Week 4

I know, I missed posting this. Have no idea how I forgot, but I did. So on to week 4. I FINALLY got to make my first tiered cake. It was for my BFF's daughter. She turned 9 and loves pink and zebra print. I started out by special ordering Zebra print edible image borders from someone online (can't remember who). They were 3 inches wide and 7 inches long.

I baked 2 10 inch chocolate cakes and 2 8 inch chocolate cakes a few days in advance. You can freeze a cake (unfrosted) for about 2 weeks. You will need to wrap them in clear plastic wrap 2-3 times and make sure they are MOSTLY cooled and there is no air in the wrap. By having them slightly warm they will remain their moisture when you thaw them.

On the day before delivery, I took the 10 inch cakes out and put them on the counter. I started making 4 batches of butter cream frosting. I use crisco and clear vanilla extract so the frosting is a bright white. By the time my frosting was done, the cakes were about halfway thawed. This is the best time to trim the top. Using a long serrated knife, I topped the cakes so they were flat and even in height. I took my piping bag and put Wilton tip #12 on it and filled it with the frosting. I piped a dam around the edge of the cake (cut side up) and then used chocolate frosting for the filling. I took the 2nd cake (cut side down) and carefully placed it on the first one. I pressed it down slightly so the frosting dam in between them reached the edges. Then I used the white frosting to completely frost the cakes.

As soon as I had a smooth frosted cake, I placed the edible border image around the side of the 10 inch cake. This took 3 full strips and about 2 inches of a 4th. I then cut, filled the 8 inch cakes the same as the 10 inch, although I had colored the remaining frosting hot pink first. Then I took the pink frosting and placed a bottom and top border on the 10 inch cake and a top black border on the 8 inch cake.

I colored some fondant black and some pink. I cut out stars and use tip #3 to pipe the letters of the birthday girls name on the stars. I also made extra stars to place on the cake the next day. This was all I could do this day.

I took the cakes (in cake carriers) to my BFF's house to assemble and finish. Very carefully, I 'dropped' the 8 inch cake on top of the 10 inch cake. I did a black border around the bottom of the 8 inch cake. I placed the fondant stars on the cake and it was finally done!