Thinking Cap Cake

Hats off to a grad cake that incorporates your school colors on fondant details molded in the Baroque Fondant and Gum Paste Mold. The topper is a sensational mortarboard candy plaque made in the Topping Off Success Pan.

AmountCake serves 72

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Instructions

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In advance: Make candy plaque. Melt 35 oz. candy; tint black using two jars of black candy color. Pour into Topping Off Success pan. Tap to settle; chill until firm. Unmold onto soft cloth. Prepare and foil cover a cut-to-fit cake board. Attach plaque with melted candy. Also: Prepare cake board for sheet cake. Cover with foil.
Bake and cool 2 sheet cakes. Position on wrapped board to make a 1-layer 13 x 18 in. cake. Ice smooth. Cut dowel rod sections, 2 in. long. Insert where plaque will sit. Tint fondant: 25 oz. yellow, 20 oz. black. Roll out yellow fondant 1/16 in. thick. Cut 1 1/4 in. wide strips for border, two 11 in. and two 18 in. long. Attach to cake top.
Using black fondant and Baroque mold, make 44 medium paisley designs. Attach to border with Piping Gel dots, alternating direction of scrolls as you go. Roll out black fondant 1/16 in. thick. Cut 1 1/2 in. wide strips for bottom border, two 13 in. and two 21 in. long. Attach with Piping Gel. Using yellow fondant and Baroque mold, make 54 leaves. Attach to border with Piping Gel dots, alternating direction as you go. Position candy plaque.
For braid, roll two logs, 5 x 1/4 in. diameter. Twist together and position on cap. For tassel, roll out yellow 1/16 in. thick. Cut a 3 x 4 in. strip. Cut 1/8 x 2 1/2 in. deep slits across 4 in. side. Roll uncut edge and press to secure. Position tassel at end of braid and attach by wrapping a 3 x 1/2 in. strip around ends; secure using damp brush. Roll and flatten a 3/4 in. diameter black fondant button. Attach over braid at center of cap.