Owl's Nest Fun Fest Cake

Step 1

2 DAYS IN ADVANCE

Make leaves. Tint 4 oz. white ready-to-use rolled fondant leaf green. Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out fondant in. thick. Use leaves Cut-Outs fondant cutters to cut 10 large and 16 medium leaves. Use small end of veining tool from 10-pc. gum paste/fondant tool set to mark center and side vein lines. Let dry overnight in assorted positions on cornstarch-dusted wave flower formers.

Step 2

1 DAY IN ADVANCE

Bake and cool 3-D bear cake. Use firm-textured batter, such as a pound cake, and a 2-layer cake mix combined. Position on foil-wrapped cake circle cut to fit. Use knife to trim rounded front of feet flat. Use knife to trim ears to triangle shapes, 1 in. x 1 in., and trim off arms.

Step 3

Decorate cake. Prepare buttercream icing following recipe directions. Tint portions violet/rose combination (for light and dark violet), black, orange and leaf green. Reserve remaining white.

Use toothpick to mark a number 8 shape for eye area, 4 3/4 in. wide x 2 1/4 in. high. Use spatula and green icing to ice feet smooth. Use tip 103 and icing to pipe overlapping petals for tummy, starting at bottom edge and alternating rows of light violet and white. Use tip 12 and white icing to outline and pipe in whites of eyes. Pat smooth with finger dipped in cornstarch. Use tip 12 and black icing to pipe pupils, 5/8 in. dia. Pat smooth. Use tip 2 and white icing to pipe dot eye highlights. Use tip 16 and light violet icing to pipe three rows of stars around eyes.

Use tip 18 and dark violet icing to cover remainder of head and body with stars. Use tip 18 and dark violet icing to overpipe pull-out star wings. Use tip 18 and light and dark violet icing to pipe pull-out star ears. Use tip 2A and orange icing to pipe in teardrop-shaped beak, 1 3/8 in. long. Pat smooth.

Step 4

DAY OF CELEBRATION

Assemble cake. Use tip 12 and green icing to attach leaves around cake.