Shell Weave & Fantasy Flower Cake

Icy blue shells thread their way through bands of yellow and gray on a cake that adds a touch of springtime to any time of year. A lush fantasy flower, with petals cut using the Hearts Double Cut-Outs Set, provides a beautiful finishing touch.

AmountCake serves 12.

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Instructions

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Make fantasy flower 2 days in advance. Prepare gum glue adhesive following recipe directions. Tint 5 oz. gum paste yellow. Use 9 in. fondant roller to roll out gum paste less than 1/16 in. thick. Use straight side of round cut-out "A" to cut a gum paste circle for flower base. Position circle on flat bottom side of cornstarch-dusted ball pan.

Use straight side of heart cut-out "C" to cut five hearts for bottom row of petals. Use ball tool to soften edges. For each petal, fold bottom end of heart up and shape pleats on folded edge to form fan shape, pinching together. Use brush and gum glue adhesive to attach petals to base. Repeat to cut and shape five "D" size hearts for middle row of petals and three "E" size hearts for top row of petals.

Mix gold Pearl Dust edible accents with lemon extract. Use brush and mixture to paint Sugar Pearls for flower center. Attach Sugar Pearls to flower. Use brush and orchid pink Pearl Dust edible accents to brush petals. Let dry 2 days.
Make cake. Prepare batter following recipe directions. Bake and cool two 6 in. cake layers.

Prepare buttercream icing following recipe directions. Tint portions of icing blue, yellow and gray. Reserve remaining white icing for filling. Level, fill and stack cake layers on cake pedestal for a 2-layer cake, 6 in. high.
Pipe basketweave. Use cake measuring tape set and toothpick to mark 1 in. sections around top and bottom of cake.

Use tip 5, a cut disposable decorating bag and gray icing to pipe a vertical line from top to bottom of cake at 1 in. mark. Use tip 5 and yellow icing to pipe two horizontal lines at top edge of cake starting at 1 in. mark to the left of vertical line and ending at the 1 in. mark to the right. Continue piping pairs of horizontal lines, 3/4 in. apart, to bottom of cake. Pipe another gray vertical line where horizontal lines end. Use tip 16 and blue icing to pipe two rows of shells in spaces between vertical lines. Continue with the next set of yellow horizontal lines and repeat sequence around the cake.

Repeat pattern on cake top.

Position flower at celebration.