Fondant

I don't like fondant, the stick, moldable, "great for decorating" icing.  I like my frosting light and creamy, not stiff and gritty.  I don't like the taste and I don't like the feel.  Also, cake decorating isn't one of my strengths; I'm not an artistic gal.  That being said, I will do anything for my nephew.  His birthday is coming up and he LOVES Mickey Mouse.  My sister came across this adorable cake and posted it in Facebook, looking for a recommendation of someone who could make it. 

 

At first, I said there was no way I could decorate a cake so nicely. I mean, look at that thing! It's freakin' adorable! Cakeadelic is an artist!  But then I started to think "I haven't really challenged myself lately" and I can't avoid fondant forever.  And this is my nephew's third birthday.  He's not even just my nephew; he's my godson.  And for only being three, this kid has been through A LOT (two heart surgeries!).  And he's so darn cute.  So, for Dylan, I decided I'd give this adorable Mickey cake a try.  (And don't worry, Disney, I never planned to benefit financially from it.)  

Of course, before making such a cake for Dylan's party, I would have to do a practice one, or two, or ten.  We all know fondant can be tricky; who hasn't seen the multitude of cake decorating shows on Food Network?  I decided to take it easy on myself for my first go with fondant.  I decided to do a single layer cake, made from a box, and used a premade frosting.  (You have to apply a thin layer of buttercream to the cake so the fondant has something to stick to.)  Also, there are two ways you can make fondant: you can go all out with gelatin and glycerin and boiling things, or you can heat some marshmallows then beat in an unimaginable amount of sugar.  I took the easy route and bought myself some marshmallows.  I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com. 

This is the end result, my first cake using fondant.

I'm pretty pleased with myself.