Cake mixes are notoriously smaller than they used to be and no longer the correct amount for our older, larger pans. Were you going to make a scratch cake for the real day? The easy way with a mix to make a bigger cake is to use two mixes and if it's too much, just use enough in the pan, and put the excess in a small pan or baking dish or throw it out.

Since you class yourself as a non-baker, I worry about multiplying recipes. Bigger pans and taller cakes bake differently and there's some artistry to getting them to come out right and still taste good. Remember, the middle needs to cook without the edges drying out. The bigger the cake the more the right pan and accurate oven matter. If you use a trusted recipe in the correct pan, you'll have a much better chance at a good outcome.

Another way to go, rather than bigger, is to make the correct pan/batter size for the cake as given, and have a spare cake (potentially a different flavor), perhaps a rectangular "baby blanket" or a round cake similarly cut and pieced to be a simple bonnet. Or have extra cake in the kitchen that comes out to company pre-cut, as a caterer would do. More cake is often a better idea than bigger cake. :)

The onesie is very cute! Good luck with the cake!

What's wrong with making two separate cakes? Or as pillog said, make the cute one and then a plain one to cut in the kitchen and pass out slices.

Or stack 2 of the same size with whatever filling you'd like. A cake that size, filled and frosted, should be able to serve 18-20. The slices won't be too generous, but depending on what else is being served, it might do.

Yes, I was planning on making a scratch cake. I just didn't want to bother just for my decorating practice cake.

The problem with having an extra cake in the kitchen is that the party won't be at my house. I don't know what the setup will be.

It's not that I never bake, I just am inexperienced and not especially talented at decorating cakes.

Does anyone have a recipe for a 15x10" pan?

Alternately, send out a blast to nearby friends/neighbors to see who has a pan you can borrow for the occasion. I have a half-sheet pan up in my cupboard that I'd be happy to lend if someone asked.

Won't the roasting pan work? It's just an ordinary dark metal pan.

gellchom, the roasting pan will work, I use pans of all different sizes and shapes, diameters and thicknesses. I don't like dark pans, they bake more quickly, so turn the oven down, maybe 25 degrees lower. Be careful not to overbake.

A double batch will be about right, although you may have just a little bit too much, you can bake that into cupcakes or something. It depends on how deep your pan is, just don't fill more than 2/3 full. A simple method is to measure water into your pan until you reach the 2/3 mark, then you'll know how much cake batter you need. A "standard" recipe of cake batter makes about 5 or 6 cups, depending on the recipe used.

As for decorating, the only really good tip I have is something I had to learn the hard way. Be sure to do a crumb coat. Let it set up completely, several hours or overnight is good. Then give it the top coat and decorate. If you're using buttercream, you can dip your spatula/spreader into water and smooth the frosting, if you are having trouble getting it nicely smooth, but be sure to shake the water off the spreader, you want it just moist, not soaking wet. Another alternative is the Viva paper towel method. Let the icing dry completely, then pat it with a Viva paper towel, it'll give a smoother finish, good for the undecorated sides of the cake.

Good luck and have fun! If I were closer I'd help, playing with frosting is more fun than Play-Doh!

Annie

Oy, Annie, I wish you WERE here! My practice cake looks terrible. Like a little kid did it, almost.

I'm sure it would have helped some to have had your advice before I did it, and I had cuter sprinkles (pastel stars) for the one I was planning to make, but probably not enough. Just not my strength. I can do other things -- I bow to no one with challah and soups! But I think I need to leave the fancy cakes to others. I have more respect than ever for people who can do this!

Oh dear, Gellchom, it's never as easy as it looks (or as easy as those blogs tell you it is!). It's actually easier to just take a plain round or rectangular cake, not try to cut it into any shape. You're just asking for crumbs and uneven sizes when you try to cut, I'm just abysmal at it. And it's why all those "cake challenges" on the Food Network use rice krispie treats covered in frosting!

