Those who know me well, know my rant against cupcakes. I’m not a cupcake kind of girl. I like cake more than frosting. I don’t really go in for bunting and daisies and I don’t get dressed by bluebirds.
I don’t have shades of cute and twee at easy access. But there are certain occasions in life that call for cupcakes; children’s birthday parties, granted. And the logical extension of that- baby showers.
It’s perfectly appropriate to eat a baby sized cake at an event to celebrate the impending arrival of an infant.
On Sunday I was stomach wrenchingly sad to miss the baby shower of one of my brideslaves- a woman I’ve adored since we were 10 years old- when she wore her hair in a totem pole pony tail, held aloft with a tootsi roll of multi coloured elastics and I sported a lurid orange scrunchable Mambo baseball cap during recess.
Her joyous bundle is due to arrive in Sydney the day after my birthday. It’s things like this which make being so far away the hardest of all.
I reasoned if I couldn’t be there to celebrate, at least something from me could. Enter Anna Trivedi Cakes.
Anna is a woman who knows a few things about great food. I’ve known Anna online for three years at her blog Diary of a Ladybird. After shepherding her own bub into the world she started a business doing bespoke cakes in Sydney.
They’re stunning.
Not only does Anna know her way around flavours but her decorations are the perfect combination of elegance and whimsy.
She and I traded a few emails before coming to an agreement on the two dozen cupcakes for the shower. The flavours; chocolate mud and flourless orange and almond ( a difficult choice. Her red velvet, cardamom cake with rosewater buttercream and caramel mud with salted caramel ganache also called loudly). The topping was vanilla bean buttercream, for a consistent white background.
The colour scheme; baby-neutral pastels (we don’t know if the bundle is going to be pink or blue. I’ve had vivid dreams of both, but currently am leaning towards pink).
The decorations I left completely up to Anna and her terrific taste. I woke up on Sunday morning in London to see out of one eye on my phone pictures of the cakes safely delivered to the party. There were blue and pink bows. There were hearts. And then there were some genius elements crafted from fondant. Bottles. Swaddled blonde infants, both pink and blue. And my absolute favourite: baby ducks.
It’s enough to make a cupcake lover out of anyone.
And more than enough to make my ovaries flutter.
I can’t wait to meet this baby. And to get back to Sydney sometime and taste some of Anna’s brilliant cakes for myself.
Anna Trivedi Cakes
http://annatrivedicakes.com.au
Anna also does wedding, birthday and celebration cakes and is an absolute delight to deal with.
Those cupcakes are so cute (commence ovary fluttering). I’m sorry you weren’t able to be with your friend, but I’m sure they felt your presence at the party!
I love reading Anna’s blog and made my first lemon curd to bake one of her lovely desserts. These cupcakes are adorable and your friend is a lucky girl to have you as a friend, even if you are so far away.
Ngawww.. that’s so sweet! Thanks for the mention, Tori! xxx