2 DAYS IN ADVANCE

Make swimmers? heads. Use fondant to seal top opening of four globes from 2 in. globe pillar set. For skin tones, use natural colors fondant multi pack. Use pink or combine light and dark brown with pink to make various shades. Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use largest (5 1/8 in.) cutter from 4-pc. circles nesting metal cutter set to cut circle. Flatten a small piece of fondant and position over covered area of globe to round off. Brush globe with piping gel. Cover with fondant circle and smooth.

Make hair. Use desired colors from natural fondant multi pack. For spiked hair, roll a ball, 1 1/8 in. dia. Flatten slightly to 1 3/4 in. dia. Use brush and piping gel to attach to head. Pinch at top to make spiked shapes. For Mohawk, roll a fondant log, 3/8 in. dia. x 2 1/2 in. long. Pinch top to form triangular strip, 1/2 in. high. Use food-safe scissors to cut slits 1/4 in. deep on one edge. Pinch into spikes. For smooth hair with bangs, roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use smallest (2 1/2 in.) cutter from 4-pc. circles nesting metal set to cut a circle. Use scissors to cut triangle slits, 1/2 in. deep, around front edge of circle. Use piping gel to attach.

Make facial features. Use skin tone fondant to roll a ball, 3/16 in. dia. for each nose and ear. Shape ears. Use piping gel to attach nose and ears. For goggles, use 9 in. fondant roller with pink guide rings to roll out black fondant 1/16 in. thick. Use narrow end of tip 2A to cut two circles for lenses. Shape into ovals or leave round. Attach above nose. For strap, roll a black log, 1/8 in. dia. x 4 in. long. Flatten and attach around and over ears. For mouth, use wide end of tip 8 to cut a circle; move tip down 1/8 in. to cut a crescent. Cut to desired length and attach.

Make arms. Use skin tone fondant to roll a ball, 1 in. dia., for each arm. For bent arms, roll into a log, 1/8 in. dia. tapering to 5/8 in. dia. x 4 in. long. Bend slightly for elbow. For straight arms, roll a tapered log as above but cut to 2 in. long. For arms with hand, pinch 1/2 in. at end into a fan shape. Taper at wrist area. Use craft knife to score slits for fingers. Let dry 24 hours on cornstarch- covered cake board.

1 DAY IN ADVANCE

Bake and cool 12 in. x 18 in. sheet cake. Cake is one layer, 2 in. high. Prepare buttercream icing following recipe directions. Use spatula and white icing to ice cake smooth.

Make pool wall and tiles. Roll out white fondant 1/2 in thick. For base of raised area around pool, use knife to cut two strips, 1/2 in. wide x 12 in. long. Position on short ends of cake. Cut two strips, 1/2 in. wide x 18 in. long. Position on long ends of cake. Trim to fit as needed. For tiles on sides of pool, roll out white fondant 1/8 in. thick. Use knife to cut two strips, 2 1/2 in. wide x 12 in. long, and two strips, 2 1/2 in. wide x 18 in. long. Use fondant ribbon cutter with four straight cutting wheels and 1/2 in. spacers to lightly score lines across the length of strips. Repeat across the width of strips to make perpendicular lines for 1/2 in. squares. Use damp brush to attach to cake sides. Trim to fit as needed. For tiles at top of pool wall, use knife to cut two strips, 1/2 in. wide x 12 1/4 in. long, and two strips 1/2 in. wide x 18 1/4 in. long. Score tile lines as above and attach to cake. Trim to fit. Reserve remaining fondant.

Use brush and white Pearl Dust/lemon extract mixture to paint tile.

Make lane guides. Roll out black fondant 1/16 in. thick. Use ribbon cutter with four straight cutting wheels and 1/4 in. spacers to cut five strips, 1/4 in. wide x 15 in long. Position first strip 1 1/4 in. from long edge of tile and 1 in. from each short edge of tile. Position three additional lane guides 2 1/2 in. apart. Cut last strip into eight, 1 in. lengths. Position one length perpendicular on each end of lane guides.

Make piping gel water. Tint piping gel royal blue. Use angled spatula to spread over top of cake and lane guides.

Make lane ropes. Tint a 1 in. fondant ball red-red. Roll into a log, 1/8 in. dia. Use knife to cut into 3/4 in. lengths (24 pieces needed). Roll a 1 1/2 oz. ball of white fondant into a log, 1/8 in. dia. Use knife to cut into 3/4 in. lengths (42 pieces needed). To form lane ropes, position four red pieces on each end between lane guides. Position 14 white pieces between red pieces.

Position swimmers. Use piping gel to attach arms.