Princess Castle Cake

I hope to start including step by step photos with my posts, but thought I would still share some of the projects I have done along with some of the details.

This was my first experience with fondant. I read a lot about it and decided to make my own marshmallow fondant (MMF) because I read that it tasted better than the store bought stuff. I watched many youtube videos on how to make it and was able to do it using the Wilton recipe: http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Rolled-Marshmallow-Fondant.

Towers
I started by making the turrets (towers). I covered paper towel roles in royal icing (http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Egg-White-Royal-Icing-1) - I used egg white royal icing because noone would be eating the turrets and the icing would dry hard. I then measured and rolled pieces of the white fondant around the paper rolls, and secured the edges with a little bit of water. I scored brick patterns into the fondant once it was on the role using a toothpick, which made it look more realistic.

The next step was to put the tops on the towers. I used cake-style ice cream cones - the traditional card board tasting ones. I put a layer of royal icing around the base of the cone and set it inside the covered tubes. This part was fun - I learned that these little cones are actually quite fragile, and wound up covered in bits of cone and royal icing. However, the do sit in quite qell if your gentle.

Next, I coated sugar style ice cream cones with royal icing and covered them in MMF dyed pink using gel colour. Then apply a thin coat of royal icing into the top of the cake cone (which is now inside the tube) and place the inverted sugar cone on top. It actually all comes together quite well.

Cakes
I wanted to have chocolate and vanilla cake. For the chocolate, I did a simple doctored cake mix recipe in a 9 inch square pan (2" height) - http://simplesavoryandsatisfying.blogspot.ca/2012/02/doctored-cake-mix-ideas.html
I did 2 square cakes and filled the centre with whipped cream (used Nutriwhip product).

For the vanilla cake, I used my favorite recipe which is Vanilla Almond Sour Cream Cake http://cakecentral.com/recipe/white-almond-sour-cream-cake-wasc. I baked two 2" high 6" round cakes and stacked them with cream in the middle.

Crumb coat and frost both tiers with the frosting of your choice. I used the nutriwhip product.

Assembly
Cut the corners off the square cake using a spare paper towel roll - this assured that the turrets would fit and the round edges left on the cake would fit tightly against the cake base. I then hot glued dowel rods to the bottom of the turrets, and then covered the glue with spare bits of fondant. I then slid the dowel rod into the cake until each turret was secure against the cake.

I placed the second tier on top and secured it with a dowel rod down the middle. I left this rod 2" higher than the cake, which serves to hold the top turret on the cake.



I had a lot of fun making this cake, and it was a learning experience for me. Guests loved the moistness of the chocolate cake, which was because of the added pudding. Both cake recipes held up, and the turrets were successful. Definitely would make again :)