Baked goods are a fantastic way to convey a message. Whether that message is "Happy Birthday," a simple "We Love You," a "Congratulations" for something, or perhaps a more unorthodox occasion, these iced thoughts can be a fantastically tasty way to show you care. However, there are some dangerous faux pas easily committed when you buy that tube of pink sugary paste:
Breakup brownies are a great idea for making a recently heartbroken friend feel better (Especially if that friend is a female in desperate need of chocolate consoling) ... Except when you use the break up cake icing design to get something off your chest. This can be something like, "I Didn't Like the Way He Kissed Either" or "Don't Worry, He was Terrible in Bed. Ask Anyone" or the blunt "He Cheated On You. With Michelle, Melissa, Jodi and Me." It is also unwise to supplement the reasons he gave for breaking up with her. By supplement, I mean: "No Worries, Samantha is Having His Baby in Four Months" or "Get Over It. He's Amy's Baby's Daddy," or even "I'm Sorry You Guys Broke Up, Now Can You Help Me Break Up With Him Too?"
A cake for the new mother is always a nice thought - she doesn't want to be cooking and probably wants something sweet. However try to do your research before you ice it: Writing a jubilant "It's a Boy" on an entirely blue cake and having to wipe off "Boy" and quickly turn the whole thing purple rarely works as well as planned. Also try to use a reliable source for this gender research. "Reliable" doesn't mean a nurse who's never even met the new mother, the homeless guy outside the hospital, or your imagination. Just because the baby looks confusingly androgynous in the nursery doesn't mean you should write "It's a Hermaphrodite!" or for the less nerdy, "It's a Both!" Seriously. Ask the father if you have to, it's not like it's a government secret. Also don't just ask the name. Everyone has those fancy-schmancy genderless names now. Morgan, Colby, Shelby, Kyle and sometimes McKenna. You have to be careful with those. In any case, the moral of the story is to be careful with baby arrival cakes.
One of the worst occasions for which one could bake a cake is gastrointestinal illnesses. If someone has the flu and is throwing up all day, don't bake him or her a cake. They won't be able to eat it, and even if they did ... it wouldn't last. If someone is pregnant and having morning sickness, at least bring the cake over in the afternoon. If someone is going through chemotherapy and having the nauseous phase, bring him or her a protein shake instead. While you may have the best intentions, sometimes it's NOT the thought that counts. You may be hurting more than helping. Bring soup instead. You can write out "Feel better" with alphabet pasta!
Perhaps the worst mistake one can make regarding a cake is to write something like "Feel Better Soon" and cross it out but leave it slightly visible to replace it with "Sorry for Your Loss". It's difficult to time a cake well in a situation that would precipitate such a sudden change, but really, just re-ice the entire thing. Please.
