Happy 30th Girls!

It's hard to believe it, but it is very true!  All of my friends and I are in our 30th year!  To celebrate Lauren's, Joelle's and Jen's birthdays, we had a girls night out, and I baked a cake for dessert.

Preparing the Fondant:

To make the fondant letters I used on the cake, I first added gum paste to the fondant.  I learned how to do this a few months ago at the cupcake course I took at The Bonnie Gordon School of Baking.

Add desired color and work into fondant well.  Since food colouring stains, it is a good idea to wear gloves. Continue to work colouring into fondant until desired colour is reached. 

Fondant dries quickly. Storing remaining fondant in Ziploc bags, even while working with it, reduces the chances that it will harden. This is important to help maintain its freshness.

Set aside prepared fondant in bags. 

Baking and Decorating the Cake:

Prepare your favourite cake.  Divide batter into two 9-inch baking pans. I made a marble cake and used a knife to create a swirl throughout.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Let cool.

Mix food colouring into icing.  Pour about 1/4 cup of icing onto first cake.  Spread evenly and place second cake on top.  Pour remaining icing overtop. (About 1 cup.)

Using an offset spatula, spread the icing across the top, pushing the excess icing down onto the sides of the cake.  Cover entire cake and sides. Smooth the top of the cake or create desired texture.

Cutting Out and Placing Letters on the Cake:

I was so excited to use my newest cookie cutters to cut out the fondant letters.

Using a rolling pin, roll out fondant on a piece of

wax paper until it is about the thickness of a dime.

Cut out letters using cutters.

Use spatula to lift letters from wax paper.

Carefully place letters onto cake. 

The icing acts as a glue to secure each letter to the cake. 

Celebrate!

Go out for dinner and drinks with your closest girl friends...

Schmooze, eat, drink, laugh, smile...

Sing Happy Birthday...

Blow out the candles and make a wish...

Happy 30th Girls!