Fabric meets Cake

Being a graphic designer, I love finding opportunities to incorporate the colorful patterns from wall paper and textiles into cake design. Lately, it seems like the art of cake making has transitioned more and more into computer generated design. Hand painting with edible food coloring is now few and far between. In fact, with the invention of the Cricut Cake Cutter, you can literally print out decorative elements from gum paste, eliminating any need for traditional decorating techniques! Now, I'm not saying this technology is the enemy. In fact, they have advanced the cake decorating world drastically.  But, I'm also a fan of hand painted elements. The trick is to keep them fresh and contemporary. 

For today's cake, I took literal inspiration from some amazing textile designers. The Aussies at Ink & Spindle hand printed textiles make these beautiful organic screen printed fabrics. 

 


Austin, Texas' Mod Green Pod makes retro patterns that I would love to cover any piece of furniture with!

I incorporated these patterns into my cake by hand painting the graphic on to cut out white gum paste circles. Its a really simple technique that I haven't seen done yet, and I love the way it turned out! 

The cake topper is something I have been wanting to try for a while. One of my favorite things are vintage tin marquee letters and what's better than one created out of sugar! Monogrammed cakes are a huge trend right now, so try this new take on a traditional idea.

A Slice of Nostalgia

When we were younger, my brothers, sister and I were lucky enough to have Marimekko’s Bo Boo bedding. I absolutely love Marimekko designs and they actually inspire many of my cake designs! My mother is a big fan of hand-me-downs (she, being one of 16, myself being one of 5) and my twin nephews now use the Bo Boo bedding. For their second birthday, I decided to mimic the design in the cake. This design is timeless and if you had these sheets, you will feel a sense of nostalgia too!




I made this cake for the party guests and a small dairy-free banana cake for the boys.