Bleeding Heart Wedding Cake (Designed ..

Cooking Instructions

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING CAKE

1. Level the cake layers and bevel the edges. Sprinkle with optional syrup for extra moistness.

2. Spread a small amount of buttercream on the 3 cardboard rounds and place a cake layer on each. Frost the tops with a generous layer of buttercream (about 3/8-inch thick) and add the second layers. There are now 3 tiers. Frost the top and sides of each tier with the thinnest possible layer of buttercream-just enough to make the fondant adhere.

3. Roll out 3/4 of the fondant 1/4-inch thick and 17 inches in diameter and cover the largest tier. Trim the bottom flush with the base of the cake and knead all the clean scraps into the remaining fondant.

4. Attach the tier to the serving board with several loops of tape. The fondant should be allowed to harden for at least 12 hours before tiering cake.

5. Cover the other 2 tiers with the remaining fondant, rolled out 1/4-inch thick (14 inches in diameter for the 9-inch tier and 11 inches in diameter for the 6-inch tier). Allow all 3 tiers to sit uncovered at least 12 hours to firm.

6. Center a 9-inch cake pan on the 12-inch tier and use a toothpick or skewer to mark a circle. Use a 6-inch cake pan as a guide to mark a circle on the 9-inch cake. Working inside the marked circle on the 12-inch tier, insert a straw straight through the cake until it reaches the cardboard bottom. Mark the place on the straw where it reaches the top of the cake. Remove the straw and cut 6 more of the same length. Insert the 6 straws at even intervals inside the marked circle. Place the final straw in the center. Repeat the procedure for the 9-inch tier, using 5 straws.

7. Using 1 or 2 large spatulas, place the 9-inch tier on top of the 12-inch tier. Carefully center the 6-inch tier on the 9-inch tier.

8. Using a number 22 star tip and white Royal Icing, pipe a shell border at the base of each tier. Save a small amount of icing to pipe blossom tips and use the rest to make the pink and green icing. Remember that the color will continue to deepen for several hours as it sits.

9. Pipe bleeding heart stems and leaves and then the blossoms.

10. Place optional monogram on top of cake.