the phases of creating a cake

So as I mentioned before, I am baking/decorating a cake for a special 1st birthday party on Saturday! I get really excited about creating fun and new cakes. It is tedious, but super fun! To make it not seem like it takes so long, usually the 3 or 4 days before the cake needs to be done, I start the process. I have created a system where I complete these cakes in usually 5 phases.

Phase 1: Make and refrigerate the Marshmallow Fondant. The fondant can last a couple weeks in the fridge and taste just as good as the day you made it! And yes, this fondant is actually GOOD! Super sweet, but doesn't taste like cardboard like the fondants I've had in the past. :)

Phase 2: Make the yummy homemade butter cream (my mom's deeeeelicous recipe!) frosting that I put under the fondant and between the cake layers.

Phase 3: Bake the cakes and freeze them. I prefer to freeze them and work with them when they're still a bit frozen...they crumble less and just seem easier to work with.

Phase 4: Assemble the cakes how I want them and then frost all of it with the butter cream frosting.

Phase 5: Cover the cakes with the fondant and do the finishing details to complete the cake!

The cake for this weekend will have two different flavors of cake...one for each layer. I will make chocolate for one layer and white for another. I will food color the batter of the white cake so it's fun and pretty when it gets cut into! :) When it's complete, it will be all white fondant and I will use butter cream frosting to create some grass along the bottom of each layer of the cakes and with fondant will make brightly colored butterflies to randomly place all over the cake.

I just completed phases 1 and 2 tonight. Tomorrow night I will complete phase 3 and then on Saturday morning I will complete phases 4 and 5. The party is Saturday evening. I will post pictures of the completed cake and from the party as well I'm sure!