If you want to try again, go to your local JoAnn Fabric or Hobby Lobby or Michael's, or where ever, even Walmart. Get some fondant in a box, comes in all colors, and you don't need much. Roll it out like pie crust and use cookie cutters or a shape you want to use, cut out your shapes and use them to decorate the cake. Most of the places sell gumpaste baby booties or bottles or ducks, and some have "cake wraps", also known as edible transfers. The cake wraps come in sheets and you just apply them to the sides of the cake, where they adhere and kind of dissolve right into the frosting. They're easy and look good, like these:

https://www.cakes.com/products/baby-clothes-line-edible-cake-decorating-strips-5927

Or cut out those fondant shapes, like this:

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/3094665/girl-baby-shower

You wouldn't have to make different layers, and you can always use real ribbon for decoration, you just remove before the cake is cut. And the decoration around the bottom of this one is just two ropes of different fondant, wrapped around each other and laid around the sides of the cake.

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/2302330/pink-and-brown-baby-shower-cake

This one has fake ducks and the sides don't have to be straight because it's covered with KitKat candy bars, like the "pigs in mud" cake I made Maci!

http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/super-cute-rubber-duckies-pool-cake/

The duck cake is super easy, use storebought rubber ducks, cute ribbon and KitKat candy bars and all you need to do is frost the top. Or use a little Noah's Ark or Teddy Bears on a picnic or ponies in a pasture.

Or break down and go to the bakery, LOL. I try to never cut cake into shapes, I'm just so bad at it. It's enough work to decorate it, let alone sculpt it! Of course, other people are better at it, but I'm better at fondant and creative decorations. Like this one:

Annie

I don't think your practice piece looks that bad, given what it is. It looks more like a leotard than a onesie, but it suffices. It'll help if you make a template for the cuts.

If you're going to use the large dark pan, do another test in it. Try to find a sheet cake recipe that's supposed to go in a large pan, as well. There really is a difference.

You can mix some regular sprinkles with your pastel stars to extend them.

Gellchom, you're right. It's not your strength. The cake looks positively fuzzy! At first I thought there was something wrong with my eyes (grin).

Just go ahead and buy a nice cake. I remember some of your past posts and you strike me as a very gracious hostess and a woman of many many strengths , or I would never be so honest with you.

Save yourself a big headache. I hope you have a lovely time at the shower!

I don't think it looks that bad, you just need to work on getting it smooth. As well as dipping your spreader in water, make the water very warm or even hot. I usually dry my spatula off, but kinda depends on how sturdy the frosting is, & yours looks pretty loose.

I can out cook most or at least many and can do "normal" decorating of a cake. You know, rosettes or icing stars but every attempt real decorating is a fail. I am reminded of one of my kids bday. It was at a bowling alley but I was providing the cake. I as per usual was rushing and tried to frost the cake while it was still warm. DISASTER. I cried, I laughed and then my best friend went and bought Krispy Creme donuts and they were a hit and probably tasted better than my cake.

I think the onsie idea is adorable but maybe cupcakes would be easier? I've seen them arranged like a baby buggy or once at a bridal shower as a wedding dress. Maybe you could do cupcakes arranged in a onsie shape? Just a thought. I will look later today at a baking book I have that shows "easy" cakes that are the same idea as the onsie cake...cutting the cake into shapes.

Something simple is to just make a sheet cake and then go somewhere and buy cute little things to put on each piece . . . or make cupcakes and buy those cute little things to put on each cupcake. I'd go the cupcake route, I think -- easier and perhaps you can cut a cute shape out of cardboard to put the cupcakes on? (covered with foil or paper, of course)

Fancy flours has all kinds of things to stick on cakes or cupcakes for baby showers -- http://www.fancyflours.com/category/Shop-by-Baby-Party-Theme/a

I pulled out the cookbook. It was a gift from an acquaintance who worked for a publisher. She gave me ten or so cookbooks. I think she either got books free or at major discount. It was very sweet because we didn't know each other well and she really could not afford to spare income. I think this is the only one I never made anything out of. The others were compilations of that one food magazine that I can't think of the name and not ready to go back downstairs to look! It is a Baker's brand sponsored book and it features way too much colored coconut for my taste. Not very elegant.

