This final post of 2012 brings my total to a satisfying 60 entries for the year. To close out the season I created a sweet, edible gift box topped with a festive sugar bow — a compact design meant to feel both celebratory and personal.
I shared photos of this cake on my Facebook page and Instagram a few weeks earlier, so I’ll keep most of this write-up focused on the design and materials rather than a step-by-step tutorial.
| Before the stencil was applied. |
This cake was made as a literal gift box for a friend’s 24th birthday. A mutual acquaintance, Courtney, had tasted the Chocolate Espresso Giraffe cake I previously made and asked me to create something similar but shaped and decorated as a present. The result was a compact 6×6 cube designed to read clearly as a gift yet still be entirely edible.
The structure is three layers of red velvet cake, filled with white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and coated with a thin layer of white chocolate ganache to seal in moisture and provide a smooth surface. I covered the cake with a very thin layer of white chocolate fondant (Choco-Pan) and scored a shallow line around the top edge to suggest a lid, reinforcing the gift-box illusion while keeping the finish clean and modern.
To add subtle visual interest, I later used a starburst stencil across the sides. The stencil introduced texture and contrast to the otherwise plain surfaces; amusingly, K remarked that he preferred the cake before I added the stencil, only to change his mind later. That sort of back-and-forth about decoration is common when you present something understated and then layer on detail.
| A helpful YouTube video showed the bow technique I used. |
Colouring gum paste to a vivid red can be messy and time-consuming, so for the bow and tails I chose to use red fondant mixed with a little tylose powder to add structure and speed up drying. After the pieces had firmed up for a couple of days the red read a bit flat, so I lightly airbrushed them with Americolor Amerimist Tulip Red to revive the saturation and add depth. For portions of the decoration that would be eaten, such as simple ribbon bands adhered to the sides, I used plain fondant colored food-safe red so everything on the cake remained entirely edible.
I made a small gift tag from gum paste and used a mini heart cutter to create a heart-shaped window, then inserted a tiny red heart so it could be seen from both sides of the tag. Rather than write the message myself, I included an edible marker and asked Courtney to add a personal note at delivery — a small touch that keeps the gift feeling intimate and bespoke.
After delivery I was delighted to receive a photo from Courtney showing the cake after the birthday girl cut into it, along with a message of complete satisfaction. Knowing the recipient enjoyed both the appearance and flavor is the best compliment a baker can receive.
Thank you, Courtney, for letting me contribute a small, sweet part to your friend’s special day. Closing out the year with this little gift cake felt like a fitting finish to a busy blogging season: thoughtful, seasonal, and designed to be shared.
So here it is — post number sixty for 2012. That total is 38 more than last year, and I’m grateful to everyone who has followed along, commented, and subscribed. Your feedback keeps this project vibrant, and I welcome more messages and suggestions in the new year.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you the very best for 2013.