Cake, Cake, Cake

An important research project 🌼

I went back and forth more times than I’d like to admit about whether or not I’d bake the cakes for Violet’s first birthday.

Oddly, my husband and anyone else I asked told me instantly: BUY(!) when I asked. I was surprised by this — I thought anyone who knew me would assume I would bake the cakes. Expect, even? I love baking cakes. I get a certain kind of joy and satisfaction from cakes in particular, over any other kind of baking. Maybe it’s about what cakes represent: Celebration, joy, togetherness. One does not eat cake alone.

I love cakes because of all of the creative liberties involved — choosing the flavor of the cake, frosting, fillings, etc. And then decorating, of course. But I don’t consider myself to be a fancy cake decorator. As always, I err on the side of simplicity. For me it’s either a naked cake or just frosted simple, all the way around. Then I like to top with fresh fruit and/or flowers. I decided to make the cakes for this reason, because the way I typically decorate cakes happens to go with the theme of Violet’s party, which is, naturally, flowers.

And now, a rabbit hole of pretty cakes.

I was tempted to get a bakery-perfect cake, something like this, with flowers, but still simple. As per usual, I was digging the pistachio color.

On Pinterest I discovered a new trend in cakes: the “aesthetic cake.”

Sort of a minimalist style. It’s simple, and I’m sure I could do it if I tried/practiced, but I don’t love working with pastry bags.

Here was another trend I found, also floral but here the flowers are “painted” on with frosting.

Gorgeous. Really, like a painting.

This one! The cupcakes! A blossoming garden, truly.

Another green, minimalist cutie. I think this trend may be Korean?

But here were the cakes that encouraged me to stick to my guns.

I love this idea of placing edible flowers sparingly around the entire cake.

This is something I could do!

Another green one. 💚

You get the idea. Though this guy above, is more like a naked cake, which I think looks kind of dated now? I still like it, but maybe the naked cake has had its time to shine. The others feel a bit more current to me.

(More cake porn here.)

By the time you’re reading this, I will have both decided on and baked Violet’s cakes for her party, which is Saturday. Which direction will I choose? Your guess is as good as mine.