Names and Trends -

1. Belly Cake. One great idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like a pregnant belly. This can be done by placing a circular cake in front of a rectangular cake and frosting them together to resemble that of a pregnant belly.

2. Toy Blocks Cake. Another idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like children's toy blocks (either one large block or 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Toy block cakes can be further enhanced by surrounding them with candies or little toy cars.

3. An Autograph Cake. This is a great idea where "Congratulations" is the only word on the cake, leaving room for each of the guests to "sign" their own name in icing. A picture of the cake is taken when everyone has signed it, making a great keepsake for the parents-to-be.

4. A Character Cake. The cake can be made in the form of a character, such as Pooh Bear.

5. A Baby Bib Cake. Another idea similar to the character cake, but the cake looks like a baby bib.

There are so many different things you can do with a baby shower cake. Here are just a few other suggestions for cake shapes:

Baby Buggy

Baby Booties

Bassinet

Baby Bottle

Noah's Ark

There's also a "diaper" cake. But watch out--it's really made of diapers and not edible!

Of course, you can also experiment with creative ideas of your own, or check out the cake design book at your local grocery store or bakery for ideas. Remember that the 'goal' is not only to make a yummy dessert, but also a great centerpiece or decoration that will stand out in the memories of the parents-to-be. But don't forget, stick to the baby shower theme!