An oven preheated to 350 F (177 C) Large and small bowl Hand mixer Sifter 3 rectangular cake pans, 7 by 11 inches (18 by 28 cm) each, greased 3 wire cooling racks
You can use a stand mixer if you don’t have a hand mixer, or a whisk.
It’s always a good idea to crack eggs into a separate bowl first, because that way pieces of shell don’t get lost in your batter.
To make your own self-rising flour, add 1½ teaspoons (6 g) of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon (1. 5 g) of salt per cup of all-purpose flour. [1] X Research source
Overmixing the batter will develop the gluten in the flour, and this will result in a cake that’s tough and dense.
If you only have one rectangular cake pan, cook the three cakes in separate batches. You can also use 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) cake pans if that’s the size you have. The cake will be slightly larger and a little shorter.
While you’re waiting for the cakes to cool, you can make your frosting and fondant. If you try to frost the cake when it’s still hot, the frosting will melt.
You can also use a proper double boiler if you have one. Make sure the water isn’t touching the bottom of the glass bowl. If an inch of water is too much, pour out some water, otherwise the marshmallows may burn.
The candy melts will make the fondant firmer and more elastic, and will prevent it from drying out too quickly.
When you’re first mixing the sugar and marshmallows, you can use a stand or hand mixer fitted with a dough hook instead of stirring it by hand.
Let the dough rest for as long as possible, ideally overnight.
Cut the fondant in half and set one half aside for the yellow body. Divide the other half of the dough into three equal portions. Set two of those aside for the brown and white accents. With the remaining portion of dough, divide that in half again. This will be for the red and blue accents.
Repeat with the smaller sections of dough and the remaining colors, adding food coloring in five-drop increments. Be sure to wipe down the counter between colors to avoid cross-contamination. For the white portion of dough, simply leave it the color of the original fondant.
Finally, add the vanilla and beat for one more minute. [6] X Research source
Add five drops of black food coloring to the small portion of frosting, and beat to distribute the color. Add more color as necessary to achieve a black frosting.
Spread a layer of frosting on top of the second cake. Place the third cake on top of the second cake.
Place the cake into the fridge and let the frosting rest for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the cake from the fridge and orient it so the rectangle is lengthwise (vertical) in front of you on your work surface.
Carefully pick up the fondant and lay it over the top three-quarters of the cake. Starting at the center of the cake, gently press the fondant down, molding it to the top and sides of the cake. When you get to the base of the cake, use a pizza cutter to trim off the excess. Then press the edges of the fondant into the base of the cake. Set the remaining yellow fondant aside for the nose and cheeks.
Pick up the fondant and lay it over the bottom 2 inches (5 cm) of the cake. Gently press the fondant down, molding it to the top and sides of the cake. Trim the excess from around the base and set it aside.
Lay the white strip onto the cake in between the brown and yellow fondant. Don’t worry if the white overlaps the yellow. Press the white fondant down into the cake gently, and press it into either side of the cake. Trim off the excess and set it aside.
Make the impressions about a half-inch (1. 3 cm) deep into the fondant.
Place one blue circle into the center of each white circle, and press the blue down gently to secure it in place. Position the eyes about 1. 5 inches (3. 8 cm) from the top of the cake. Place them on top of the yellow fondant, side by side in the center of the cake. To make the pupil, place a pea-sized dab of black icing at the center of each blue circle.
To make the cheeks, place a ball of yellow fondant at the bottom outer corner of each eye.
To make the teeth, slide two candy-coated chewing gums into the slit that you made for the mouth. Position the candy-coated chewing gums near the center of the mouth, about 0. 5 inches (1. 3 cm) apart.
Cut off any excess from the top so the tie doesn’t overhang the white fondant.
You can also use the black frosting to create additional features, including the belt and the collar. To make the collar, pipe one upside down triangle on either side of the tie.
