakes What’s better than baby shower cupcakes? Baby shower cupcakes finished off with cookies, àla these baby-bottle topped cuties by Baked Bree. Pro tip: The cookie dough can be made a sanity-preserving day or two in advance. Image: The Hungry Housewife10. White Cupcakes with Pudding Frosting Baby shower cupcakes never looked so girly and lovely. These sophisticated treats from The Hungry Housewife look as if they’re straight out of a fancy-pants bake shop, but, in fact, they’re made easy-peasy out of Cool Whip and Jell-O pudding. Image: Simply Made Recipes11. Champagne Cupcakes It’s a cruel trick of pregnancy that it cannot be celebrated with a flute of bubbly. But these rose champagne cupcakes, by Simply Made Recipes, are the next-best thing (and they can be made with the nonalcoholic stuff, if you like). A drizzle of delicate raspberry champagne sauce adds extra flavor and festivity. Image: Everyday Dishes12. Mini Onesie Cakes Because onesie-themed baby shower cake ideas are oh-so appropriate, here’s another one, courtesy of Everyday Dishes. Made with 4-inch cookie cutters and blue- or pink-dyed frosting, they’re as cute as an actual cupcake. Image: A Farmgirl’s Dabbles13. I Am Baby Cupcakes Easy baby shower cupcake ideas don’t get simpler than this swirl-studded loveliness by A Farm Girl Dabbles. Squeeze the cream cheese frosting onto the cake with a medium round piping tip to get those satisfyingly perfect whirls. Top of with nonpareils and blue sugar pearls, and they’re ready to party. Image: Bakerella14. Baby Block Cake Pops Could Bakerella’s baby block cake pops be any cuter? Not unless they were served by an actual newborn baby. Display them standing up in a pretty colander, jars of sugar or (dare we suggest it?) another cake! Or wrap them in little to-go baggies for a tasty party favor. Published December 2017