I agree with Olychick, if the frosting were smoother, it would look fine. I'm not sure about doing two, though, although each one will look better than the one before. You'd still have to do two, though, which is more time and stress.

Another idea is to use a "star" tip and pastry bag and not try for smooth frosting, just dot with frosting stars/flowers until the cake is covered. Then it doesn't need to be smooth at all!

Annie

I would make a sheet cake....I would make 2 and stack them with some frosting in between. Then proceed with the onesie. Canned frosting and cake mix are not the best texture for "fancy"....you will do better with home made.
Then lay your bottom layer on some cut up pieces of waxed paper or parchment...on your serving board. The thought is that after you frost the cake you can just pull out those pieces of parchment and have a clean edge.

Here's a white sheet cake recipe from this site about 20 years ago. Surely you own 2 jelly roll pans....if not you do need to buy a couple.

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup water
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Frosting:
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup milk
1 (1 lb) box Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 cpu chopped nuts (I use pecans or almonds)

In a large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt & baking soda til smooth. Pour into a greased 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or til cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile for frosting:
Combine margarine and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add sugar & extract & mix well. Stir in nuts. Spread over warm cake. Serves 16-20.

Yes, the spatula needs to be dipped in warm water, but not boiling. That helps soften the frosting a bit so that it smooths out. The stores also carry Wilton plastic design pieces that you can skim over the frosting that have scalloped or saw blade edges that you can use on the surface of the cake. If you have a steady hand, you can use the latter to look like the weave of fabric or zig zag it. If I were in your position, I think I would get a frosted cake from a bakery and decorate it with purchased decorations. Then, I'd buy some basics and practice, practice, practice for the next occasion. You don't have to have an actual cake for practicing and developing skills, but I bet your family would enjoy the results of any practice cakes you would make.

Madonna

Gellchom, a practice cake is a practice cake... and I betcha yours tastes delicious! As for *looks* -- you've been given some good advice about smoothing frosting, needing more and bigger sprinkles, etc. Oh, and be careful with some kinds of sprinkles as they will 'bleed' their color into the frosting and everything will look nasty (ask how I know)! If you've never used fondant before, it is easy to use for cut out shapes (not so easy to drape and smooth over a cake, though! *sigh* ask me how I know lolam).

Anyway, since you are tasked with making the dessert, that could mean cupcakes and there are some pretty cute baby shower cupcakes on Pinterest...you may want to check them out unless your heart is set on making a cake.

Smiles,

Sooz

You all are the absolute best! Thanks for all the ideas, tips, and encouragement. I may decide to go ahead and take another try for the shower -- after all, if it comes out bad, I can always run to the bakery for a couple dozen cupcakes with cute toppers, so it's no catastrophe, just a waste of time. But it will be fun to try again. It won't look nearly as nice as the blog photo, and absolutely never as great as annie1992's MAGNIFICENT, totally adorable cakes, but it doesn't have to.

I am going to use a contrasting color for the piping and snaps and a heart instead of writing. I don't know how they got the white on white to show; mine was barely detectable.

Lindac, your recipe is for one sheet (and yes, I do have 2 jelly roll pans) -- can I make a double batch at once, or do I need to do it in two batches?

Also, your recipe says to spread the frosting on the warm cake. But most advice I've seen says to get the cake really cold before frosting. Should I use a different type of frosting? I think the nuts would be the best-tasting part, but they will make it impossible for the decoration, so I'd have to leave them out of your recipe anyway for this project. Can you (or anyone) share a recipe for a relatively foolproof frosting for this kind of thing?

If I use two layers, can I put raspberry cake filling in the middle? I read a tip that says to make an edge of frosting around the edge of the lower layer first to keep it hidden.

