5 Days in Advance

Make and decorate Ariel candy plaque. Melt white and red Candy Melts candy, separately, according to package directions. Use garden and primary candy color sets to tint 1/2 oz. melted white candy pink/yellow combination (for pink). Use orange candy color from primary candy color set to tint 6 oz. melted white candy light skin tone shown.

Use melted candy in cut disposable bags to mold candy plaque in Ariel pan as follows: Pipe in pink lips. Chill until firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Pipe in skin tone face and body. Chill until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Pipe in remaining areas of pan with 18 oz. melted red candy. Chill until firm, 30 minutes. Unmold.

Decorate candy plaque. Prepare royal icing following recipe directions. Tint portions violet/rose combination (for violet), sky blue and black. Reserve remaining white. Use tip 6 and violet icing to outline and pipe in dress. Pat smooth with finger dipped in cornstarch. Use tip 6 and blue icing to outline and pipe in flower. Pat smooth. Use tip 2 and white icing to outline and pipe in eyes. Pat smooth. Use tip 3 and blue icing to pipe dot iris. Pat smooth. Use tip 2 and black icing to pipe dot pupil. Use tip 1 and black icing to pipe outline eyelashes. Use tip 1 and white icing to pipe dot eye highlights and flower accents. Let set 24 hours. Reserve remaining icing. Attach plaque to background following project directions.

Make candy oval background plaque. Melt 3 pks. of blue Candy Melts candy according to package directions. Reserve 8 oz. for attaching plaque to background. Use 13.5 in. x 9.8 in. oval pan from 4-pc. oval pan set to make candy plaque. Chill until firm, 30 to 45 minutes.

Tint 42 oz. fondant sky blue, 26 oz. fondant kelly green/ sky blue combination (for green), 3 oz. rose/royal blue combination (for rose). Reserve 7 oz. white. Use 20 in. fondant roller with orange guide rings to roll out 24 oz. blue fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use brush and piping gel to attach fondant over front and sides of oval candy plaque. Use knife to carefully cut out an oval, 5 in. high and 3 in. from bottom and each side of plaque. Spray front with violet and blue Color Mist food color spray. Let dry 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve remaining blue fondant.

Use warm knife to trim 1/2 in. off hair at widest point on each side of Ariel plaque. Use reserved blue candy to attach Ariel plaque to open oval in background plaque. Chill until firm, 20 to 25 minutes.

4 Days in Advance

Make oval background border. Knead 1 teaspoon of Gum-Tex into 2 oz. green fondant. Use 9 in. fondant roller to roll out green fondant 1/4 in. thick (use a bamboo dowel rod as a guide for thickness). Use fondant trimmer to cut a strip, 1.75 in. wide x 37 in. long. Use brush and piping gel to attach strip evenly over edge of oval. Trim as needed. Reserve excess fondant for upright scrolls.

Make upright scrolls. Use reserved green fondant to roll seven logs, 1/4 in. dia. x 5 in. to 10 in. long. Curve into assorted scrolls. Let dry on cornstarch-dusted boards.

Prepare base board. Prepare three 14 in. cake circles for towering tiers construction. Tape circles together. Cover with 18 oz. reserved blue fondant. Cut out center. Reserve remaining fondant.

2 Days in Advance

Make crown. Knead 1/8 teaspoon Gum-Tex into 2 oz. white fondant. Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use pattern and knife to cut out crown.

Tint reserved white royal icing rose/royal blue combination (for rose). Use tip 5 and pattern to outline crown and pipe scroll details. Let dry 24 hours on cornstarch- dusted board.

Make shells and starfish. Tint 3 oz. fondant rose/royal blue combination (for rose). Knead 1/8 teaspoon Gum-Tex into rose fondant. For clam shells, roll out fondant 3/8 in. thick at shell base and 1/16 in. thick at curved edge. Use pattern and knife to cut two shells. Use small end of veining tool from 10-pc. gum paste/fondant tool set to score shell divisions. Let dry 24 hours on cornstarch-dusted board.

For starfish, use 9 in. fondant roller with pink guide rings to roll out fondant 1/16 in. thick. Use largest Cut-Out from leaves Cut- Outs fondant cutters to cut five leaves. Use small end of veining tool to imprint vein lines. Use medium Cut-Out from rounds Cut-Outs to cut one circle. Place in large flower forming cup. Use damp brush to attach leaves to circle. Let dry 24 hours.

1 Day in Advance

Bake and cool 12 in. round cake. Cake is two layers, 4 in. high. Prepare cake for towering tiers construction. Prepare buttercream icing following recipe directions. Tint sky blue. Use spatula and blue icing to ice cake smooth. Position on prepared base board. Roll out reserved blue fondant 1/8 in. thick. Cut a strip, 3/8 in. wide x 38 in. long. Attach for bottom border. Spray cake with blue and violet Color Mist food color spray.

Assemble and decorate cake. Attach 4.25 in. pillar to 14 in. plate from towering tiers set.

For side scrolls, roll reserved green fondant (without Gum-Tex) into logs, 1/4 in. dia. Make: four logs 5 in. to 6 in. long, four logs 6 in. to 8 in. long and four logs 8 in. to 9 in. long. Shape into scrolls. Use tip 3 icing dots to attach around cake sides for wave effect.

For bubbles, roll out white fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use narrow end of tips 1A and 2A and wide end of tip 3 to cut 20 to 25 circles. Use sapphire blue Pearl Dust/lemon extract mixture to paint highlights on bubbles. Let dry. Use tip 3 dots of icing to attach to cake sides.

Day of Celebration

Attach assembled plaque/background to stand. On day of celebration, chill assembled plaque, crown, upright scrolls and the 5.5 in. pillar from towering tiers set in freezer for 10 minutes before attaching. Insert 5.5 in. pillar in stand. Use remaining melted blue candy in cut parchment bag to cover front of pillar. Attach assembled plaque to pillar, resting on collar of pillar. Hold in place until set, 20 to 30 seconds. Use additional melted candy to secure on sides of pillar. Let set. Attach remaining trims following project directions.

Use garden and primary candy color sets to tint 2 oz. melted white candy green/blue combination to match green fondant. Use melted green candy to attach upright scrolls to oval border strip. Let set 15 to 20 minutes.

Complete cake. Position shells in front of cameo. Pipe tip 5 mounds of icing for support.