The Future's Wide Open! Cake

Step 1

Two days in advance: Make flowers. Add 1 tablespoon Gum-Tex to 24 oz. fondant. Tint 4 oz. portions light pink, light violet and light orange. Tint 3 oz. portions dark pink, dark violet and dark orange. Tint a 2 oz. portion green and 1 oz. yellow. Roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick. Following Cut & Press directions, make 9 pink, 9 violet and 10 orange 2-tone flowers, 28 yellow centers and 52 medium leaves. Let flowers dry in cornstarch-dusted Forming Cups. Dry centers and leaves on cornstarch-dusted cake boards.

Step 2

Also: Prepare stems. Cut 26 sticks to 6 1/2 in. and 1 stick to 5 1/2 in. Gently curve two 6 1/2 in. sticks by bending slightly against table edge. Mix green, yellow and white-white colors with lemon extract. Brush all cut lollipop sticks and one 8 in. stick with mixture and let dry on waxed paper-covered board.

Step 3

Bake and cool 3 in. high round cakes. Ice smooth. Pipe tip 4 bead top and bottom borders on all cakes.

Step 4

Imprint cake sides with smallest heart Cut-Out. Outline imprints with tip 2. Assemble flowers. Lighten melted green candy with white candy; attach flowers to stems. Let set. Insert flowers in 10 and 14 in. cakes, positioning 2 1/2 in. apart and 1 in. from edge. Attach 2 leaves to each stem with melted candy; let set. For top tier, insert 1 uncut flower stem in center, 2 curved stems on either side and 5 1/2 in. stem in front. Attach 1 leaf to each stem with melted candy; let set.

*Combine Leaf Green with Lemon Yellow for green shown. Combine Violet with Rose for violet shown. Combine Royal Blue with Violet for blue cake shade shown.

**The top tier is often saved for the first anniversary. The number of servings given does not include the top tier.