With spring in full bloom and pregnancy announcement after pregnancy announcement popping up in your feed, there’s no doubt you’ve got a few baby showers to attend in the coming months. If you’re the lucky friend who’s offered to throw one for your BFF, you know that you need to pull out *all* the stops — and that includes anything and everything on the dessert table. First step: whipping up a colorful + adorable baby shower cake to go with the theme and color scheme you or the mommy-to-be already picked out. The gorgeous recipes below will work for any shower, whether you’re looking for creamy ombre pastels or decadent gilded designs. Scroll on for some cake-spiration that your BFF will love looking at as much as biting into.
1. Watercolor Buttercream Cake: No matter what the baby turns out to be, there’s no denying how stunning this pink and gold watercolor cake is. Stick to a vanilla bean frosting to make the colors really pop against the white base. Top it off with a few vanilla bean buttercream poofs, and you’ve got the prettiest baby shower cake on the block. (via Sweetapolita)
2. Vanilla Cake With Ombre Macarons: Macarons + cake sounds almost too good to be true. Yet, it’s definitely a thing — which means, it’ll definitely be at your BFF’s baby shower. Add a little decorative flair to your macarons with some sprinkles, and you’ve got one sweet-looking cake. (via Herznah)
3. Gilded Watercolor Cake: This gorgeous rainbow of watercolors and edible gold foil looks like it came straight out of a bohemian babe’s daydreams. If you want to blow your BFF away, opt for this cake that looks more like a piece of art than food. (via Brit + Co)
4. Spring Pastel Confetti Cake: This color explosion of a cake is one your BFF will appreciate if she isn’t afraid to go bold with her colors. If you thought it was colorful on the outside, just wait until your friends cut a slice for an even brighter rainbow surprise! (via Brit + Co)
5. Tribal Geometric Cake: This stunning blend of two trends (tribal print + geometric) looks like a baby of the Pinterest variety. Find out what trends your friend is loving atm, and surprise her with a cake that combines her faves together. Hint: Scope out her Pinterest! (via B.Loved)
6. Spring Layer Cake With Pink Buttercream Flowers: There’s nothing sweeter than buttercream, unless it’s a a bouquet of buttercream flowers. Dress up an all white cake with a bright and colorful display of floral frosting for a simple but chic cake. (via I Am Baker)
7. Orange Sherbet Cake: The ombre design of this cake looks almost too perfect for words. Luckily, it’s an easy project so long as you have food coloring and icing. Just play around with the food coloring to get the exact shade of icing you’d like, tidy up and garnish with a tasty fruit up top for the finished look. (via Design Love Fest)
8. Cherry-Vanilla Layer Cake: Chances are your friend won’t know what the baby is yet. Opt for a cake that rocks both “girly” and “boyish” decorations (think: a pink and blue combo) while still looking fab. (via Sprinkle Bakes)
9. Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Rainbows aren’t just pretty to look at. Mark the beginning of your friend’s latest adventure with the symbol of new beginnings on a rainbow-inspired cake your friend is sure to appreciate. (via Handmade Charlotte)
10. Pastel Swirl Cake: Channel the ocean with this dreamy ombre design that’s got beach vibes written all over it. If you’re planning a seaside shower, even better! (via Sweetapolita)
11. Strawberry Limeade Cake: Kick the taste game up a notch with this unexpected strawberry limeade cake that packs quite the flavor punch. The complementary combo of pink and green is easy on the eyes *and* will look adorable at a tropical-themed shower. (via Food Fanatic)
12. Spring Lemon Cake: Add a little bit of confetti without committing to the full-on color explosion on the inside with this more subtle number. With a handful of pastel sprinkles and candy eggs later, you’ve got a spring-ready cake for your baby shower. (via Brit + Co)
13. Mint and Pink Cake: For a super fun cake, go for three different layer designs. Your BFF and her friends will love getting to decide which layer is their favorite in terms of flavor and design. (via 100 Layer Cake-let)
14. Blueberry Lavender Cake: This ombre blend of pinks and blues are perfect for the gender neutral baby shower. Get the frosting technique down pat and you’ll have a pretty, chic and simple dessert all rolled into one. (via Style Sweet CA)
15. Elegant Floral Cake: A ruffled cake will add a touch of elegance to your friend’s baby shower. Go for pink, blue or a combo or colors. Either way, its fancy design will elevate the shower’s dessert spread without overdoing it. (via Kara’s Party Ideas)
16. Polka Dot Icing Cake With Strawberry and Rhubarb: If you’ve got the time, go for polka dot icing. It’ll win the contest against polka dot sprinkles, even though it may take some extra effort. (via Raspberri Cupcakes)
17. Polka Dot Inside-And-Out Cake: Create this cake decked out in polka dots by adding cake balls mixed with your choice of food coloring to the mix. Then, add circle-shaped non-pareil rainbow sprinkles on the surface when the cake is all done. (via Handmade Charlotte)
18. Cake With Edible Flowers: Florals for spring? Groundbreaking. In this case, it totally is. Celebrate your baby shower with this dreamy garden of a cake made up of edible flowers. Some edible flowers you can add to yours include rose petals, carnations, pansies, camomile and calendula. (via Design Love Fest)
19. Floral and Honey Cake: Here’s another way to arrange edible flowers on your cake. Create a crescent of florals to elevate any ordinary cake. It’s sure to catch everyone’s eye at the shower. (via The School of Styling)
20. Kites and Bunting Cake: Bunting looks good on pretty much everything — including cakes. All you’ll need to *tie* this look together is some ribbon, patterned card stock paper and some string (if you’re planning on adding some kites for a cake topper). (via Bump Smitten)
21. Hip Hip Hooray Cake: Sometimes, simple is the most elegant of approaches. This beautiful “naked” cake proves just that. Keep your cake fluff-free and garnish with fresh flowers for a minimalist-chic look. (via Evite)
How gorgeous are these cakes? Follow us on Pinterest for even more baby shower ideas.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.