Beginner Golf Cake Shaped Like A Fairway

It may be easy for a busy mom to pick up a cake at the grocery store or bakery, but it isn’t always cost effective. My husband’s birthday was at the end of June and I had been wanting to learn how to make and decorate cakes for awhile.  He has been really into golf lately, so I knew I wanted to make a golf cake. I am a creative person, and all of those cake decorating shows just made me want to take the jump into cake decorating even more. Being my first cake, I think it turned out pretty good! I have since signed up for a Wilton Cake-Decorating Course and have learned tips to make my future cakes even better.

I’ll share a few tips on how I made this cake. It’s very easy, certainly any beginner can make it.

Baking the Cake
After you preheat your oven, wait ten to fifteen minutes before you even put your cake in. You want it to be nice and hot. I used two 9×13 pans and two cake mixes. I know it’s hard, but don’t open the oven door until you’re ready to test for doneness. After a toothpick comes out clean, let it cool in the pan for about ten minutes. One Wilton tip I learned is to place waxed or parchment paper over the top of the pan and flip the pan over on a baking rack. This will help get the cake out of the pan without damaging it.

Shaping the Cake
I first let both cakes cool completely and placed one on top of the other. I used a serrated knife to shape the cakes into an oblong shape. I recommend drawing this out on paper first, to help guide you. I then sandwiched the two cakes between frosting.

Frosting the Cake
For my first attempt at making a cake I used store-bought frosting. From my recent Wilton classes, I learned a lot of these frostings are too thick and will tear your cake, making a crummy mess. So if your frosting is too thick, add a little water and mix until you get a thinner consistency. Apply a thin, smooth layer of frosting all over the cakes. Cake Boss likes to call this “dirty icing” and some call it a “crumb coat”. Place in the freezer to firm, then take out and re-frost. This will create a smoother top layer.

Decorating the cake
I purchased green Wilton Icing , dark green sanding sugar, and white frosting. While the frosting was still wet, I sprinkled the sanding sugar to create the “green” and crushed Nilla Wafers to create the sand trap. Then, I piped the green frosting to create the grass effect. For the flag, I cut off a lollipop stick and shaped red fruit rollup into a flag. I used a gumball for the golf ball and a smartie for the tee.

If you would like to get some more dessert decorating ideas, visit: bakerella, Cake Journal and Oh My Sugar High!