Video:Alphabet Blocks Shower Cake

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Transcript:Alphabet Blocks Shower Cake

Hi, I'm Elizabeth LaBau with About.com. Today I'm going to show you how to make an alphabet block cake for a baby shower.

Alphabet Block Shower Cake Ingredients

To make this cake, you will need:

• Cake covered in buttercream or fondant
• 9 x 13 pan of rice crispy treats
• 1 cup white frosting
• About 1/2 pound of fondant
• Food coloring of your choice
• Small cutters in the form of letters and shapes
• Small paintbrush
• Rolling pin

Make Blocks From Rice Crispy Treats

First we'll form the blocks out of rice crispies. Cut the pan of rice crispies in half widthwise, then spread a thin layer of frosting over half the pan. Press the other half on top so that it sticks. Cut the layered treats into long strips, and then cut the strips into squares so you're left with square blocks. The exact size depends on the size of your cake and your preference.

Cover Alphabet Blocks With Fondant

Now we're going to cover our blocks in fondant. Roll out a small ball of fondant until it is large enough to cover all the sides of your block. Spread a thin layer of frosting over all but the bottom of a rice crispy block. This is just to give the fondant something to stick to. Drape the fondant over the block and begin to gently press it to the sides. Notice that I'm not really pulling it so much as sort of smoothing it down and away, so that it doesn't get creases or cracks. This is why I like to use rice crispy treats for the blocks—you can manhandle them and they always keep their shape. Once the fondant is sticking to the block nicely, trim off the excess at the bottom with a paring knife or kitchen shears, and press it under the block so the edges are clean.

Color Rest of Fondant for Baby Shower Cake

Once you've covered all the blocks you need, color the rest of the fondant in your chosen colors. To color fondant, it's easiest if you press your fondant into a disc and put several drops of food coloring in the middle, then fold it over itself and knead it together until the color is even. If it gets sticky, dust your hands with a little powdered sugar. Roll the fondant out thin, and cut thin strips out of each of the colors you'll be using. Measure the length of each side of one of the blocks and break the fondant strips approximately those lengths. Arrange the lengths into a square so that the corners overlap, and use a paring knife to trim each corner at an angle. Now you have four fondant strips that should form a perfect box around one side of your blocks. Paint the edge of the block with water, and press them around the edges. Fondant is forgiving, so you can stretch or compact it a little to get it to fit. Once you've finished one side, repeat with all the other sides until all of your blocks have a cute fondant border around each side.

Decorate Baby Shower Cake With Remaining Fondant

Roll the remaining fondant out, and use your letter cutters to cut out the letters you'll be using. You can also cut out small shapes to go on the other sides of the blocks, or on the cake itself. Use water to glue the letters and shapes inside the fondant borders on the blocks. I like to use letters to spell out a message on the front of the blocks, and put shapes on the sides. After all the decorations are affixed, place the blocks on the cake. You can glue them on with water or buttercream, or if you're not going to be moving it, just put them on top. If you have extra letters or shapes, you can glue those on the cake as well to add extra color. This cute cake adds color and style to any baby shower.

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