How it all began...

I got this crazy idea in my head a few months prior to my daughters first birthday that I could make a really cool cake.  I checked out several books from the local library and began studying.  I convinced a friend of mine in August that we could do a practice cake for her son's birthday.  This was our final product.  Our first attempt at decorating a cake.

I watched this you tube video probably a dozen times prior to making a batch of marshmallow fondant (covers the main portion of the cake).  The polar bears and ribbon were made using Wilton Rolled Fondant.  Looking back, I see a lot of mistakes (let's be honest, I probably saw a lot of mistakes even then - rather critical of my own work), but not bad for our first shot! 

I learn a lot from each cake that I do.  This one taught me that 1) marshmallow fondant is okay, but I prefer the texture of the purchased stuff.  I also learned that it doesn't take color as well.  2) You cannot paint gel food color directly onto fondant.  It must be mixed with something with high alcohol content (vodka, lemon extract, etc.) or it will never dry.  3) If you don't square up the edges of the cake before putting fondant on, all of those imperfections show right through.  It doesn't magically fix itself, huh?  4)  Chocolate cake shows through the white fondant.  More butter cream between the cake and fondant, or a thicker layer of fondant would have helped this.  5)  Pure butter cream is not the best option in the middle of MN summer heat.  6)  Fondant sweats if refrigerated. 

Finally, every time I make a cake I will expect my kitchen will look like a tornado has just passed through.  This has improved some...but not much.

 

So, how did we do it?

Cut strips of fondant and make loops (next time I'd cut the part where to two ends come together to make a triangle-so they fit together better).  Form bears.  Let sit at least overnight.

Fill and crumb coat with butter cream.  Roll out fondant and cover cake.  Use leftover blue to cut strips to cover cake.

Place blob of butter cream in center (a ball of fondant would work too) and layer loops.

Add bears.

We cut out these letters and painted them with water and sprinkled with course sugar.

Serve to friends!