Butterflies for my beautiful Daughter

Butterflies!

My daughter has been telling me for months that she wants a butterfly birthday, with a butterfly cake and STAR candles. She has been telling me all of this for at least 3 months. So oh course it was important that I make her just what she was asking for on her special day!

I first made the butterflies wings out of store bought gum paste. I colored it to make different colors and left them on a cook sheet so they would be hard by the time I needed them on the cake. I made these on Wednesday.

 

I also baked to cakes on Wednesday. I over fill my pans so that I can cut to top off and get a nice flat surface using the cake pan as a guide.

 

Then I wrap them really well while they are still slightly warm. ( this keeps the moisture in the cake!) and then freeze them.

 

The ingredients for the butter cream + vanilla, I forgot that for the picture!

Once the cake was frozen (I did this the next day on Thursday) I put butter cream in between the layers and all over the sides to prepare it for the fondant. I also put 3 pieces of tin foil inter the cake in a triangular shape. Once I am done frosting the cake I remove the tin foil to have nice clean edges.

 

This is what we used for the Fondant

I flatten it out some and then roll it to the size I need. I use the silicone rolling mat so that I can flip it on to the cake with out have to handle it. It also helps keep it from sticking to surfaces like the counter. I still put shortening on to the surface of the mat.

Then smooth and trim the fondant as needed. Sometimes I get a seem in the back but I just try and hide it with decoration.

Repeat everything for the top layer!

When I pipe I just use zip lock bags. I like the way they handle better than a pastry bag.

I  made grass!

To add the butterflies I just made a cut into the fondant and slipped the butterfly wing in. I did have to use tooth picks on a couple to keep them in place. Then I piped a yellow body and added some yellow flowers and her name!