Also, for two layers, should I put the lower one upside down? I don't care too much if there is a little bit of a crown on the top layer of this cake. Just will look like a little bit of baby tummy. But maybe I'll put a damp rag around the edge just in case.

Linda, have you ever used that sheet cake for cutting out shapes/decorating? I know the chocolate sheet cake cooked in a jelly roll pan that I make is much too tender and thin to imagine it coming out in one piece to lay on top of a second one. But maybe the white one is different?

And, of course, the nuts and the frosting would not be used, gellchom.

Your plan to have fun first and run to the bakery if needed is a great one!

Re the rondure of the top of the cake--this is for a cake of any size--you'll do yourself a big favor if you're going to do layers if you use a knife of a wire carefully horizontal (you can even make a level guide out of books) and cut the round top off. The only way around this, only if it's just a tiny bit domed but nearly flat, is to fake it with filling. Filling, not frosting (yes, you can use raspberry, especially if you strain out the seeds). Frosting will slide. Don't put two domes together. If the bottom of one of the cut layers seems easier to frost, however, sure, you can turn it over on top. Often the bottom is a bit uneven, however, and your cut side (in theory) isn't.

The damp rag may make the above moot. :)

So, what kind of frosting do you want? As Annie said, rolled fondant will give you a smooth covering. It handles a lot like modeling clay. You can get rid of smears of flour or sugar gently with a slightly damp cloth and spray or steam a little water on to polish it.

People savor buttercream the most in my experience, and it makes for pretty piping, but it melts, especially when there are crowds.

Swiss meringue never sets up hard, but it's really easy to apply and mend, and is pretty much marshmallow. :)

I have faith in you, it'll taste delicious and look fine. And, as you said, if you don't like it, you stop at the bakery.

Be sure to use a straight edged spatula for spreading frosting, a knife never works as well.

As for that vote of confidence, you should have seen that cake before I covered it with KitKat's! The ribbon was to hold the KitKats on, LOL, and if the top were blue it could be a duck pond. Or a hot tub. (grin)

Be careful if you do try to stack cakes. Have a bench scraper or maybe one of those flexible plastic cutting mats to help you move the layer. Small rounds are easily moved but larger or oddly shaped layers benefit from mechanical help. Mostly any breaks can be patched with the crumb coat anyway, then repaired nicely with the top layer of frosting. Oh, and be sure to use some toothpicks or skewers to hold layers together, they have a horrible habit of sliding when you have to move a cake.

So, is the onesie a sheet cake, with the leg cut outs used as the sleeves?

Annie

Regarding the sheetcake recipe....never tried doubling it...I think I wouldn't.

And that frosting!!! No no no!! ignore that and make your old faithful butter cream....and put it on a cold cake!! One that has been refrigerated would be best....perhaps a frozen cake even better....it would sure cut the armholes easier.

LindaC is right, a chilled cake cuts more cleanly than a room temperature one, and is sturdier to move. Never try to frost the cake warm, the frosting just melts, that only works with the Texas Sheet Cake type cakes.

Annie

For those old Cooking Forum people, that sheet cake recipe came from someone named Susie and is dated September 1998.

lindac92 and olychick -- I make that cake a lot (every spring for a "do", I make enough to serve 100 plus (I double the recipe and put in a half sheet pan -- but by double, I make it twice -- I NEVER double the recipe when I'm baking -- ( the "science" of baking after all) and I agree with olychick -- I don't think it would turn out of the pan well -- I think it's too soft a cake to get out of the pan whole. But it is a delicious cake!

Martha, do you mean that you make up two batches of batter separately but pour the all into one pan, or into two half sheet pans? If it doesn't come out of the pan well, do you just use this recipe when you plan to serve from the pan?

If that recipe isn't a good choice for this project, what would be a good one?

Martha do you use parchment in the bottom of the pan and use that to lift the cake with?

gellchom -- yes, I make one recipe and pour that into the pan and then make another recipe and pour that into the pan and bake. I forget if I add extra time but I bake more by smell than time anyway.

