Beach Week : Nautical Cake & DIY

Today we’re continuing on with our end-of-summer celebration. It’s Beach Week! And so far we’re having a ball! You all keep crashing our site with your excitement over the amazing KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway that we’re hosting.  And rightfully so… who doesn’t want a KitchenAid? Let alone a 7 quart, top of the line version! So if you haven’t entered… HERE’s the link!

Now, let’s get back to the cakes, shall we?  Get ready to set sail because today we’re going out on the water!  Our second beach-inspired design comes to us from Miso Bakes.  You may remember Miso from previous features and DIY’s on our site.  (She is one of our monthly contributors!)  Miso’s crisp, clean and modern design is a delightful spin on a nautical theme.  Featuring a preppy red, white and navy color combo and sea-inspired decor.  Lift the anchor because the adventures at sea begin with this charming Nautical Cake!  Oh… did I mention there is a tutorial too?!?

How incredibly adorable, right?  I love everything about this cake!  From the oversized anchor to the diagonally striped lighthouse!  It’s a bold mix of nautical fun!  And the perfectly placed pennants are a fabulous use of the oh-so-popular flag bunting!  A genius way to incorporate this trend!  All topped with a rustic ship captain’s wheel.  Let’s take a closer look…

Remember when I mentioned a tutorial?  Well…. here you go!  A step-by-step DIY tutorial for the rustic ship wheel topper!

SHIP WHEEL TOPPER
a DIY by Miso Bakes

Supplies:
Round Cutters
Skewer or Floral Wire
Sugarpaste in Brown

STEP 1: Cut out a small circle and five sticks with a skewer or a wire*** inserted into one.  Let dry for five minutes or slightly firm.

STEP 2: Adhere sticks onto the circle with water.  Using a cutter, trim the sticks so they are rounded.

STEP 3: Using the exact same cutter, cut out a circle.  Using a cutter slightly smaller, cut out the center of the big circle.  Dry slightly.

STEP 4: Using water, adhere the ring you just created onto the rest of the wheel.

STEP 5: Make little teardrops out of gumpaste.  Flatten the sharp edge and adhere onto the edge of each ‘stick’.  These are the spoke handles.

STEP 6: Brush off excess cornstarch (or cocoa powder) with a dry brush.  Dry completely. Insert into cake.

*** If using wire, cover the wire with floral tape, and insert it into a straw coffee stirrer and fill the gap with royal icing, before inserting into cake.

I can just envision an entire nautical birthday party centered around this cake!  Little adventurers love the water and the beach!  Or simply leave the flag pennants plain and you have a delightful nautical cake for any sea-inspired event.

A big thank you to Miso Bakes for sharing her charming Nautical Cake and Ship Wheel DIY with us today!  We have greatly enjoyed this little adventure at sea!  Beach Week continues tomorrow with beach-inspired cake #3!

VENDORS & CREDITS:
Cake  :  Miso Bakes