Pirate party themed cakes range from nautical cupcakes to flag sheet cakes and sculpted pirate ships.
Pirates of the Caribbean theme birthday parties are popular among boys and girls of all ages. Pirate outfits, swashbuckling language and overall chaos are the general themes of a pirate party. However, a proper pirate party requires a proper cake. There are many styles of pirate cakes to fit different budgets and skill levels, from homemade cakes to specialty shop orders. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Pirate Ship
A pirate ship carved out of layered cake blocks is a dramatic cake, but cake carving requires skill, practice and patience. If you are not crafty with cakes, placing an order for a specialty pirate ship shaped cake is a reasonable option. Homemade ship cakes require the stacking of baked rectangular cakes followed by carving until the hull of a ship is formed. Decorations including the deck, railing, mast poles and mast are all added during the decorating stage using edible candies, crackers, frosting and sculpting fondant. An alternative to cake carving is hand molding a large block of marshmallow and rice cereal treats to look like a pirate ship. The rice cereal treat ship can be covered with frosting and decorated.
Decorated Sheet Cake
The simplest style of cake to decorate is a basic sheet cake. Sheet cakes are long rectangular single layer cakes used to serve a large crowd. A sheet cake can be covered in any colored and flavored frosting. For a pirate cake, decorate with blue water waves, sea shells, pirate figurines or decorate the cake like a treasure map with a large "X" marking a spot and a trail leading up to it. This style of decorating requires sufficient hand-lettering or piping skill with icing or frosting bags.
Treasure Chest
Similar to a pirate ship cake, a treasure chest cake must be carved out of a large block or clock of stacked cakes. The base of the chest is made from solid cake while the top is covered in edible "treasure" including cold candy coins, fondant or marzipan-shaped diamonds, jewels, gold coins and pearls. The items should fill the top of the chest and cascade down the sides. A lid must be fashioned out of cake and angled on top using a wedge or prop. This is a difficult task even for professionals, therefore ordering a treasure chest cake through a specialty cake shop is advisable.
Nautical Cupcakes
Cupcakes are always a good option since they are easier to decorate. Pirate or nautical themed cupcakes include blue icing with a frosting seashell or sea star on the top, blue or black frosted cupcakes with wrapped chocolate gold coins on top and any variety of cupcake with a small Jolly Roger pirate toothpick flag on top.
Jolly Roger Sheet Cake
Use a sheet cake to create a large Jolly Roger. You will need black and white frosting and a large printed template of a skull and crossbones. Use the printed template to outline the image on the top of the cake. Pipe black frosting around the skull outline and fill in the area around the outline with black frosting. Use a piping bag to fill white frosting into the outlined area.
Tags: pirate ship, Jolly Roger, black frosting, cake carving, cake decorate