Earlier today we posted on the Master Cake recipe, and the pans to assemble to make this very frilly, very feminine cake. Now, we will discuss where to go from there.

You have your master mix created, and now you need to know how many individual mixes to make. The master mix recipe makes what is the equivalent of three box mixes. You will need one mix for the belly, and two for the foundation/dress top.

Preheat your oven to 325*. Start with the foundation. You have the mix divided up into three separate bags. Mix together the ingredients from two of these, grease your 9x13" and two small oven safe bowls. Put 1/2-3/4 cup of batter in each small bowl, and pour the rest into the 9x13". Wrap the 9x13" with wet towel strips and set the small bowls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, then start checking for doneness. The 9x13" may take up to 40 minutes or so total. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack.

Mix together one cake mix worth for the belly. Grease the pan or bowl that you will be using and pour batter in. Place the pan or bowl into another slightly larger to help reduce the doming of the finished cake. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until it tests done. Once done, cool for 10 minutes in pan then turn out onto cooling rack.

After your cakes have cooled slightly, carefully wrap in cling wrap and place in freezer. Allow them to freeze several hours to overnight.

While your cakes are cooling their heels, it is time to mix up the frosting. We like to use buttercream, because it is so versatile. You will need enough to cover all four of your cakes.

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

6 cups powdered sugar
2 cups softened butter

2 tsps. vanilla
4-8 Tablespoons heavy cream

Beat butter with mixer until creamy; add powdered sugar and beat on medium for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and cream, beat until fluffy. Add more cream as needed to reach desired consistency.

Take  your frozen cakes out of the freezer, position the belly and top onto foundation. Cut out slight half circles between belly and dress top on foundation. Position the top of the dress cakes and cut a small slice from inside of both so that they fit together more naturally. Remove the cakes from foundation and starting with 9x13" give it a nice crumb coat with the buttercream. Don't overly fret if you can't get it smooth or crumb-free because this layer won't show.

After you frost all four cakes, place the top three back onto the foundation 9x13". Set aside while you make the crusting buttercream.

Crusting Buttercream or Faux Fondant Recipe

1 1/2 cups vegetable shortening

1 cup flour minus 2 Tablespoons

2 Tablespoons corn starch

2 pounds or 8 cups powdered sugar

1/4 to 1/3 cup hot water

2 tsp. vanilla

frosting color gel

large frosting bag and flat tip

small frosting bag and star tip

Cream together shortening, flour and cornstarch. Stir in vanilla, and mix in sugar and hot water. Mix on low, adding more hot water as needed to make it frosting consistency.

Remove 2 cups of frosting and place in smaller bowl. Add frosting color gel to reach darkest color that you want.


Using a tall, narrow glass, assemble the frosting tip to bag and then position the bag into the glass with the opening of the bag pulled out and over the top of the glass.

Put one cup of darkest frosting into frosting bag. Set aside.

Take one cup of the white frosting and mix with colored frosting in bowl. Put one cup of this slightly lighter mix into frosting bag. Set aside.

Continue adding white frosting to the colored frosting in progressive stages to make your frosting get lighter and lighter in color as you finish off the frosting bag. Make sure you save one cup of white frosting for the top of the dress. Close top of bag and prepare to frost your belly bump cake.

Starting past the bottom edge of the 9x13" begin creating your ruffle by moving the flat tip of the frosting bag up and down. Continue doing this all the way across bottom of cake. Repeat layers, always "attaching" the newest ruffle just above the previous one, until you cover the belly. Stop at the flat area between the belly and dress top. Drag the frosting tip across to create a "belt." Set frosting bag aside.

Using a smaller bag with star tip attachment and filled with remaining white frosting, create small stars in rows across each breast area and cover top edge of the foundation cake as well.

Using large frosting bag, create two ruffles on the top edges of each breast to make the dress top.

Finish off your design with a gumpaste flower and royal icing or gumpaste pendant. Keepsake baby shoes are also made from gumpaste.

So yesterday was our friend Jessica's very first baby shower. She asked if we would create a unique cake for her, but she really does not like fondant. What we came up with was a baby bump cake, French vanilla cake covered with vanilla buttercream and ruffled in frilly crusting buttercream. Because this type of cake is somewhat involved we will break the steps down into separate entries. The first is to make your cake mix foundation, and then to decide what flavor you would like to go with from there.

The frilly flower is a tulip created from gumpaste, and the pendant on the dress is from royal icing. 

The very first thing that we had to do was find a suitable mold for the belly portion. For this cake we used Wilton's Soccer Ball pan, but we have been known to use a medium size pyrex bowl as well; anything that is oven-safe and provides the shape that you want will work.

The foundation cake you want to be a quarter sheet, or 9x13, and the top of the dress is made from two small oven-safe bowls.


Cake pan release recipe:
Use a good cake-pan spray or make your own from equal parts oil, shortening and flour. Blend very well and keep in an airtight bowl in the fridge. When ready to use, spread a thin layer on bottom and sides of pan.

We don't buy cake mixes, we always make our own. You can do the same by following this recipe:

Master Cake Mix Recipe:

7 cups all purpose flour, sifted then measured
1/2 cup corn starch
1 Tablespoon salt
4 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
3/4 cup cold butter, not margerine

Combine the sifted flour with the cornstarch, salt, sugar and baking powder. Put 2 cups of this into a food processor and add the butter. Blend until it forms very small crumbs. Add back into flour mixture and mix well. 

Separate into three freezer bags, 4 cups to a bag. This will equal one cake mix, which you can turn into yellow, white, spice and chocolate cakes. When you are ready to use the mix, make sure that you allow it to come to room temperature, or place flattened bag in microwave for 30 second intervals until it no longer feels cold, no more than one minute.

Yellow Cake:

4 cups cake mix
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1cup milk

Make a well with the mix, then add in the eggs, vanilla, oil and milk. Mix for 3 minutes on Medium. Remember, longer does not mean better batter, and you need 3 minutes for the batter to change, so it pays to time it. Pour into greased pans, wrap with wet towel strips and place into325* preheated oven. A 9x13 will take 30-40 minutes. Check with toothpick for doneness.

White Cake:

4 cups cake mix
4 egg whites
2 tsps. clear vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk

Make a well with the mix, then pour in the rest of the ingredients. Mix on medium for 3 minutes. Pour into greased pans, wrap with wet towel strips and place in 325* preheated oven. A single layer 9x13 will be 30-40 minutes. Use toothpick to check for doneness.

Spice Cake:

4 cups cake mix
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla

Put cake mix in medium bowl. Add in spices and mix well. Make a well, add eggs, oil, milk and vanilla. Mix on Medium for 3 minutes. Pour into greased pans, wrap with wet towel strips, place in preheated 325* oven and bake 9x13 for 30-40 minutes. Use toothpick to check for doneness.

Chocolate Cake:

4 cups cake mix
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3eggs
1 cup milk

Make a well in center of mix. Add vanilla, oil, eggs and milk. Beat on low for 1 minute, scrape down sides.

Add cocoa powder to the hot water, mix well and add to flour mixture. Beat on medium for 2 minutes.

Pour into greased pan and wrap with wet towel. Place in 325*F preheated oven and bake 9x13 for 30-40 minutes, or until checks done with toothpick.