Baby Shower
  Cake

Makes 30-40 servings

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

• One 10x3-inch-square baking pan
• One 8x3-inch-square baking pan
• One 10-inch-square cardboard
• One 8-inch-square cardboard
• Small round, heart, moon, and star shaped cookie cutters
• Three pairs of disposable plastic gloves
• Gum arabic or gum tragacanth
  (can be found at cake decorating supply stores)
• Ribbons and bows for decorations

Prep time: 7 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes

PREPARATION:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour cake pans.
• Prepare cake mixes adding water, egg whites, and vegetable oil.
• Place two boxes of batter in large pan and one box of batter in smaller pan.
• Bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.
• Remove cakes from pans and allow to cool completely on cooling racks before decorating.
• Cakes can be made 2 days in advance if wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container, or frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
  

ASSEMBLY:

• Heat 2 cups of apricot jam to boiling in a small saucepan.
• Strain into a small stainless steel bowl.
• Place 1 tablespoon of glaze in center of each cake board.
• Place cake board, glaze side down on cooled cake.
• Invert cake (this will ensure a smooth surface).
• Using a pastry brush, apply a thin, smooth layer of glaze over each cake.
• Refrigerate until ready to decorate.

Fondant Preparation:

• Wearing disposable gloves, add one drop of green food coloring to one box of fondant.
• Knead in color until smooth and even.
• Dust a clean work surface with cornstarch or confectioners sugar and roll out fondant to 1/4-inch thick.
• Rotate fondant frequently to avoid sticking.
• If air bubbles appear, prick them with a straight pin or needle.
• Dust hands with cornstarch and carefully lift fondant onto largest cake.
• Smooth fondant over top and sides of cake.
• Trim off excess with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
• Knead trimmings together and wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to use later.
• Using a clean pair of gloves, color 1 cup of fondant as before using pink food coloring.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside.
• With clean gloves, color remaining fondant as before with yellow food coloring.
• Cover smaller cake with yellow frosting, wrapping any trimmings in plastic wrap.
• Place yellow box on top of green box, at an angle.
• Roll out remaining 1 cup pink fondant and any remaining scraps from green and yellow fondant.
• Use cookie cutters to cut out star, moon, heart, and round shapes.
• If cookie cutters stick in fondant, dust with cornstarch.
• Use gum arabic to glue decorations to cake.
• Apply ribbons and bows.
• Store for up to 2 days at cool room temperature.