If you’re planning on surprising your partner with their gender reveal, there are plenty of options available to you. From the “traditional” cake or cupcake, to the more modern and fun “gender reveal box”, which is just another way of saying a party big gender reveal box.
For those who have been married for a while, this can be an exciting time in the relationship as well as a great reminder that you two will celebrate life together for years to come. It’s also an opportunity to show off your creativity and how far along in the pregnancy process you’ve gotten.
Whether you choose to get creative, or keep it simple, there are some ways to add a little bit of excitement to your gender reveal without spending much money. If you want to go all out, you could even consider buying a gender reveal cake from one of the many online sites. However, if you aren’t quite ready to commit to something like that, we have a few ideas here that should help make your gender reveal that much sweeter.
Cake
The easiest thing to do is buy a cake, but don’t let the fact that it’s easy fool you into thinking that it’s cheap. You’d be surprised at how expensive cakes can really get. However, if you plan ahead you can save yourself some cash. First, look around your local grocery store where they sell birthday cakes. Most people don’t realize that they can buy birthday cakes for half price right before someone’s birthday. The same goes for Mother’s Day. You can find these cakes for less than $10 each.
Next, take a look at the wedding cake stores. They often offer big discounts on pre-made cakes that they are selling to other brides. This means that you may end up paying less than $20 for a cake that would normally cost over $100. This may not seem like a lot of money for such an elaborate party, but you’ll be able to use that money elsewhere in your budget, and you’ll still have enough left over to put towards decorating your home.
If you prefer to have something that isn’t going to break the bank, you can always whip up a custom cake. Not only is it cheaper (in most cases), but it will take you longer to bake than buying a cake pre-made. Of course, if you don’t know anything about baking, then you probably shouldn’t try to make your own cake. But if you follow a recipe or read a book, you can definitely learn how to make custom cakes. And if you are willing to give up a couple of hours, you can have a cake that looks great and tastes fantastic.
Gender Reveal Cake Decorations
To get started, you should begin by selecting the type of cake that you’d like to make. It’s important to note that you can’t just grab any old cake. Your cake needs to be edible, meaning that it has to contain no nuts, dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, corn, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, shellfish, fish, or wheat. This list is actually very extensive, so be sure to read through the ingredients carefully.
Once you have found a good cake, you need to select the decorations that you’d like to use. There are several different things that you can purchase, including fondant, sugar paste, gelatine, gum paste, modeling chocolate, gumpaste, and marzipan. But the best place to start is with fondant. Simply mix up some water and powdered food coloring until it turns pink. Then knead in some shortening until the mixture forms dough. The next step is to roll the dough into a ball. Once it cools, you can cut it into pieces and shape them however you’d like.
When you’re done shaping your fondant, you can glue it onto your cake using the same method you used when making the fondant. The final step is to cover your cake in fondant, so that it doesn’t stick to the sides of the cake. Use a spatula to smooth out the surface, and you’re done!
You can also use sugar paste (which is basically flour and water) to create a frosting. Just add a dab of water to the mix, and knead it until it forms a smooth dough. Gently press the dough against the sides of the cake and allow it to dry completely. Once it dries, use a spoon to apply it to the top of the cake.
Gum paste is similar to fondant in that it contains both water and flour. Instead of adding water first, though, you simply knead the powdery substance until it becomes a dough. After it’s formed into a ball, you can add colors and flavors to it. Once you’re happy with its color and flavor, you can use a spatula to gently press it onto the sides of the cake. Again, once it dries, use a spoon to apply it to the top of the cake.
Sugar cookies are another option to consider. You can either purchase premade cookies, or you can make them yourself. Either way, you’ll need to combine white sugar and brown sugar with some egg whites and a small amount of oil. Then, you can add any flavoring agents that you’d like, such as vanilla extract or orange zest. After blending everything together, roll the cookie dough into balls, and flatten them with a fork. Bake them until they turn golden brown, and you can use the leftover batter to make mini cookies.
If you don’t feel like making any kind of decorations, you can always buy some. As mentioned earlier, you can find pre-made decorations at most grocery stores. Another option is to buy personalized decorations at Party City. They have hundreds of designs that you can customize with your child’s name. Not only does this mean that you’ll have a unique decoration, but it’s also a great way to keep track of what you bought.
Gender Reveal Cupcakes
With cupcakes, instead of having a full cake, you can have a dozen cupcakes. These are often purchased individually, but sometimes, you can find them packaged. When they’re packaged, there are usually twelve different flavors, each representing one letter in the word “pregnancy”. So if you wanted to have a baby boy, you could get twelve cupcakes labeled P, B, Y, O, R, E, N, I, S, H, T, U. If you wanted a baby girl, you’d get C, A, L, E, F, M, E, D, O, W, T.
If you prefer to make cupcakes yourself, you should be aware that they are fairly complex. First, you need to mix up your batter. After that, fill your cupcake papers, and then pop them in the oven. While they cook, you can decorate them. You can add sprinkles, icing, buttercream, or whatever else floats your boat.
Gender Reveal Gift Box
Another way to go about your gender reveal is to purchase a gift box. You won’t have to spend a ton of money to get one, since you can usually find them in the dollar section of your local grocery store. One example is the “I Love My Baby!” box, which comes complete with a bottle, pacifier, bib, and blankie. If you want to get more specific, you can check out the “Baby Boy Gift Set” which includes a diaper bag, changing pad, and onesies.
A gender reveal gift box is a great idea if you already have items that you think your partner might enjoy. For instance, if you’re expecting a baby boy, you can get him a baseball bat. Then, you can package it with a box of markers, construction paper, crayons, etc. You can also get him a pair of jeans, and then put his favorite music in the CD player attached to the back pocket. This is a great way to get him excited about his new addition.
On the flip side, if you’re expecting a baby girl, you can buy her a doll that she can dress up. If you want to get her something a little more personal, you can buy her a book about her future child. She can write down her hopes and dreams for her child, and then you can frame these sentiments in a picture frame.
One last tip to remember is that gender reveals are fun for everyone involved. Even if you are planning on keeping the gender a secret, you can still include some surprises. For instance, you can have the cake decorated and wrapped in a sheet of newsprint. Not only will your partner get a kick out of this, but you can also write a message on the front that says something like, “Can’t wait to meet you.”
There are plenty of reasons why a gender reveal is a great idea. Whether you have a new baby on the way or you’re celebrating the arrival of an existing one, you can do it in style.
