Sweet Gifts: Towel Cakes

We've all seen or heard of diaper cakes, right? Well, have you ever heard of a towel cake? They aren't really that uncommon but definitely not as popular as diaper cakes. I've made my fair share of towel cakes; probably more than I've made diaper cakes. But that's just because I think they're a great, unusual gift to give. What occasion would you gift a towel cake? Really for anything but one of my most favorites is for bridal showers. The concept is the same as with a diaper cake: you make the basic cake frame and then load it up with goodies.

The first towel cake I made, I used a bottle of the bride's favorite wine to stabilize the center. I rolled the three towel tiers around it so it was hidden. Yes, this takes a little bit of practice to get just right but I think I only spent two hours max on my first cake (and I'm a perfectionist so I redid it over and over until I got it just perfect). In all honesty, I could have had it done in 30 minutes if I wasn't picky about it looking perfect. For the towels, I used some super soft and fluffy towels that I got from Macy's. Obviously you can use any type of towel but be warned: If you use the cheap towels from Wal-Mart, it won't be as fluffy and full looking (unless you add more towels).
After I had the cake frame done, I used some pretty ribbon that matched the bride's wedding colors and tied two small wine glass to the middle tier and then placed silk flowers around it. It looked great, if I do say so myself. So great in fact...that I forgot to take a picture of it.
However, I do have a few pictures of some other towel cakes. One of a bridal shower cake. However this time, the bride wasn't an alcohol drinker. So I just splurged on some really nice towels and added silk flowers. Aside from bridal showers though, you can use towel cakes for birthday gifts (decorated accordingly), housewarming gifts (filled with kitchen items), baby shower gifts (filled with spa items for the new mom).
Next time I make one, I'll be sure to take step by step pictures to show how it's done. In the meantime, if you want to make one, just google "how to make a towel cake" for instructions.