Serves 40 to 50

Special Equipment and Ingredients:
Three round cake pans with 3-inch-high sides (one 10-inch, one 7-inch and one 5-inch); three cardboard cake rounds (one 10-inch, one 7-inch and one 5-inch); three boxes (24 ounces each) ready-to-use pure white rolled Wilton® fondant; silver dragees; four 12 3/8-inch-long, 3/8-inch-diameter plastic dowel rods; small ornate faux rhinestone crown or tiara (optional), available at beauty supply stores

Prep time: 1 hour Baking time: 1 1/2 hours Cooling time: 1 hour Decorating time: 1 1/2 hours

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour cake pans. Combine 2 cake mixes, 2 2/3 cups water, 6 egg whites, and 1/4 cup oil in large bowl. Beat for 3 minutes, or until well blended. Transfer all but 1 cup of batter to 10-inch pan. Spoon reserved 1 cup of batter into 7-inch pan. Combine 1 cake mix, 1 1/3 cups water, 3 egg whites, and 2 tablespoons oil in same bowl. Beat for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Spoon 2 cups of batter into 5-inch pan; spoon remaining batter into 7-inch pan. Bake 10-inch cake for 1 1/2 hours, 7-inch cake for 55 minutes, and 5-inch cake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on cooling racks for 30 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks; cool completely.

For the filling:
Cut cakes horizontally in half. Spoon 1 tablespoon of jam into center of each cardboard round. Place 10-inch cake top, cut side up, on 10-inch cardboard; spread 3/4 cup of jam over. Top with 10-inch cake bottom, cut side down. Repeat with remaining cakes and cardboard rounds, spreading 1/3 cup of jam between 7-inch cake layers and 3 tablespoons of jam between 5-inch cake layers. Spread frosting over cakes. Refrigerate until ready to decorate.

For the Fondant:
Sprinkle work surface and rolling pin with confectioners/ powdered sugar. Knead 1 box of fondant until soft. Roll out fondant into 16-inch-diameter round that is 1/4 inch thick, rotating to prevent sticking. Pierce bubbles that appear in fondant. Slide hands under fondant and drape over 10-inch cake; smooth over surface. Trim excess fondant from around base of cake. Brush off excess confectioners/powdered sugar. Knead second box of fondant until soft. Divide fondant in half, making 1 piece slightly larger. Follow above instructions to cover remaining cakes, rolling out larger fondant piece into 14-inch-round for 7-inch cake and smaller fondant piece into 13-inch-round for 5-inch cake. Roll out fondant from third box into three ropes long enough to fit around cake perimeters.

To Assemble:
Cut dowel rods crosswise into nine 3-inch-long pieces. Place 10-inch cake on platter. Press 4 cut rods into cake, positioning about 3 1/2 inches in from edge and spacing evenly. Press 1 rod into center. Place 7-inch cake on work surface. Press 3 cut rods into cake, positioning 3 inches in from edge and spacing evenly. Press 1 cut rod into center. Place 7-inch cake on cardboard atop rods in 10-inch cake. Place 5-inch cake on cardboard atop rods in 7-inch cake. Drape ropes around cake bases; press silver dragees decoratively into ropes. Place crown or tiara decoration atop cake (optional).