Help me find a birthday present for my wife. She bakes cakes.
November 5, 2012 3:23 PM Subscribe
I need a gift idea for my wife's birthday. She is a nurse and mom to five awesome kids, but her passion is making awesome cakes.
My wife will be 35 next week and I can't think of anything cool to get for her birthday present. I'd like something that feels personal, not like something I just picked up off a shelf and paid for on a whim.
She works a lot, doing night shifts as a nurse. In her downtime she helps take care of our five kids and bakes cakes. Lots of cakes.
They are on Facebook if you want to take a peek (she shares this hobby with my sister, so some of the cakes are made across the country in Kansas, thus Sister Sweets KC). This is a labor of love for my wife - an expensive hobby - so please don't think I'm trying to solicit cakes. She only makes things for family and co-workers, and she has plenty to keep her busy, thanks.
I'm trying to think of a unique gift that speaks to creativity and baking, but I haven't had luck so far. Do you know of anything I might have missed? Something that will show that I understand how much her hobby means to her and want to support her in it?
She has talked about getting a baking-related tattoo in the past (possibly a rolling pin behind her ear), but she's never done it. I'm not sure I'd want to buy her a tattoo, but something similar to commemorate her baking would work. Help!
My wife will be 35 next week and I can't think of anything cool to get for her birthday present. I'd like something that feels personal, not like something I just picked up off a shelf and paid for on a whim.
She works a lot, doing night shifts as a nurse. In her downtime she helps take care of our five kids and bakes cakes. Lots of cakes.
They are on Facebook if you want to take a peek (she shares this hobby with my sister, so some of the cakes are made across the country in Kansas, thus Sister Sweets KC). This is a labor of love for my wife - an expensive hobby - so please don't think I'm trying to solicit cakes. She only makes things for family and co-workers, and she has plenty to keep her busy, thanks.
I'm trying to think of a unique gift that speaks to creativity and baking, but I haven't had luck so far. Do you know of anything I might have missed? Something that will show that I understand how much her hobby means to her and want to support her in it?
She has talked about getting a baking-related tattoo in the past (possibly a rolling pin behind her ear), but she's never done it. I'm not sure I'd want to buy her a tattoo, but something similar to commemorate her baking would work. Help!
Or, if she wants to take her craft to the next level, you could buy her a gift certificate to a pastry or cake-decorating class, and offer to watch the kids during the times when she goes.
posted by emily37 at 3:35 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by emily37 at 3:35 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
I love jewelry, so how about a charm of a cake? There are so many different ones. Enamels with silver (or gold, depending on your budget) is nice because it can be colorful. Worn on a chain around the neck (since baking and nursing isn't friendly for bracelets.)
posted by Yellow at 3:46 PM on November 5, 2012
posted by Yellow at 3:46 PM on November 5, 2012
Gift certificate for Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma.
posted by Dansaman at 3:50 PM on November 5, 2012
posted by Dansaman at 3:50 PM on November 5, 2012
I love to make cakes too and one of my favorite tools is a professional cake stand. Makes makes the "finishing" (icing) part so much fun!
posted by idest at 3:56 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by idest at 3:56 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Does she have a fondant sheeter? The industrial ones are wicked expensive (unless you luck into a second hand model), but there are models that double as a pasta maker. Note: I chose a random example for illustration purposes, but the wider the sheet the more useful to tool.
posted by carmicha at 4:00 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by carmicha at 4:00 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
I want a cupcake charm now! (Google turns up a lot of nice ones.)
posted by BibiRose at 4:01 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by BibiRose at 4:01 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Best answer: How about a caketop publishing system? it's edible inkjet ink, and frosting paper
posted by anon4now at 5:15 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by anon4now at 5:15 PM on November 5, 2012 [1 favorite]
Go here. https://wantful.com/ This will take all the pain out of it.
posted by viconius at 5:21 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by viconius at 5:21 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]
I was also voting for the professional cake stand. (I'm assuming she has a good stand mixer and a good food processor already.) Does she do sugar paste stuff? Marzipan figures? Would she like books with images for ideas, or a subscription to one of the cake decorating magazines? Is there someone who does high level classes?
Your facebook link doesn't work.
posted by jeather at 5:29 PM on November 5, 2012
Your facebook link doesn't work.
posted by jeather at 5:29 PM on November 5, 2012
If you have the money, get her a new better awesome oven.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 5:31 PM on November 5, 2012
posted by Confess, Fletch at 5:31 PM on November 5, 2012
Best answer: Mr. gudrun is the baker in the family and agrees that a revolving cake turntable for decorating is a fine idea. Some additional fun stuff, for her birthday or the holidays, would be things like pastry crimper earrings, a cupcake ornament, another cupcake ornament, piece of cake ornaments, etc..
posted by gudrun at 6:42 PM on November 5, 2012
posted by gudrun at 6:42 PM on November 5, 2012
Best answer: A Cricut Cake Cutter? Pro tip: use with your own fondant, not the sheets you can buy for it.
posted by xyzzy at 8:57 PM on November 5, 2012
posted by xyzzy at 8:57 PM on November 5, 2012
A gift certificate for the King Arthur Flour shop would be great or browse around and find a gift there.
You could also go on Amazon and look up the top rated cake recipe books. Look through her collection and see what she is missing and get a few of those. I love cookbooks! There's a new book called Vintage Cakes that just came out this summer that she might like.
Also, might be cute to get her little sticker/labels or stamps that say "made with love by X" for when she gives a cake away.
You know what I would love, love, love? One of those lifts that goes inside your cabinet that lifts your mixer out! Here's a link to a DIY one but I have seen them for sale pre-made too. If only we had room to put one in.
posted by dottiechang at 1:03 AM on November 6, 2012
You could also go on Amazon and look up the top rated cake recipe books. Look through her collection and see what she is missing and get a few of those. I love cookbooks! There's a new book called Vintage Cakes that just came out this summer that she might like.
Also, might be cute to get her little sticker/labels or stamps that say "made with love by X" for when she gives a cake away.
You know what I would love, love, love? One of those lifts that goes inside your cabinet that lifts your mixer out! Here's a link to a DIY one but I have seen them for sale pre-made too. If only we had room to put one in.
posted by dottiechang at 1:03 AM on November 6, 2012
If you could find a nice pendant or earrings with baking theme, that would be really cool.
Also: gift certificate to good quality stuff like pampered chef, Demarle, sur la table, etc. Does she own a kitchen aid or Breville stand mixer?
posted by Neekee at 6:38 AM on November 6, 2012
Also: gift certificate to good quality stuff like pampered chef, Demarle, sur la table, etc. Does she own a kitchen aid or Breville stand mixer?
posted by Neekee at 6:38 AM on November 6, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks for the great suggestions. She makes her own fondant, but doesn't have a fondant roller or cutter, so I'm sort of leaning toward one of those. She has several cake stands, so she already likes that suggestion. :-)
posted by tacodave at 8:31 AM on November 6, 2012
posted by tacodave at 8:31 AM on November 6, 2012
Response by poster: After chatting discreetly with her about these options, I'm going with the printable cake sheets anon4now recommended. Thanks again!
posted by tacodave at 2:35 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by tacodave at 2:35 PM on November 14, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by emily37 at 3:34 PM on November 5, 2012 [2 favorites]