Lindac92 -- when I make that cake I either serve it from the pan or cut squares and put them on a plate. I've never attempted to take the whole thing out at once. And no, I've never used parchment in the bottom for that cake (or the chocolate one).

These may have already been suggested. Chill the cake before frosting; make plenty of frosting so you don't run out (not the time/place to skimp). Keep a damp towel over the frosting bowl so it doesn't crust or dry up while working.

Do a 'crumb coat' on the cake first -- its a thin layer of frosting that seals the cake. It also seals in all the crumby bits, so when you go to final frost, they are not floating around and making chunks in the frosting (so scoop some frosting out to use for crumb coating, and don't put it back into the larger batch).

If you have paper towels without a texture (think its Viva), you can lay a towel down gently on the final frosted surface, and run your hands over that to gently remove all knife textures from the surface. That will give a smooth, matte surface.

If you want to add sprinkles, etc. then do that right after (don't let the frosting dry at all or they won't stick).

The sample cake has trim frosting piped around the edge, and that helps 'frame' the look and make it look snappy. Good luck, what a fun event!

Just to add that when it comes to cake, looks aren't everything! If it tastes good, squint real hard and it's all good!

Canned frosting (Duncan Hines, etc.) is difficult. Better to use a buttercream (all butter or butter/Crisco).

The reason the cake was thin is because cake mixes have been downsized. I always use an 'extender' recipe when I use a cake mix just to get the cake back up the size it used to be.

The rounded inside corners of a glass Pyrex baking dish is going to complicate fitting the 'sleeves' of the onesie. IMO, an aluminum cake pan w/ tightly radiused corners is going to make the carving & decorating turn out a lot better. (Wilton cake pans are currently on sale at Jo-Anns Fabrics.)

Link to a doctored cake mix recipe sized to fit a 12 x 18 cake pan:

http://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/2322/white-almond-sour-cream-cake-wasc

I've never made this particular recipe but did note in the comments that it's a good recipe for 'carving'.

Great! So if I make that cake, ci_lantro, and bake it in the 10"x15" dark metal roasting pan, about how long do you think it will take to bake at 325? (Sounds like a math story problem.)

Probably I should just buy that Wilton 12x18 pan that's on sale. But the recipe doesn't say how long to bake. I'll test it with a toothpick, but I'd like some estimate if anyone has one.

And if I line the pan with parchment or wax paper, will I be able to turn it out?

I've never baked a cake that large so, sorry, I have no idea how long. In the comments, someone baked it for over an hour. ??

Besides the toothpick, I watch for a cake to start pulling away from the sides of the pan. I don't wait for every bit of the sides of the cake to pull away. I remove from the oven when I see the sides to start separating from the edge of the pan. Would prefer a cake to be a tiny bit under baked rather than getting over baked.

I would set a timer for 30 minutes, knowing it was going to take longer. Check the progress and keep adding time to the timer.

I would definitely line with parchment. You shouldn't have any probs turning it out. Let it cool completely, make sure the edges of the cake are loosened from the pan and put a tray/ cake board over the pan before you invert the cake.

Here's another thread that you might want to look at on the topic of bake-even strips--substitutes for the strips--(to prevent the cake from doming as it bakes).

http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/681230/substitute-for-bake-even-strips

I think the cake wouldd be fine with a liittle more color - then the texture doesn't have to be so smooth to make the decorations stand out. Or try a poured frosting. If you do a color, sprinkles wouldn't be needed.

Would you be more comfortable with cupcakes? There are a lot of ways to decorate cupcakes for a shower that would be a lot of fun. And it's easy to bake extra and have some for practice or messes.

The book What's New Cupcake? has the rubber ducky cupcakes on the cover and they show three ways to finish them. The duck is a piece of marshmallow (cut) and a doughnut hole. There are several books by the same authors and I've tried several of their ideas -- they have all been great.

