Recipe ideas for baby shower cakes

Baby showers are a booming trend from the United States, and Europe is catching up. One of the many traditions is to indulge in a tasty baby shower cake. There’s only one problem; most of them look terrible and sacrifice a good-looking, delicious cake for a nasty-looking, tasteless gimmick. At one end you have pastel colours, with tacky decorations. At the other end you have models of bloody babies mid-childbirth. I know some of these are supposed to be a fun way to tease the mum-to-be, but wouldn’t you rather just have some really good cake without the gimmick?

We at TantrumXYZ have had a very serious discussion about which cakes would make our top 10. Voices were raised, chairs were hurled, tantrums were had, and everyone took a turn on the naughty step, but we finally managed to come up with our top 10 baby shower cake recipes that actually look and taste good. So put on your apron and get ready for a Great British Baby-shower-cake Bake Off!

10. Mini Victoria Sponge Cakes

Simple, classy and tasty. They’re just as good as the classic Mary Berry cake, but are perfect for handing around a group without worrying about whether everyone gets a fair slice.

9. French Chocolate Cake

Another classic. This cake has a fantastic mix of textures; crispy on the outside and wonderfully moist (leave your comments below about my word choice) on the inside. Whoever only makes this for Valentine’s Day is missing out on 364 days of pure chocolate pleasure. Definitely for a mum who feels a baby shower is her excuse to be spoiled.

8. Lemon & Lavender Cake

If you want your baby shower to be a relaxing affair, then this lavender cake is for you. Fragrant and calming, perfect with a cup of tea.

7. Orange & Polenta Cake

Jamie Oliver’s zingy cake is delicious. The cake itself has a lovely moist (last time, I promise) texture and the orange syrup is a touch of class. It’s also super easy to make; perfect for a last-minute baby shower.

6. Red Velvet Cupcakes

More cupcakes! This beats the Victoria sponge because sometimes you just need to indulge. A wonderfully dark and divine cake with a creamy topping.

5. Frosted Courgette & Lemon Cake

If you can get this one right, you’re in for a real treat. A gorgeous light cake with a nice citrus kick. And you can lie about being healthy during a pregnancy by repeatedly saying, ‘It has courgettes in it’. Just be sure to follow the recipe carefully; draining the courgettes is a must.

4. Semolina Coconut Cake with Orange & Rosewater

A fragrant delight from Chef Kamel Saci, inspired by his mother’s North African home. A mother’s cake for a mum-to-be. Unique, delicious and visually stunning.

3. Green Tea and White Chocolate Mousse Cake

Japanese cakes are amazing. This one balances the creamy sweetness of white chocolate with the bitterness of matcha. To top it off, it looks absolutely beautiful. Matcha is also rich in antioxidants, so again you can pretend you’re being healthy with this one.

2. The Walnut Variation: A Cake

Soft, chewy, crisp and crunchy. Not only is it a mix of many textures, but it has a wonderful blend of tastes too. Cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, walnuts and coffee and that wild presentation - It will steal the show. Don’t worry, caffeine is not actually that big an issue for pregnant mums, unless you go overboard, but if you do need to cut down on caffeine in general, there are substitutes.

1. Chocolate Guinness Cake

Nigella, you goddess, you win hands-down. This cake gets all of our votes for the best baby shower cake out there. Why? Because it’s just the best cake, and that’s what a baby shower cake should be. Lovely rich chocolate with the bitter tang of a beautiful stout. This cake should be served at every party. And Guinness is good for pregnant mums! Well, maybe not...

Do you agree with our top 10? Let us know in the comments, but be ready to take a turn on the naughty step…

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