Best Baby Shower Recipe: Crowning Cakes

If you’re heading to a baby shower and you’re unsure what kind of plate to take, this recipe is for you. Besides gifting a luxe nappy bag, you could steal the show by also bringing the most popular baby shower plate!

This baby shower recipe idea is fun, a little bit cheeky, and has all of those flavours that will have you reminiscing about your childhood. It’s perfectly suited to go with alcohol-free beverages often served at baby showers.

We’ve reimagined the classic Butterfly Cakes recipe with a twist that will have parents and kids coming back for seconds!

From start to finish, you’ll need up to 3 hours in total for a beginner cook, especially if you only have one muffin tray and need to bake in batches.

Before we jump into it, we have to thank the beautiful Christina from Christina’s Cucina, from which we’ve adapted this recipe. If you need extra recipe notes, feel free to head to her recipe.

Crowning cakes ingredients:

(Makes 36 cupcakes)

• 300g butter (unsalted and cubed, room temperature)
• 300g (1 1/4 cups) caster sugar
• 6 whole eggs, beaten
• 300g (2 cups) sifted self-raising flour (opt for folate and calcium-fortified type for added pregnancy benefits) 
• 100g (approx) raspberry or strawberry jam
• 300ml pure cream, whipped (this produces a more delicate whip than heavy or thickened cream)
• 36 assorted jelly babies or Cheekies (caramel or chocolate flavoured - see below)
• icing sugar for dusting

You’ll also need:

• An electric cake mixer or hand beater and large bowl
• A medium bowl and whisk or hand beater
• 3 x 12 paddy cake muffin trays (if you only have one, you’ll need to bake three batches)
• 36 paper cupcake shells (if you know the baby’s gender, you might like to colour-match)

Crowning cakes method:

Preheat oven to 175ºC (350ºF).

Prepare cupcake tins with paper liners.

Place sugar and butter in your cake mixer or large bowl and cream until light, fluffy and pale in colour. If your mixer has an auto feature, you’ll be able to hand beat your eggs with a whisk in the medium bowl simultaneously.

Once the butter and eggs are ready, add one-third of the eggs to the butter mixture and mix well at medium speed. Start slowly so that the eggs don’t splash out.

Add one-third of the sifted flour and mix until combined. Add another third of the eggs followed by one-third of the flour using the same sequence and method already described.

Combine the final third of the eggs into the batter and mix well, then turn the cake mixer onto a low setting to add the last of the flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.

The mixture will appear quite thick. Resist the temptation to add milk—this mixture will make deliciously light and fluffy sponge cupcakes. Using a dessert spoon, scoop enough batter to half fill each cupcake liner and use a second spoon to scrape the mix into the cupcake. There’s no need to level the mix; it will smooth out once it starts cooking.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cupcakes bounce back when gently pushed with your finger. Turn cupcakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. If you need to cook in multiple batches, here’s your chance to get the second lot prepped and baking.

Decorating your baby shower crowing cakes

Whip your cream. If you like a sweeter cake, you can add a little icing sugar to the cream during whipping. If you have a piping bag, prepare it with some cream inside. Otherwise, you can use a spoon.

Once your cakes are cool, cut a circle into the top with a sharp knife at a 45º angle. Lift the little cone out and cut it in half. You can prepare a few cupcakes at a time. Pipe a ring into the hole in the cupcake, or fill the indent with a spoonful of whipped cream.

Press the cupcake pieces back into the top to resemble butterfly wings and add a spoon of jam into the gap in the centre. Press one jelly baby or Cheekies into the centre with the head poking out to resemble the crowning process.

Repeat for all cupcakes and dust with icing sugar at the end. Voilà! They’re ready to serve. You can prepare these cakes up to one day ahead and refrigerate until serving, but they are best served fresh.

What are Cheekies?

Classic Cheekies are brown in colour and chocolate flavoured and are an Australian take on jelly babies. You can find them in supermarkets around Australia. Sometimes you can get your hands on the caramel version, which is lighter in appearance. Mixed with the classic jelly baby colours, these little Cheekies babies will give your cakes diversity.

Can my kids help me decorate?

Sure, they can! Piping cream, spooning jam and placing jelly babies are jobs designed for little hands. Let your kids get involved, and they’ll be extra excited to share them around at the baby shower. Just be sure to have a few extra jelly babies on hand because they’re sure to find their way into hungry bellies!

Presenting your baby shower crowning cakes

These delicate little cakes look best presented on a high-tea plate stand. Not only do these stands make for easy carrying with a hook handle on the top, but you can also easily cover it with cling wrap or a bag without touching the tops of the cupcakes and damaging your decoration work.

A standard three-tier high-tea stand will take about 24-30 crowning cakes, so you’ll be able to leave some at home for your partner, husband or kids that aren’t attending with you.

Feel free to fill a couple of cupcake shells with jelly babies and Cheekies to add to your display—the other baby shower guests won’t be able to resist!

Have fun with this recipe, and please do tag us on your baby shower photos on Instagram or Facebook. Don't forget to check out our range of luxury baby backpacks for baby shower gift ideas.