Princess Cake: Part 1

My boyfriend's mother asked me to make a cake for the birthday of the one and only grandchild who turned 6 this week. She purchased the Wilton Castle Cake set and asked if I would attempt to recreate the image on the box. This is the biggest baking challenge I've taken on and my fingers are crossed that it looks good.

The cake it self will be 2 tiered, the bottom cake will be a coconut cake and the top cake a traditional white cake filled with sprinkles. (a homemade take on certain box brand) The kit comes with some towers, windows and doors to make the cake look like a castle.

Tonight after work I spent several hours after work making 300 forget-me-nots out of fondant icing, they came out very much like snowflakes as in no one is the same. (this was not intentional)

The recipe I used to make my fondant is bits and pieces of recipes I've read online through various recipe hosting sites. I prefer the texture to this recipe the best so far but I'm so new to this I'm sure I'll adjust it even further.

Fondant

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp unflavored gelatin (or one envelope pre-packaged)
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or extract of choice for flavor)
• ½ cup of light (clear) corn syrup
• 1 tbsp glycerin
• 2 lbs confectioners’ sugar
• cornstarch for dusting and rolling

Directions:

• Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water in a small bowl and let it rest for 2 min to soften.

• Place the bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds on high to dissolve the gelatin.

• Add the extract, corn syrup and glycerin and stir until the mixture is smooth and clear. If the mixture is not turning smooth and clear, microwave it for an additional 15-20 seconds and stir again.

• Sift 1 ½ lbs of the sugar into a large bowl and make a hole in the center. Pour the liquid mixture into the hole and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes sticky. (or do the entire process in a mixer with a dough hook and mix until mixture is sticky)

• Knead in as much of the remaining sugar as the mass will take. Knead the fondant to until it is a smooth and easy to work with.

• To store wrap fondant tightly in plastic wrap and store in an air tight container of some kind. It will store for a week safely (and probably longer). If it dries out, microwave for 15-20 seconds and it will be workable once again.

• I use cornstarch to cover my work surface to prevent the fondant from sticking. I find this easier than just using extra sugar, it keeps the fondant much easier to work.

To color:

Use a toothpick and add dots of color to the fondant and knead the color until it is smooth and even. Add color until it is the desired shade.