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1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray each cake pan and 1 of the cups from the muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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2
Coat the pans lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.
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3
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the cake mix with butter.
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4
Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix to incorporate.
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5
Slowly add the buttermilk and mix on medium for 2 minutes, until well incorporated.
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6
Fill each prepared pan and muffin cup 2/3 of the way to the top.
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7
Bake for 30 to 50 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
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8
The large cake will take closer to 50 minutes, while muffin will be closer to 15 minutes.
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9
When cool enough to handle, remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely, right side up, on a wire cooling rack.
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10
Royal icing: In a medium bowl beat together the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and lemon juice with a hand mixer or whisk, and slowly add some of the water until smooth.
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11
Continue to add water by the teaspoonful with the beaters running until the icing drops from the beaters, but holds a line when drawn in with the back of a spoon.
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12
Fill the resealable bag with royal icing and snip the corner when ready to use.
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13
To assemble: Using a clean pastry brush, lightly coat the sugar cones with piping gel.
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14
Hold the cones over a plate and sprinkle each with the pink and orange sprinkles.
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15
Make sure the cones are completely coated with nonpareils.
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Set aside to dry slightly.
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17
Using a serrated knife, level the tops of each of the square cakes and the muffin.
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18
Adhere 1 square cake to the 7-inch square cardboard cake board, and the muffin cake to the 3-inch round cardboard cake board with a dab of frosting.
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19
Put a layer of frosting on top of the square cake and put the second layer on top of that.
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20
Ice both cakes with a thin layer of frosting and put in the refrigerator to set up about 15 minutes.
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21
Ice the cakes again with a slightly thicker layer of frosting.
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22
Knead the fondant to make it more pliable.
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23
On a clean surface dusted with cornstarch roll out 3/4 of the fondant to 1/4-inch thickness.
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24
Lift with the backsides of your hands and put it over the center of the frosted square cake.
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25
Lightly dust your hands with cornstarch, and smooth the fondant down and around sides of cake.
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26
Lift the cake up and trim the excess fondant close to the cake board with kitchen shears or a paring knife.
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27
Repeat with the small muffin cake and the remaining fondant, then place center it on top of the square cake.
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28
Pipe a small bead of royal icing around the base of each sugar cone and put 1 on each corner of the square cake and 1 atop the center of the small round muffin cake.
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29
Using royal icing for 'glue' adhere the licorice candies vertically around the sides of the small round cake, close to the top of the cake, spacing them out.
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30
Take 2 pink and 1 orange licorice twists and twist them together to form 1 rainbow twist.
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31
Repeat with the remaining twists.
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32
Secure the licorice twists vertically to the 4 corner edges of the cake with royal icing and toothpicks, if needed.
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33
It should cover the edge from the bottom of the cake to the top.
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34
Cut 2 orange sour candies in 1/2 along the diagonal and put each 1/2 atop the licorice twists.
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35
Arrange 5 orange (Spree) candies in a horizontal line towards the top of 1side of the cake.
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36
This will be the front of the cake.
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37
Attach the strawberry and cherry candies in a grid pattern close to the bottom of the cake, under the line of orange candies to form a doorway.
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38
Cut the remaining orange sour candies in 1/2 on the diagonal, and glue each 1/2 on top of the doorway, pointed side up.
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39
Glue the gum vertically along the top edges of the square cake and on the top edge of the round muffin cake making sure to leave a 1/2-inch space between each.
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40
Glue the orange segment candies, flat edge down, all along the bottom edge of the square cake, but not over the door.
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41
Let the icing sit for 1 hour to dry before transferring the centerpiece to a cake pedestal.
