XOXO Skyline Birthday Decor & Coffee Rose Cake

I have been wanting to put together an XOXO/Skyline theme for a very long time. The idea triggered when Sara got an XOXO mug. She is a big Gossip Girl fan and XOXO and New York skyline elements go together. There was no better way to pay tribute to my awesome sister on her 25th birthday than to make an elegant gold cake and display it against a skyline of a metropolis! 

The skyline background has a black display board base with gold/silver/white glittery gift wrap paper pasted on top. I cut out the skyline shape from the glittery gift wrap. Next, I used the glue gun to paste gold, white, and silver squares for lit up windows on the buildings. 

The rose piping technique has got to be my favorite. It is super safe, does not need the cake to be smoothed with a coat of frosting underneath (only dirty icing is enough), and the finish is something super beautiful. I decided to use the coffee flavored frosting that Sara had made for my Graduation Day cupcakes. It was super delicious and good shade of pastel brown. I added some Golden Yellow gel color to bring the golden hue. White dragees (edible pearls) went in to give the cake some elegant accents, and the numbers were simple construction paper with stick-on blings. 

The top of the cake was not rose piping for a change. I decided to add golden-dyed sugar sprinkles and chocolate chips to it. The topper was the number 25 cut out of red construction paper. Red stick on bling rhinestones went on them to add the glitz and glam. 

Additional decorative props were:

• Stiletto ornament
• XO glittery letters
• XOXO mug
• Artificial rose flowers
• Betsy Johnson handbag (that's a gift!)

Have you ever prepped such a themed decor birthday party? Or tried to make a cake?