Anush's 2nd Birthday Cake - Barney and Friends Fondant Cake (My First Fondant Cake)

OMG! Did I make this cake?? This thought comes to me always when I see this cake picture. I love to bake and this idea came to me, when I wanted to order a big cake for Anush's b'dy. I tried so many bakeries, but they were either costly or didn't do want I wanted. I actually wanted to make everything edible, but the bakeries said they would only keep toys or if they do also, it would be very expensive.

By then, I started to think about taking baking classes at Michael store, when I found about the course, I came to know that there were 4 individual courses and each course teaches you different techniques and to learn about fondant cake will be only in my 3rd course, the worst part was no one was teaching the 3rd course at that time.

So I decided to do it myself and learn it from google and youtube videos. It was quite challenging and didn't have time to practice too.

I got this fondant and first took pictures of Barney and Friends and decided on what colors I will be needing. Then mixed the colors and stored it and started to make the shapes slowly. It took me a week to finish off making the edible Barney and friends. It took me so long because, Anush was young and he would not let me do it during the day time, so I used to spend time after he sleeps in the night and did these like edible fondant Barney and Friends.

A day before the party of his b'dy, i.e., on my b'dy the 28th Sep I decided to bake the cake, and do the fondant decoration in the night again after he sleeps, instead of enjoying and celebrating my b'dy. Whatever, I was kinda happy and at the same time tensed. 

I baked two big rectangular cakes, the base being the chocolate cake and layered it with french vanilla cake and butter cream icing, then bakes a big round marble cake. Made a thing layer of butter cream icing all over, kept it to set for about 3-4 hrs. 

By that time, I did all the other work at home, took Anush to bed. Shoj and my friend and neighbor sat and helped with me all through the cake making. Shoj went to sleep while we were working with the fondant decoration and my friend stayed all through till 3.30 am. We were chatting, so I was not so tired.

First I struggled a lot rolling and placing the fondant on the cake, because it was breaking. Finally I managed to fix attaching little flowers on the sides.

Finally I placed the edible Barney and friends, ribbons and the number two, that was also edible.

When I saw the final cake I was so happy and delighted, but in some corner of my heart I was still tensed, because the cake has to be good until evening of the party the 29th Sep (Anush'd B'dy).

The party was awesome and to my surprise just before cutting the cake, when everyone gathered around for the cake cutting, Shoj called out loudly and he said that I made the cake, he and everyone appreciated with a big round of applause. This moment was the moment where sometimes you don't know how to react too and my joy cannot be explained in words. Anush was also very happy to cut the cake.

Everyone liked the cake and within minutes many came for second round to have the cake, at the end, most of our close friends, took some cake and I was left with no cake, which made me very very happy. 

This was the first inspiration that I got to start baking for others!