Whoo's Your Favourite Owl Cake?

INSTRUCTIONS

Head

1. Make head 2 days in advance. 
2. Tint 16 oz. of fondant medium teal, 2 oz. dark teal, 2 oz. light teal, 1 oz. black and 1 oz. orange. 
3. Reserve a 1 in. ball of white. 
4. Use 9 in. fondant roller to roll out teal fondant 1/4 in. thick. 
5. Use pattern and knife to cut head. 
6. Place piece on cornstarch-dusted cake board. Let dry, at least 24 hours.

Ears

1. Make ears also 2 days in advance. 
2. Knead 1/4 teaspoon Gum-Tex into 1 oz. medium fondant. 
3. Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out fondant 1/8 in. thick.
4. Use ear pattern and knife to cut out two ears; reverse pattern for second ear. 
5. Place pieces on cornstarch-dusted cake board. 
6. Let dry, at least 24 hours.

Belly & Eyes

1. Make belly and eyes also 2 days in advance. 
2. Use 9 in. fondant roller with purple guide rings to roll out light teal and dark teal fondant, separately, 1/8 in. thick. 
3. Use knife and pattern to cut out light teal belly.
4. Use wide end of tip 12 to mark scallop feathers in belly. 
5. Use straight side of B round cut-out to cut two dark teal eyes. 
6. Use spatula to mark lines in eyes. 
7. Place pieces on cornstarch-dusted cake board. 
8. Let dry, at least 24 hours.

Beak, Pupils & Eyes

1. Make beak, pupils and eye highlights also 2 days in advance.
2. Use 9 in. fondant roller with pink guide rings to roll out orange, black and white fondant, separately, 1/16 in. thick. 
3. Use knife and ear pattern to cut out orange beak (you will use the 90° corner for point of beak). 
4. Use straight side of E round cut-out to cut black pupils. 
5. Use narrow end of tip 12 to cut white eye highlights. 
6. Place pieces on cornstarch-dusted cake board. 
7. Let dry, at least 24 hours.

Cake

1. Make cake. Prepare batter following recipe directions. Bake and cool 1-layer cake, 2 in. high.
2. Cover cake with fondant. Prepare buttercream icing following recipe directions. 
3. Use spatula and icing to ice cake lightly. 
4. Cover cake with medium teal fondant.
5. Decorate cake. Use tip 3, cut disposable decorating bag and icing to attach belly, head, eyes, pupils, eye highlights and beak to cake.
6. Use knife to trim beak to fit between eyes.
7. Use scissors to trim lollipop sticks to 3 in. 
8. Insert sticks into top corners of cake, extending 1 in. to hold ears. 
9. Prepare thinned fondant adhesive following recipe directions. 
10. Use cut disposable decorating bag and thinned fondant adhesive to attach ears to lollipop sticks.

Buttercream Icing

1. In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. 
2. Beat in vanilla.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. 
4. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry.
5. Gradually add milk; beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
6. For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.
7. For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Recipe courtesy of our friends at Wilton.