Eyepopping Poppy Cake

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1. GUM PASTE COLORS TINTED:

   1. Tint ultra-concentrated gum paste.

   Use Color Right base colors and QuickCount color formulas to tint gum paste in the following shades:

   ? Bright and Bold Orange (formula 151): 1 oz. gum paste + 2 R + 26 O + 18 Y

   ? Autumn Forest Green (formula 377): 1 oz. gum paste + 1 BK + 2 BR + 3 B + 25 Y

   2. Mix ultra-concentrated color gum paste with white gum paste.

   ? For orange, knead a ¾ in. ball of ultra-concentrated orange into 3 oz. white gum paste.

   ? For dark green, knead a ¼ in. ball of ultra-concentrated green into a 1 in. ball of white gum paste.

   ? For light green, knead a ½ in. ball of dark green into a ½ in. ball of white gum paste.

   FONDANT COLORS TINTED:

   1. Tint ultra-concentrated fondant.

   Use Color Right base colors and QuickCount color formulas to tint fondant in the following shades:

   ? Bright and Bold Orange (formula 151): 1 oz. fondant + 2 R + 26 O + 18 Y

   ? Bright and Bold Pink (formula 190): 1 oz. fondant + 10 R + 6 P

   ? Bright and Bold Purple (formula 254): 1 oz. fondant + 4 B + 55 P

   2. Mix ultra-concentrated color fondant with white gum fondant.

   ? For orange, knead a 1in. ball of ultra-concentrated orange into 4 oz. white fondant

   ? For pink, knead a 1 in. ball of ultra-concentrated pink into 4 oz. white fondant

   ? For purple, knead a 5/8 in. ball of ultra-concentrated violet into 2 oz. white fondant

2. Make gum paste poppy and flower centers three days in advance. Tint gum paste orange, dark green and light green. Make one wired poppy in orange following instructions in cut-outs set. Let dry following instructions.

   Make a wired flower center with light and dark green gum paste following instructions in cut-outs set. Let dry following instructions.

3. Highlight petals two days in advance. Use brush and orange and red Color Dust edible accents mixture to brush petals in deeper orange shade.
4. Assemble flower also two days in advance. Follow cut-outs set directions to make five stamen clusters for flower and assemble flower.
5. Make cakes one day in advance. Bake and cool two 8 in. cake layers and 6 in. cake layer.
6. Cover cakes with fondant. Level, fill and stack cakes on same-size cake circles for a 2-layer 8 in. cake, 6 in. high and a 1-layer 6 in. cake, 3 in. high. Use spatula and icing to lightly ice cakes smooth. Cover 6 in. and 8 in. cakes with white fondant. Reserve remaining fondant. Use gold Color Mist to spray 6 in. cake. Let dry, about 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Prepare cakes for stacked construction with center core rods and support rods and caps. Stack cakes on cake plate.

8. Decorate 8 in. cake. Tint fondant orange, pink and purple.

   Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out colors, separately, 1/8 in. thick. Use fondant trimmer to cut strips, 25 in. long in widths varying from 1/4 in. to 3/4 in.

   Use damp brush to attach strips to cake side, starting at bottom and working to top, spacing 1/4 in. to 3/8 in. apart.

9. Position flower. Insert poppy in flower spike. Insert flower spike in 8 in. cake top.