Baby Bag/Diaper Bag Cake Tutorial

Our diaper bag cake tutorial this week comes from Step-by-Step Cake Decorating, by leading Singapore cake designer, CherylShuen.

Cheryl’s book is perfect for the beginner cake decorator with simple instructions covering the basic techniques of cake decorating, but is also full of ideas for the more experienced decorator with simple, pretty cake designs and cake toppers for all occasions in a rainbow of pretty pastels.

We’re delighted to be able to share with our readers this week the diaper bag cake tutorial from Step-by-Step Cake Decorating, perfect for a baby shower for a mum-to-be.

Diaper Bag Cake Tutorial: Materials

Serrated knife
Rolling pin
Ruler
Blade tool
Paintbrush
Cone tool
Serrated tracing wheel
Alphabet cutters
One square cake
Fondant — baby pink, deep pink, various colours as desired
Water for brushing
Flower paste — baby pink (optional)
Royal icing

Diaper Bag Cake Tutorial: How-To

To make the diaper bag cake, start by trimming a square cake into the shape of a bag.

Prepare for decoration by splitting and filling with buttercream of frosting of choice. Use pink fondant to cover the cake.

Form the zip. Roll out deep pink fondant until about 3 mm (¹/₈ in) thick. Using a ruler and blade tool, trim out a strip slightly longer than the top of the bag. Impress lines onto the strip to resemble a zip.

Trim until zip is of a desired width.

Lightly brush the underside of the zip with water and attach to the top of the bag.

For the zip handle, mould deep pink fondant into a teardrop shape. Lightly press to flatten slightly. Use a cone tool to form a hole through the rounded end. Attach to one end of the zip with a light brush of water.

Form bag handles: roll out baby pink fondant thinly. Trim into two long strips of desired width and length.

Brush both sides of each strip with water. Shape handles as desired and leave to set. When dry, attach to the bag with royal icing. If you wish to have stiffer standing handles, use flower paste instead.

To create the striped design at the bottom of the diaper bag cake, roll out deep pink and baby pink fondant separately into two thin sheets. Cut into rectangular panels.

Attach the panels in alternate colours onto the bottom of the bag with light brushes of water.

For the pleated design at the top of the bag, roll out baby pink fondant thinly. Cut into a 3 cm (1¹/₄ in) wide strip, and long enough to form pleats all around the bag.

With the help of a ruler, run a serrated tracing wheel along both sides of the strip to resemble sewing lines.

Hold one end of the strip and fold lightly to form a pleat. Brush the back of the fold with a little water and press gently to secure the pleated fold.

Repeat until the pleated strip is long enough to encircle the bag. Attach to the diaper bag cake with royal icing.