Baby B's Gender Reveal Cake

A couple weeks ago, Mr. B and I were able to have a 3D ultrasound to find out Baby B's gender! My parents were able to join us and it was a tremendously special moment to be able to share as a family. I resisted the urge to jump on Facebook and announce to the world whether BB was a he or she. Instead, I planned out a little party. We happened to find out the same week as my birthday so that was a second great excuse for a soirée! 

I looked up ideas for the reveal and decided that I liked the cake cutting surprise best. Basically, your cake is either pink or blue with white icing and when you cut into it, your guests learn the sex! Of course I wasn't going to just go with an ordinary cake, I wanted some pizzazz!!! I scoured the interwebs for inspiration. Well, you know me and ombré, how could I resist?

My inspiration for the reveal cake

The recipe I settled on was a vanilla cake that called for jam or frosting between the layers and a butter cream frosting. I tweaked it a bit. I did make the vanilla cake but used real vanilla to infuse the milk (this was such a good move!). And rather than frosting or jam between the layers, I made a fresh strawberry puree. 

Vanilla infused milk

Another little obstacle I came across while baking was that the recipe called for caster sugar. If you've never heard of caster sugar, it's basically a super refined sugar. I didn't have it. I wasn't going anywhere to get it. I have a food processor. Problem. Solved.

Processing sugar to substitute for caster sugar

Vanilla Cake:

• 2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean pod (2 tsp vanilla extract if you're a slacker :P ) 
• 1 3/4 cup caster sugar 
• 2 sticks of softened butter
• 4 eggs
• food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake tins then sprinkle with flour. Line base of tins with parchment paper and flour that as well. Remember, you'll be making layers so grease as many of the same size tins as you have. If you only have one or two, you'll just be baking a little longer. 

Combine first three ingredients in medium bowl and set aside. Split open vanilla pod and scrape seeds into milk. Add pod to milk and let soak for at least 10 minutes. You can also heat the milk (don't boil!) to help the steeping process. 

Cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. With mixer on medium, add eggs one at a time. Begin to mix in your wet and dry ingredients, starting with 1/4 of the flour mixture and then add a portion of the milk. Alternate back and forth and end with flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Divide the batter evenly into medium bowls (5 for a five layer cake, 3 for for three layers etc.) If you want to do the ombré layers, start by adding your food coloring for the darkest layer first. Gradually decrease the amount of dye used in the remaining bowls and this will give you the layered look.

SPOILER ALERT!!! Pink batter :)

 Pour your batter into the greased cake tin and bake for 15-20 minutes. The edges will start to turn a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. Let the cakes cool a few minutes then flip over onto a cooling rack. Re-grease and flour your tin. I flipped the parchment paper over and used it again so I didn't have to keep cutting more circles.

While you're waiting for all your baked layers to cool, throw a few handfuls of strawberries into your food processor with a long squeeze of agave syrup for sweetness. Take a skewer and poke a few holes into your first layer of cake then spoon on the puree. Gingerly place your second layer on top, skewer a few times and add your puree. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Don't add puree onto the top layer, this will make icing a bit tricky... I hope you're shaking your head and saying "Duh!" but I almost did it so I thought I'd remind you!

Now for the good part, the frosting!!! Crumb coat your cake first. Crumb coat, you say? Oh, you don't know what that is? Rookie... oh, wait, I didn't either. Nothing a little Google search can't solve. It means to cover the cake in a thin layer of frosting to trap in all the crumbs before you begin frosting for real.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 packages of softened cream cheese
• 1 stick of softened butter
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Yeah, that's it. Blend together until smooth and creamy. Cover your cake as evenly as possible, hiding all evidence of the color inside!

I decorated the cake with multi-colored sprinkles. Now before you start thinking that's child's play, do you have ANY idea how hard it is to get sprinkles on to the SIDE of a cake??? I finally called in reinforcements, Mr. B to the rescue! He held a sheet of paper cupped towards the cake and I fed in the sprinkles. It ended up working like a charm. I highly recommend this "sophisticated" technique.

The party was so much fun! Everyone put their guesses onto the chalkboard, we pigged out, learned about old wive's tales for telling the gender, laughed and talked and then it was time for the big reveal.

Some people seemed pretty sure of themselves...

And it's PINK!!! Baby B is a GIRL!

So pretty and so delicious!!!

Well, there you have it. We're having a GIRL! OH EM GEEE I am so excited! Frilly dresses, sparkles, flowers, oh it's so great! We were all a little surprised because I've had such a great pregnancy so far, we thought it had to be a little boy. So much for those old wive's tales! 

We can't wait to meet our baby daughter, she's already so loved!

XOXO,

Mrs. B