Fondant Fancies

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Step 1

Heat oven to 325F.

Step 2

For the sponge, beat one cup of butter, granulated sugar, eggs, flour, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Tip the mixture into an 8 inch square, deep cake pan, greased, and tap lightly to level out. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Chill the sponge in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Step 3

For the buttercream, beat the remaining butter, 1 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Place a scant 1/2 cup of the buttercream in the medium piping bag and refrigerate to firm up slightly. Reserve the remaining buttercream in the bowl.

Step 4

Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar to an 8 inch square. Remote the chilled cake from the fridge and brush the top with the apricot jam, then place the marzipan on top.

Step 5

Cut the cake into 16 equal squares (each about 1 3/4 inches square). Using the buttercream in the bowl, cover the four sides of each square with the buttercream (don't spread it over the marzipan top of the base). Then, using the buttercream in the piping bag, pipe a blob in the center of the marzipan on top of each square. Let the cakes set in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 6

For the icing and decoration, cut the fondant icing into small cubes. Place the cubes in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the fondant on low speed until it starts to break own, adding a splash of water if it's too hard. Very slowly add 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water until the fondant becomes smooth and pourable.

Step 7

Divide the pourable fondant into two owls. Color one bowl pale yellow an the other pale pink. Be careful not to add too much coloring at once.

Step 8

Tip the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and add enough lemon juice to form smooth icing of dropping consistency. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a writing nozzle.

Step 9

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally. Once melted, pour the chocolate into another piping bag fitted with a writing nozzle.

Step 10

Take the cakes out of the fridge and place them on a wide rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the yellow fondant over eight of the cakes and the pink over the remaining eight.

Step 11

Let the fondant set for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature, then using the piping bags, pipe the melted chocolate diagonally backward and forward over the yellow cakes and the white icing over the pink cakes. Let set for 2-3 hours on the wire rack before serving.

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