Maybe it is because of the slew of graduation cakes I made last month but book cakes are one of my favorite cakes to make these days.  Check out some examples of graduation and baby shower book cakes I have made then, scroll down for a tutorial on how make and stack these cakes.



To make 1 book you will need...

1 covered cake board
fondant (1 batch)
buttercream icing (2 batches)
piping bags
tip # 3
cardboard cake divider (optional)
fondant ribbon cutter (optional)
gumpaste tools(optional)


To stack the books you will also need thin foam board and wooden dowels.











Directions:

Step 1

Level, tort and stack your cakes.  Then, trim the edges to get the desired size of your book.  The graduation books are the size of a 2 stacked 1/4 sheet cakes while the baby shower books are made from a 1/2 sheet cake cut into 3rds.  Two of the thirds were stacked to make 1 book.

Step 2

Ice your cake and let set in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.  Of course chilling your cake is completely optional but I have found it is much easier to fondant a cake when the icing has been given time to crust. 

Step 3

Roll out your fondant and cut to size.  Only you will know how large to cut your fondant.  Measure the height of one side and the width of the top then add 1/2 an inch (you want your fondant to hang off the edge a bit just like the cover of a hard covered book).  Add 1 inch to the width of the top of the cake for your second measurement.  I know that sounds confusing so here is an example...Lets say the book measures 4 inches tall, 10 inches wide and 12 inches long.  My cut piece of fondant will be 14 1/2 inches (4+10+1/2) X  13 inches (12+1) and will hang off the cake a 1/2 inch all the way around.

The best way to lay the fondant on your cake is to let the fondant stiffen up a bit.  Then, lay the fondant on a cardboard cake divider and ease it onto the cake as pictured.  To make the back cover, cut 1/2 inch strips and lay around the edges of the cake.  A fondant ribbon cutter (see supply list) makes this job even easier. 

Step 4



Use your buttercream icing to make the pages by piping lines across the remaining sides of the cake.  In this picture I used tip #104 but for and even more realistic look use tip #3.  You can see the difference in detail if you look at the books in the very first picture.





Step 5

Use a gumpaste tool or the back of a small decorating brush to make the details on the binding.  Finally, customize your cake with the decorating details of your choosing.

Stacking Books

If you are making a stack of books, make sure you dowel your cake.  You should also use thin foam board as opposed to card board cake dividers so the book can be supported and won't bend.  Notice in the picture below that the board my cake is sitting on is a 1/2 inch larger on 3 of the sides.  This was done to give the appearance of a back cover.  Later, the edges will be covered in fondant.

Last month my oldest son turned four and wouldn't you know, he asked for a roller coaster on his cake!  Because I am always looking to challenge myself, I was determined to make it edible.  After searching the internet for pictures, it was nearly impossible to find a cake with a gumpaste roller coaster.  The few I found I wasn't crazy about but I learned enough to create something I loved.  In the end it was the easiest part of the entire cake and I am excited to share it with you.

The cake is themed around the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb.  More specifically, the episode where the brothers build a roller coaster.  All the characters were hand made from gumpaste and the cakes are 12 and 6 inch rounds iced in buttercream with fondant details.

Give yourself about a week to let the roller coaster dry.  You may be able to get away with making it a few days earlier but I wouldn't risk it.  You will need...

clay extruder
flexible cardboard (I used a USPS shipping envelope)
tape
dowels
floral wire (20+ gauge)
cookie sheet and styrofoam
gumpaste (1lb)



















Step 1

Before you can begin working with the gumpaste you need to create a "mold" or form for your roller coaster to dry on.  This roller coaster was made in two parts and the forms were made according to the pictures below.

I used a 6 inch cake pan to make sure my roller coaster was the right size.

The powdered sugar is important.  The last thing you want is for your gumpaste to stick.

You are now ready to make the rails of your roller coaster. This is extremely easy if you have a clay extruder.  Place your gumpaste into the extruder and using the largest circle disk, press out your rails.  Don't worry if your rail is not long enough.  You can hide the seam later with a plank.  Once you have 2 rails around your cake pan, spaced 1 inch apart, you can move on to your tall piece.

* Please note:  I forgot to take a picture of the gumpaste sitting on the form but, I did not make a full circle. I left a space in the back to place the tall piece of the roller coaster. *

Dowels were taped to the cardboard for added support.  One dowel was stuck into the Styrofoam for stability.

Once the form was secured to the Styrofoam with tape, I used wire to be absolutely sure it would not come off.  The rails were made the same as before however this time I inserted a wire about 2-3 inches into each end of the rails and entirely into the Styrofoam.  The wire will give this tall piece more support when put on the cake.

**Decorator's Tip** For even more support and food safety, place drinking straws over the exposed wire before putting it on the cake.  This piece will not budge!


Step 2

Roll out your gumpaste and cut 1 inch x 1/2 inch rectangles for the beams/slats of the roller coaster.  Let them sit for a few minutes to become a little stiff then attach with water or gum glue (a mixture of gumpaste melted in water).  Make sure you cover any seams in your rails.

Store in a cool dry place and after a week it should be stiff enough to place on your cake.



Here is another view for you to reference.  I was nervous about this roller coaster and a little over booked with cakes so mine actually sat for 3 weeks!  My husband swore it would fall apart but it did not budge and was completely hard.