There is never a bad excuse to bake a cake. But choosing the right cake for a loved one can be a stressful proposition.
You might feel like a small cake, something with individual servings, best suits your purpose. If so, our article titled ‘Top Reasons Why Brownies Are So Hard to Resist’ might be of some interest! Of course, if you’re holding a party or a celebration, then a bigger cake, one you can slice, is probably a better idea. This might be themed, and so often we assume that themed cakes are just for kids. However, putting the extra time and effort into creating or commissioning a birthday cake that reflects someone’s interest shows that little extra effort, and makes it that much more special.
You can find plenty of inspiration out there, whether from the wealth of baking shows on Netflix or the life and work of the late Sylvia Weinstock –– so there is no reason to be intimidated by the prospect of constructing or designing a sugary tower of your own. But you do still have to pick a theme!
There are plenty of potential cake themes you can choose from, depending on what the intended recipient is interested in. Forbes.com tells us that “geeky” cakes have become big business, for instance, with comics- and game-centric cakes now constantly in demand. In this piece though we want to focus on a theme concept that’s particularly relevant of late, which is the always-popular game of poker.
The return of the World Series of Poker after a long hiatus due to the pandemic brought the game back into many people’s minds. And for that matter, the game remains popular on a more casual basis as well. Poker.org suggests that home poker games are common throughout the world; many are undoubtedly already pairing the game with birthdays or other gathering occasions that call for some cake! So really, a cake with this kind of theme can suit any poker lovers in your life –– those who have gotten accustomed to watching on TV again, or those who simply like to play.
Whatever the occasion, you can create some amazing poker-themed cakes with a bit of skill and planning. Here are some ideas to get the inspiration and the batter flowing.
Three Tiers of Cards
The first thing that people think of when they hear about poker is the cards, so this cake can be made up of several tiers of card designs. Start with your sponge flavors; red velvet and chocolate sponges go well together and allow you to emulate the color of the cards on the inside of the cake as well as on the outside. For the decoration, meanwhile, make some green fondant to recreate the felt that covers most professional poker tables. After that, it’s all about making cards out of white, red, and black fondant and lining the cake in them.
Recreate the Table
For fewer layers but the maximum visual impact, you can get your hands on a hexagon-shaped cake tin to recreate the shape of most poker tables. Fill it with a sponge of your liking and then cover the top with green fondant, and the sides with black. From there, you can make small cards and chips to go on top, dealt out into six different hands like they would be for a group of people playing each other. Be sure to throw a pile of chips into the middle so that it really looks like they are in the middle of a game.
A Stack of Chips
You can’t play poker without some chips to gamble. With a few thin, round sponges, you can create the perfect shape for these iconic representations of cash. With some fondant and icing, you can make the shape and color you’re looking for. Be sure to get those smooth, alternating lines on the outer edges of the sponges with textured sides that you can make by lightly scoring the outside of the fondant with a knife. Arrange the tiers in an off-center stack so you can create the look of a stack of chips once they’re all decorated and ready and you should be good to go.
Any of these ideas will be perfect for a poker fan. And beyond that, they might also get you thinking about just how creative you can get with any number of other themed cake ideas for different people in your life.
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