• SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER ➝
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

The Cake Blog

  • HOME
  • RECIPES
  • TUTORIALS
    • DIY PROJECTS
    • BAKING TIPS
  • HOLIDAYS
    • CHRISTMAS
    • VALENTINE’S DAY
    • ST. PATRICK’S DAY
    • EASTER
    • MOTHER’S DAY
    • GRADUATION
    • FATHER’S DAY
    • FOURTH OF JULY
    • SUMMER FUN
    • FALL
    • HALLOWEEN
  • INSPIRATION
    • CAKES
      • WEDDING CAKES
      • BIRTHDAY CAKES
      • BABY SHOWER CAKES
    • BAKERY TOURS
    • BIRTHDAY PARTIES
    • BABY SHOWERS
    • BRIDAL SHOWERS
    • REAL WEDDINGS
    • DESSERT TABLES
  • ABOUT
    • MEET THE EDITOR
    • MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT

Mid-Century Cactus Cake

August 6, 2015 by Erica OBrien

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

Our contributor, Erica OBrien, is back for the next post in our Trending series.  Join Erica as she goes from inspiration on Pinterest to cake concept and then the final cake design.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

Since relocating to Connecticut from California four years ago, my cake designs have reflected a seasonal approach: cakes for spring that boast tender young blooms and pastel color palettes, summer cakes that celebrate everything summer has to offer, fall cakes with earthy colors, spicy warm tones, and falling leaves, and sweater cakes in winter that would have felt ridiculously out of place in Southern California.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

When I lived in SoCal, the lack of distinct seasons meant that my designs were influenced more by the culture, architecture, and flora. I made my first edible succulents while there (they were awful), my first papel picado cake, and embraced the Boho vibe. One regret I have about my time in California is that I never made it out to Palm Springs. I love the mid-century architecture (although I’ve only seen it in photos) and the Scandinavian and industrial design. This cake is an homage to the Palm Springs I’ve never been to.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

The visual inspiration for this cake came from the fun, mid-century inspired cactus prints we’ve been seeing a lot of lately on Pinterest.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

We chose a pink fondant for the backdrop to give the cake a more retro feel. (It also pairs beautifully with the blue-greens of the cacti.) We’ve been doing a lot of water color lately and wanted this cake to look and feel different. For the the cacti, we made an opaque edible paint by combining various shades of petal dust with Wilton White-White Icing Color. We hand painted the cacti and pink and red desert flowers around the base of the top and bottom tier.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

We chose to incorporate some contemporary calligraphy on the middle tier.  After several variations of lettering, we came up with a design that felt unmistakably modern but also worked well with the retro vibe of the cake.

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

Mid-Century Cactus Cake with hand-painted details | by Erica OBrien for TheCakeBlog.com

VENDORS & CREDITS
Cake : Erica OBrien Cake Design
Inspiration Pins: Cactus Prints


 

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:
Retro Watermelon Cake
Pink Flamingo Cake
Marquee Letters Cake
Pastel Geometric Cake
Chalkboard & Paper Flowers Cake
Golden Pineapple Cake

August 6, 2015 by Erica OBrien

Erica OBrien , CONTRIBUTOR

Erica OBrien has been a cake designer (and avid cake stand collector) for almost twenty years. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two spunky daughters. Read more about Erica on her bio page.

connect with Erica :

Make the most of citrus season with one of these cake recipes!

« Sugar Is My Sidekick
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake »

Comments

  1. Tera Mera Cake says

    August 6, 2015 at 8:44 am

    nice penting…

  2. Kim - The TomKat Studio says

    August 6, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    This cake is gorgeous!! I love the cactus trend, especially since I am an Arizona girl! xoxo

  3. Michele @ Alwayzbakin says

    August 13, 2015 at 2:08 pm

    LOVE this cake! We don’t really have seasons here either. I live in FL. I love that you made the background pink on this cake. So pretty!

  4. David Malte says

    August 20, 2015 at 12:11 pm

    The details on the cake are astonishing, just wow.

  5. Mica says

    August 28, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    Indeed David i like the way you paint the design of your cake ..Very creative and unique idea..

  6. Uma Yadav says

    September 5, 2015 at 6:03 am

    The Cake idea is Awesome….it’s a perfect art.!!

Trackbacks

  1. Kaktus-Kuchen | Der Kuchen Blog - Best Pin says:
    December 3, 2019 at 8:02 am

    […] ich denke, eine gestufte Version würde so gut aussehen wie eine Hochzeitstorte, ähnlich wie diese gemalter Kaktus-Kuchen aus den Archiven! Es ist ein wirklich vielseitiges Design, das jeden Kakteenliebhaber zufrieden […]

SEARCH

The Cake Blog is a community of bakers and cake lovers. If you’re looking for beautiful cake inspiration, projects, tutorials and recipes -- you’ve come to the right place. MEET OUR TEAM ➝

LET’S CELEBRATE

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

BAKING RESOURCES

  • How To Build a Cake Like a Pro
  • Is Your Oven Accurate – And Why It Matters
  • Can You Overmix A Cake
  • Egg Free Baking

HOME   |   ADVERTISE   |   PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright © 2023 · The Cake Blog