This is a short blog post just to share how I created a beautiful cake for my daughter’s birthday, for a fraction of the cost I would have paid through a bakery!
The Cake
First off, I generally do not make my cakes from scratch. I use Duncan Hines box mix:
https://www.amazon.ca/Duncan-Hines-Signature-Perfectly-Vanilla/dp/B0725B6LQR/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=2NZYVV1CYFUGS&keywords=duncan+Hines+vanilla&qid=1698598240&sprefix=duncan+hines+vanilla%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2I’m not sure if you’re aware, but if you want your box cake mix guaranteed to be soft, moist, squishy, and plump, do not use water (use milk!) and instead of just oil, use a mix of oil and melted butter.
I made 2 box mixes, so that I could also make cupcakes as well as the double layer cake. A few of my daughter’s friends do not eat pork, and because the fondant had marshmallow in it, I made a fondant-free option as well. You can make this cake with just one box though.
A few days beforehand, I baked the cake (using 2 8″ round pans) and made the fondant butterflies so that I could store those in the freezer (this saved me some time the night before the party!).
Tip: after the cake has cooled, cut off that “hump” in the middle of the cake that occurs from baking. This will make the cake layers easier to stack and look prettier when it’s done. Don’t forget to add your frosting (or whatever filling you choose) between the layers so they stick together (do not try to spread the frosting, just use a piping bag).
The Fondant
For most of the fondant, I made my own – and it was SO easy! I followed this recipe for marshmallow fondant: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/how-to-make-fondant/
I did find I needed to add more icing sugar than the recipe called for (perhaps my kitchen was humid at the time). Let me tell you though, this was so easy to work with, like playing with playdoh! Great for a beginner like me.
To colour it, I just carefully folded in food colouring (2-3 drops, as I was going for a pastel colour) and then kneaded until it looked good.
I happened to have some butterfly cut-outs from my daughter’s Play-doh set, so I gave them a good wash and used them to make my butterfly shapes. To add the details, I just used a toothpick. Then, I finished them off with an edible shimmer, like the ones found here:
https://www.amazon.ca/Edible-Glitter-Spray-Set-Decorating/dp/B0BVR4H2JB/ref=mp_s_a_1_9_sspa?crid=L846GXIKNQ38&keywords=edible+shimmer+dust&qid=1698611966&sprefix=edible+shimmer+dust%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-9-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&
The Frosting
To frost the cake, I used Betty Crocker buttercream frosting. I bought 4 containers, but I could have gotten away with 2-3 as I have a lot of extra frosting afterward.
https://www.amazon.ca/Betty-Crocker-Whipped-Frosting-Buttercream/dp/B08768DST9/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=3HXGJAMQ5AC91&keywords=duncan+Hines+buttercream&qid=1698608323&sprefix=duncan+hines+buttercream+%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-2This icing is very *schloopy* so I added icing sugar to make it firm enough that it could hold some shape, but I did use a bit straight from the jar to spread on a thin layer (so that the details/rosettes had something to stick to). After I pulled together a few colours I liked, I was ready to add the rosettes!
To make the rosettes, you need to use the Wilton open star tip (1M) or equivalent. Here is what it looks like:
https://www.amazon.ca/Open-Star-Piping-Tip-1M/dp/B002PNZKA0/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=103WD2BFTLX4P&keywords=wilton+open+star+piping+tip+1m&qid=1698626167&sprefix=wilton+open+%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-2To pipe a rosette, start in the middle and work your way out to get that pretty rose-like shape. If you start on the outside and work your way inward, you will get a “peak” similar to an ice cream cone, which is not what you’re going for.
The Result
I tried not to jam too many rosettes on there, considering I’m pretty beginner-level. I recommend not being afraid of leaving open spaces, just focus on making the rosettes pretty! Afterward I filled in any spaces with little starflower shapes and my fondant butterflies. I think the result was quite pretty – what do you think?
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