Try one of these fun cake design and decorating ideas for a baby shower cake everyone will adore. Any of these cakes can be made with any flavor cake, although dense cakes such as pound cake or cake containing pudding work best for cut designs.
Rubber Ducky Cake
Start with a flat homemade 13 x 9 cake or a purchased (unfrosted) half sheet cake. Cut a pattern out of waxed paper in the shape of a rubber duck, using as much of the 13 x 9 area as possible so the length of the cake from beak to tail will be approximately the full length of the cake. If you are uncomfortable drawing a duck freehand, use a duck pattern (readily available on the Internet) and use a copy machine to increase the size until it is appropriate for your cake.
Using the pattern and a sharp serrated knife, cut the cake into the rubber ducky shape. Frost the entire cake with yellow buttercream icing. Use a small amount of orange icing to frost the duck’s beak. Use a chocolate chip or black decorating gel to create the duck’s eye.
Rattle Cake
For this cake, use 2 round 9-inch cakes. You will need an additional piece of cake 9 inches by 3 inches. This may be cut from either a square 9-inch cake or from a rectangular 13 x 9 cake. On a large tray or cake board place one of the round cakes at one end; this will be the bulb for one end of the rattle. Place the rectangular piece of cake with one short end up against the round cake; this is the “stem” of the rattle. Place the remaining round cake up against the other end of the stem. Cut two small triangles from the leftover cake and place one on each side of the stem, with a point facing the stem. This will create a “bow” on the rattle.
Frost the entire cake in white buttercream icing. On the bulbs of the rattle use blue, pink or other pastel decorating icing to pipe squiggles, stripes or dots. Use the decorating icing to outline the bow on the stem. You may also use small candies or sprinkles to decorate this festive cake. If the baby has already arrived, consider adding the name or birth date to the stem of the cake.
Baby’s Tummy Cake
This cake is very simple to make and is very cute. Use a rectangular 13 x 9 cake of any flavor. You will need three two colors of buttercream icing – white and a soft flesh tone – and one accent color of decorator icing – any pastel. Use the flesh tone of the icing to frost half of the cake. For the bottom half of the cake, you will use the white icing to create a “diaper”, frosting most of this half in white, but leaving small areas for the leg cutouts at the bottom of the cake. Fill in the leg cutouts with the flesh toned icing.
Use the decorating icing color to outline the diaper, including the area where the fabric crosses over. You may use icing to create diaper pins, or use plastic ones such as those sold for baby shower favors. Use candy or icing to give baby’s tummy a belly button for a finishing touch.
Teddy Bear Cake
Start with a rectangular 13 x 9 cake of any flavor. Cut a pattern from parchment or waxed paper into the shape of a teddy bear, using as much of the 13 x 9 area as possible so the length of the cake from head to toes will be approximately the full length of the cake.
For a chocolate bear, you will need chocolate icing, two colors of decorating icing – one light and one medium toned -- and shavings of milk chocolate. Cover the entire cake in chocolate frosting. Use the light toned decorating icing to create a face for the bear, making eyes, a nose and a mouth. Fill in the bear’s eyeballs with the medium toned icing and use it to make a bow around the bear’s neck and to fill in the centers of the bear’s ears. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the bear’s body for nicely textured chocolate fur.
For a buttercream bear, use 1 color of pale pastel buttercream icing and two colors of decorating icing. Cover the entire cake in the buttercream frosting. Use the lighter toned decorating icing to create a face for the bear, making eyes, a nose and a mouth. Fill in the bear’s eyeballs with the medium toned icing and use it to make a bow around the bear’s neck and to fill in the centers of the bear’s ears. For extra fur texture, use food coloring to dye shaved coconut to match the bear’s color and sprinkle it liberally over the bear.
