I made this cake for a daughter of a dear friend for her 1st Communion gathering last Spring. As confirmation and 1st Communion celebrations are being planned with the coming of Easter and Spring, I thought I’d share a few ideas.

This cross-shaped rosette cake is one of my favorites…simple elegance comes to mind whenever I make it.   This cake was sour cream vanilla cake with vanilla-bean Swiss meringue buttercream used to pipe the delicate rosettes.  If you haven’t tried Swiss meringue buttercream, it is not as sweet at traditional buttercream but much more smooth and silky, just perfect for piping rosettes.  And best of all, it tastes heavenly.

The pink banner was hand cut from homemade marshmallow fondant and left to dry draped over some rolled up paper towels to add the illusion of movement.  there were also a few dozen chocolate cupcakes piped with the same rosette for the dessert table.

Here’s another 1st communion cake idea for a smaller gathering. This is an 8″ 3-layer double chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling.  The icing is vanilla-bean with white swirls piped on a smooth-iced buttercream cake. The crosses and lettering are cut from homemade marshmallow fondant.   Simple and elegant.

I love these  delicate, blush pink cross cookies I made for a little girl’s 1st communion last Spring.  They’re iced with fresh lemon Royal icing and piped with white  dots and swirls.

Here’s an idea for cupcakes with white chocolate crosses and pale blue buttercream swirls.  And another  1st communion celebration double-layer sheet cake I did a few years ago.  The Royal icing crosses and cornelli lace piping details really dress up an ordinary half-sheet cake.

It’s always such a treat for me to creat these special sweets for such milestone events. Congrats to all the 1st communion and confirmation candidates out there!