Creating a Fancy Cake for a Whimsical Baby Shower

We have pink cheetah bottom vanilla layers,  pink zebra chocolate layers, and a whimsical pink giraffe sitting atop!

Our oldest granddaughter loves to bake and decorate cakes and cookies, cupcakes too.  This afternoon she has delivered a special shower cake she made for one of her friends with a little help from her Grandma!  Her friend is expecting twin girls and is all aglow about pink!  She when asked had a vision for pink cheetah, pink zebra, and a pink giraffe!

I love this little guy.  We used raw pieces of spaghetti to support his neck on the inside.

We started this project Thursday evening by baking layer cakes and cupcakes which I wrapped and froze.  Next we made two batches of marshmallow fondant.  This is not new for me and here are the links to my previously posted recipes and directions.     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-marshmallow-fondant-part-1.html       and     thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/07/baking-birthday-cakes-marshmallow.html     and also    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/07/marshmallow-fondant-final-episode-two.html

It is always advisable to make the fondant ahead and refrigerate at least overnight and longer is fine.  It can also be frozen and thawed when needed. One more thing lest I forget....it tastes a whole lot better than the fondant you buy!  The cake layers are much easier to trim to size while frozen and the frosting goes the frozen layers so much more easily.

Friday evening we frosted, decorated, and put all of the finishing touches on the cake and cupcakes and were ready for bed at 11PM when we were finally done.  This morning both granddaughters arrived to make the delivery.  Poor Katie sat with "big eyes" and the giant cake on her lap as Emily backed her car out of our driveway.   Such wonderful girls.  I am so proud!

Happily Emily sent me this picture from the shower!

I missed my chance to get a picture of the cupcakes.  She found black and white zebra cupcake papers at Wal-Mart which were perfect.  We baked two dozen chocolate cupcakes and piped on white butter cream.  We melted white chocolate over a pan of simmering water and colored it pink.  Next Emily piped pink hearts onto parchment paper and we placed them in the freezer to harden.  After sprinkling the frosted cupcakes with a bit of fairy dust (sanding sugar) each one was topped with  pink twin hearts.  I am sure they were beautiful arranged around the towering cake!

Cute cake even sitting on my cluttered dinning room table.

We had a lot of fun making this and I am so happy to help and encourage her.