A few weeks ago, I was asked to make a baby shower cake for one of my friends, Bex. The theme was Vintage Mad Hatters' Tea party. The design - "I trust you to come up with something good". Alice in Wonderland is such a wonderful story and there have been many versions of the film produced, it was tricky as to which one to take ideas from. My favourite version though has to be the 1951 cartoon. One which I loved watching as a child. The wonderful colours, the sleepy dormouse and the mad mad Hatter; all characters which conjure up wonderful ideas for a baby shower cake!

Pink and blue bunting, teeny tea cups and saucers, a tiny floral teapot housing a very sleepy looking dormouse, the tiniest pieces of Victoria Sponge filled with 'jam' balanced on top of little blue edged plates all made from fondant icing were arranged on an edible afternoon tea table cake.

I think Alice would have had to drink an awful lot of shrinking potion to sit round THIS table with Hatter!

The baby shower was in one of the most perfect settings for a vintage Mad Hatters Tea Party - the garden of an old thatched cottage in the middle of nowhere. 

Trees decorated with chintzy fabric bunting, paper lanterns and pale pink babygro bunting adorning the apple trees and gazebo, little pots filled with retro sweets and the most wonderful, original arrangement of 'potty' flowers. Yes, flowers arranged in a baby's potty! Hilariously lovely. The air was filled with beautiful old style music and the smell of delicious sausages cooking in the kitchen.

The afternoon was spent chatting, drinking tea (from the most dribblesome teapot), the most scrumptious homemade pink elderflower cordial and lemonade and tables full of delightful little triangle sandwiches and so many sweet treats we thought we would all turn into little cupcakes! As the afternoon rolled on, it came around to the cutting of the cake (the one part of cake making I always hope I am not asked to do). It always seems such a shame to cut up such beautiful creations.... Everyone had oo'ed and ah'ed over the tiny tea service, the little 'drink me' bottle (that actually said "It's a Girl!") and the pink and blue bunting wrapped round the cake. Bex plunged the knife into the cake to cut it for dishing slices out and promptly let out a squeal of delight when she saw the inside of the cake was blue and pink swirly sponge cake. 

The one thing, NO-ONE knew about. The cake went down an absolute storm and after one final cup of yummy tea, I left the wonderful tea-party to go and fall into a cake induced sleep.

Such a wonderful afternoon spent with lovely people, great food and a beautiful looking cake to boot!