Butterfly Cake

My second fondant cake!
My dear friend's daughter Sophie is turning three years old. I didn't even think twice to offer Cristina to make her daughter's Birthday cake. The theme was pink and since she loves butterflies I thought straight away that i'd use fondant since i've been wanting to experiment with it more. I googled cake photos and tutorials and figured i could make a beautiful sweet cake with butterflies.

Stage one:
After reading some magazines and books I decide to try to use marzipan before covering my cake with fondant, just to get a nicer smoother finishing. Really worked the cake came so smooth that didn't even look like a cake. But confess that I will never use marzipan again. First I tough was very hard to rolled it, the amount of oil that releases almost made me change my mind about finishing the cake, but was too early to give up. Took me almost 2 hours to cover the whole cake.

Stage two:
I moist the surface of marzipan to add the rolled fondant, at least with the marzipan was easier to add the fondant, without braking or lumps.
When I finished I start to make all the details to decorate the cake, I made about 12 pink butterflies and 10 little flowers, also I need to make a bowl but I have no idea how do to one, so thank's to youtube videos was possible to learn how to make a beautiful one.

After everything dry, I took another 3 hours to decorate te cake, also add lot's of edible pearls, that gives such a beautiful touch to the cake.

Finally after 2 days of work, about 14 hours I finished the cake. I hate my handwriting so ask my husband Jai to do it.

Those who are familiar with my work will know I love to be creative, and to break away from the convention and try something new.

Valentine's day was coming up so I didn't think twice to create a cake with little hearts, but like I said I want to break away from my whipped cream cakes and try something different, why not fondant? I always heard so much about it, but was never brave enough to try. I new this is the perfect moment because fondant it's so time consuming and I wasn't working at that time.

After I went to Michael's and spent way more than I expected, including 1 book how to rolled fondant. I was ready to start.

Stage one:
I bake 2 small loaf cakes and because was just the first one, didn't care much for the filling so just put some butter cream and use the same to cover it. After spending a long time trying to make really smooth (or it will show the lumps when you add the fondant) I kept in the fridge for at least 30 min. I Confess that I didn't like this part very much, MESSY!

Stage two:
I Roll out the fondant, a little tricky the first time, but at the same time so much fun. It's like play doh, reminds me when I was a kid.
When I finish covering the cake with the white fondant I dye a small piece of it pink and cut hearts shape to attach to the cake using a layer of frosting as the 'glue' to hold it in place. Like my first cake wasn't perfect I use the little hearts to cover all the imperfections in it. I love that idea because really works.