Brilliant Basket Cake

instructions

In advance: Make fondant pieces. Combine Violet with Rose for violet shown. Tint fondant as follows: 6 oz. yellow, 4 oz. green, 2 oz. light blue, 2 oz. violet, 2 oz. rose, 2 oz. orange. Add 3/4 teaspoon Gum-Tex to yellow, 1/2 teaspoon to green and 1/4 teaspoon to all other colors. Shape 4 oz. yellow into 3 logs 3/8 x 18 in.; braid together. Cover handle pattern with waxed paper; dust with cornstarch. Curve braid over pattern; let dry.

Make leaves. Roll out green fondant 1/16 in. thick. Cut leaves using medium Cut-Out; move cutter down 1/8 in. and cut again to make leaf slightly smaller. Cut 1/8 in. off bottom to make a straight edge. Make 45-50 leaves; let dry on cornstarch-dusted medium flower formers.

Make eggs. Roll out 5 fondant colors 1/8 in. thick. Use largest oval Cut-Out to cut 2-3 eggs in each color. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted surface 24 to 48 hours.Use melted candy to attach lollipop sticks to back of eggs and to each end of handle. Leave ends exposed to insert into cake.

Bake and cool 1-layer 6 in. cake (3 in. high) and 2-layer 9 in. cake (bake 2 layers 1 1/2 in. high for a 3 in. high cake). Prepare for rolled fondant and stacked construction. Tint 18 oz. fondant yellow, 30 oz. rose (reserve 3 oz. white). Cover cakes; smooth with Fondant Smoother. Stack cakes.

Pipe tip 5 bead bottom borders. Roll out white fondant 1/16 in. thick. Use smallest round Cut-Out to cut approximately 70 dots; attach to cakes using damp brush. Insert handle into cake top; insert eggs. Use melted candy to attach 2 rows of leaves around edge of top cake.