How to make a Shoe Box Cake

Supplies

I quarter sheet cake (9x13), cut in half, filled and stacked
Non-crusting buttercream, or thick ganache

Fondant

Roller

Ruler – with good straightedge
Pme cutter, or pizza cutter
White chocolate, colored to match fondant
Use milk chocolate if your box is brown
spatula

White Gumpaste

Edible markers and/or luster dust

Intructions:
Roll out fondant for box lid the night before you want to decorate the cake. This allows the fondant to stiffen and makes it easier to handle.

If you want a contrasting box and lid, then cover the cake in one color for the box,
and Roll and cut the lid in a different color.

Roll out rectangles 1/2" larger than the measurements to insure against mistakes. The 10 & 7" strips are the sides of the box lid. The thinner you can roll out the sides of lid the better.

Roll out white gumpaste in a small rectangle for the barcode, diamond shape for the box label. If you want, you can also cut out lettering for the top of the shoebox. Allow to dry. Using an edible marker and straightedge, draw a barcode and a label. You can also paint your lettering with luster dust.

To Assemble:

Take stacked and filled cake, and crumb coat with buttercream or ganache. Cover cake with fondant and trim flush with the bottom. Smooth and make your corners as sharp as possible. I use the straight edges of my fondant smoothers together at a 90 degree angle and crimp my corners.

When finished, remeasure lid sides to fit over fondant box place the sides of the lid on the top side of your cake. Attach with melted chocolate. Remeasure and recut top of lid to fit perfectly. Lay on top and run bead of chocolate over seams and corners, the smooth with spatula.

Once complete you can attach labels, barcodes or lettering to the box.

Note-
Because Buttercream or ganache will eventually soften the fondant, Place in refrigerator until ready for delivery to prevent sagging sides.

The original idea to incorporate the Birthday and Name into the barcode was the clever genious of Nati Leelavetchabutr. I was so thrilled when she gave her permission for me to use on this birthday cake! Thank you Nati!

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Photos and Tutorial by Jacque Benson 2007 -all rights reserved.
The tutorial or patterns cannot be reproduced for commercial purposes without
permission from the author.