Sweet Sixteen Cake

My Baby turned 16 last week and we planned a party to mark the event.  I have made decorated cakes for years and I was really looking forward to making this cake for her.  I encouraged her to go with a theme or colors, so we picked out white, pink and black.  This really worked out well, because we already had some things that could be used at the party. 

I made the cake the day before and froze it.  I learned over the years that a frozen cake tastes great, but while it is frozen, you can handle it without fear of it crumbling and breaking apart.

I gathered everything together for the cake when I was ready to get started.  This was going to be the 4th cake I made with fondant.  When I started making cakes years ago, I only used a decorator icing.

The first thing I did was tint some of the fondant pink. I wanted to make the 16 in pink and I needed to give it time to firm up.  This isn't the finished 16, but you get the idea.  I used wax paper so I wouldn't get the coloring on my granite counter tops (Baltic Brown).

I made my icing next.

I love this icing for decorating.  I have been using it for a long time and can tell if it needs more water or powdered sugar just by pulling my spatula through it....

that's how long I've been using it.

The frosting takes the tint well.  I use gel coloring.  It will dry a little darker than it is when you first make it.  It freezes well, too.

I rolled out the fondant and put it on the 8 inch double layer cake.  I had iced the cake with the icing before I tinted it.  I didn't ice it too heavy on the top or sides as I didn't want it to be too thick under the fondant where it might make the surface appear uneven.

I placed three dowels in for the support of the top layer-a 6 inch cake.

I smoothed everything out and then I added the top layer. 

 Then, the fun began!!

I had never tried this product, but when I saw it at Michaels, I knew I wanted to try it.  Can you say fun and wonderful???  I love these Sugar Sheets.  There is one in the package and you can cut it with scissors, a knife or some tools that you will find in your local store with this product.  I LOVED using it!  I cut out shapes to make the cake look like a zebra.  The sugar is very easy to cut and then you dampen the back and stick it on the cake.  It tastes pretty good, too.

I got my tips ready and piped some borders.  I like using tip number 32 for this.

I put the finished cake on top of a chippy, white column piece

 that I got from my great aunt's home.  I love to use it on my table.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

Check out the Sweet 16 Cookies I made here: Sweet 16 Cookies

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Linking up with :  Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Funky Junk Interiors

SWEET 16 COOKIES

My baby turned 16 today.  My how the years have flown by!  I know everyone says that and I agree with them.  To celebrate the day, I decided to make a batch of cookies and use a cookie press to form them.  My daughter had asked me last week if cookies could be made like cheese straws.  The answer is yes. 

To make the cookies, I used an easy cookie recipe that I had used years before.  When my daughter asked the question last week, I immediately thought of this simple recipe:

Spritz Cookies

1 cup of butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

2 1/2 cup flour

Cream butter and sugar and then add eggs and flavoring.  Mix well.  Add flour and mix well between additions.  Dough will be a little sticky-but that's fine! Spoon dough into a cookie press and press onto a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 6 minutes.  Cookies will not be brown.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool on a rack.  Makes 3 dozen.

                                                                        Happy Birthday, Baby!

I'm linking up with TIDY MOM and I'M LOVING IT! FRIDAYS!