Two days in advance, make mortarboard and large tassel. Using Black Base Color, tint 12 oz. gum paste to desired shade of black (use 50 drops for black shown).
Using 20 in. fondant roller with yellow guide rings, roll out gum paste. Cut to 7 in. x 7 in. square. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted measuring mat, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer to cooling grid. Let dry for 48 hours. Reserve remaining black gum paste.
For large tassel, roll 1 in. ball white fondant into 5 in. long rope. Using 9 in. fondant roller with pink guide rings, roll out 1¼ in. ball white fondant. Cut into 2 in. x 2 in. square. Cut bottom 1 ½in. of square into seven strips, leaving ½ in. uncut. Using damp brush, attach top of square to end of 5 in. long rope. Wrap square around rope, forming tassel.
Using craft knife, carefully cut indent at top of strips, pinching gently to shape.
Carefully bend rope ½ in. from tassel, forming “L” shape. Lightly flatten other end of rope that will sit on mortarboard. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted measuring mat, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer to cooling grid. Let dry for 48 hours.
One day in advance, make small tassels. Using 9 drops Black Base Color, tint 2 oz. fondant to desired shade of black. Reserve remaining fondant white.
Using 20 in. fondant roller with blue guide rings, roll out black fondant. Cut strips measuring 1¼ in. wide. Cut each strip into 1 in. squares (you’ll need sixteen 1¼ in. x 1 in. squares).
Leaving ½ in. at top of each square, cut bottom half of square into five strips. Using damp brush, wet top of square and roll into tassel. Using craft knife, carefully cut indent at top of strips, pinching gently to shape. Reserve leftover black fondant.
Repeat step with white fondant, creating a total of 16 black tassels and 32 white tassels.
- Also one day in advance, make dots. Using 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings, roll out ½ oz. reserved black fondant and 1 oz. white fondant. Using narrow end of tip 12, cut out 18 to 20 black dots and 36 to 40 white dots.
- Also one day in advance, make letters. Using 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings, roll out 1½ oz. white gum paste. Cut out desired message using Numbers and Alphabet Set. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted mat.
- Paint fondant and gum paste. Using Gold Metallic Paint and decorating brush, paint large gum paste tassel, 16 white mini tassels and 16 dots gold. Let dry, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Bake cake. Prepare cake batter following recipe instructions. Bake and cool two 6 in. round cakes and two 8 in. round cakes. Level 6 in. cake layers to 1½ in. high.
- Ice cake. Level, fill and stack 8 in. cake layers for 4 in. high cake. Ice cake smooth in white icing.
Tint icing. Using 70 drops Black Base Color, tint 2 cups icing to desired shade of black (should match mortarboard). Level, fill and stack 6 in. cake layers for 3 in. high cake. Ice cake smooth in black icing.
Prepare cakes for stacked construction. Stack cakes.
Assemble cake. Attach small tassels around 8 in. cake, alternating between black, white and gold tassels. Attach dots to bottom half of 8 in. cake. Add letters on top of 8 in. cake, curving around 6 in. cake.
Place mortarboard on top of 6 in. cake. Using reserved black gum paste, set aside ½ in. ball for button. Using remaining gum paste, prepare gum glue following recipe instructions. Using gum glue, attach large tassel to center of mortarboard. Cover tapered end of tassel rope with button.