Martha Stewart has pacifier cupcakes on her website -- frosting in any color(s) then 2 white lifesaver candies and a jelly bean make the pacifier, ANYONE can do those. She also has some that are a takeoff on Hostess cupcakes with love and baby written on top instead of the swirls -- that one requires a little confidence or practice in writing with frosting, but very simple if you can do that. And I bet there are 100s more on Pintrest, blogs, and other websites.

The time necessary for baking will depend on the thickness of the cake, which depends on how much batter you use. That's why I measure cake batter in cups, because then I can figure a little more closely how tall the layer will be and how long it'll take to cook through to the middle.

If you use that cake mix recipe linked above, and bake it in the dark pan with 30 minutes as cilantro advises, but I'm thinking it'll be at least 45 minutes and go up from there, at 325 it takes longer to bake but doesn't brown as quickly, so you won't get dark bottom/edges.

The Viva Paper Towel method that I mentioned will get rid of a long of that "fuzzy" frosting, and it's really easy, just be sure the frosting is dry enough not to stick to the towel. If everything works just right, it's as smooth as you'll ever get buttercream. Not as slick as fondant, but it'll taste a lot better...

Annie

What Annie said. I initially thought the cake would take significantly longer than 30 minutes...forgetting even that the cake bakes at 325. And it's going to take longer to bake if you use the Bake Even type strips wrapped around the cake pan. The suggestion of 30 minutes was for a starting point to start checking on the progress.

But there are so many variables--the size of the pan, whether or not you use the strips, the color & type of pan (metal, glass). If you use the dark roasting pan, it will bake faster. And that's not accounting for the difference in ovens which don't all bake the same.

-----------------------------------------------

So--had a cake mix (Aldi white cake) that was 3 months beyond it's 'best by' date (needed using!) so decided to bake the CC White Almond cake recipe. Cutting the recipe in half (one cake mix), I used the full 1 cup of added flour and only 1/2 cup of sugar. Added 1 t. of baking powder that is not called for in the recipe (because my mix was past the best by date & just because my regular cake mix extender recipe calls for added baking powder.) No other changes.

9 x 13 cake required 38 minutes to bake at 325. Just removed from oven.

Thank you all so much for all this help. It's been so much fun reading and learning and planning, and I was eagerly looking forward to trying again, despite the the very real possibility I'd end up at the bakery.

But now it seems I will have to go that route anyway. The shower is this Saturday, and things have changed around here very quickly: last week, my mother-in-law, who lives in assisted living near us, was diagnosed with uterine and possibly also ovarian cancer. She will have a hysterectomy this Friday. We are very happy she is able to have the surgery so fast, and the doctor thinks she will have an easy recovery. But needless to say, this changes everyone's schedules quite dramatically. We had to uninvite most of our 23 guests for Passover next week (I'm way behind on the cooking for that already due to not knowing how much I would need to make and doctor appointments) to vastly simplify all that, and of course there is no time in the schedule anymore for something like baking and decorating a onesie cake. So I'm just going to order something cute from the supermarket bakery.

But as my friends are all starting to have grandchildren, I hope to have an opportunity to try again sometime in the future, and when I do, I will have saved all your great ideas and advice.

As always, thanks to all my wonderful forum friends.

All good wishes to your m-i-l for a quick and easy recovery.

Best wishes to the new mother.

חַג שָׂמֵחַ

Gosh, gellchom, that must have knocked everyone for a loop! Best wishes to your family and hopes that your MIL makes a full and quick recovery.

Oh, my, I'm sorry to hear that, gellchom. Best wishes for both the new mother and for your MIL, and quick and complete healing and happiness for both of them.

As for Passover, have a blessed holiday, no matter where or how. I'll be thinking good thoughts for your family and friends.

Annie

Wishing your MIL and speedy and full recovery and my best to you and your family as well as the mother to be. I do hope you get to make the cake in the future. Looks like a fun one.