Easy Cross Cake - How-To

It's that time of year... First Communion season for the Catholics.
Given that I have two second graders, it's a time of many masses, parties and cakes.

The easiest First Communion cake I can make is this cross one. It's made by cutting a 9x13 cake into pieces, rearranging it, and covering it with icing.

I added the Chalice and the Host made out of fondant, which I painted with Wilton's Pearl Dust.

What You Need:
9x13 cake, baked and cooled (I recommend a white cake if you've never done this before... fewer crumbs)
5-6 cups Decorator's Buttercream Icing (more if you want to add filling)
Optional:
4 oz. white fondant
Clear Vanilla
Silver or Gold Pearl Dust

It is important that you level the cake before you begin cutting it in to pieces. (Because otherwise, when you try to match up the pieces, they will be different heights, and that makes icing more difficult.)
Cut the cake into three pieces:
4" x 13" (left), 4.5" x 5" (top right), 8.5" x 5" (bottom right)

Arrange the cake with the longer, skinnier piece horizontally. The smaller, wide piece is the top of the cross, and the longer, wider piece is the bottom of the cross.

Cover the cake with a thick layer of frosting.
Click the link for a tutorial on How to Cover a Cake With Icing. The tutorial will help you get fewer crumbs into your cake.

For the chocolate cross cake, I used Chocolate Ganache Icing. To add the wood texture, I used a fork, like I did with this Tree Stump Cake.

The Fondant chalice and host were made similar to how I did the accessories in this Fire Truck Cake Tutorial.

The "Host" cake like in the first picture and the one above was made with layers of white cake and Lemon Curd filling. My one guy wanted it to look just like a host, so I imprinted a little cross in it. (Note: Lemon Curd must be refrigerated, so if your husband happens to leave the cake out of the fridge overnight, you will have to remake it. Please don't ask me how I know this!)

Click the Links Below to See:
How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Homemade
How to Cover a Cake with Icing (not crumbs)
How to Level a Cake
Fondant 101

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