Carving and decorating a cake to look like a realistic looking makeup bag is a difficult task. This actually can be accomplished by a novice or intermediate baker -- it doesn't need to be left to the professionals. There are not any special novelty-shaped pans or decorating tools that are mandatory. However, a suggestion would be to to stroll through the candy aisle or cake decorating section of a big-box store (i.e. Wal-Mart, Target, KMart) to look for items for which to decorate your cake.
Instructions
1. First, bake two 8 inch or two 9 inch diameter round cakes. After cooled, cut them in half. You now have four half circle shaped cakes.
2. Spread 1/4 cup of icing on top of one of the cakes and place another cake on top of it. Continue to alternate layers of icing and cake until all four of the cakes are stacked together.
3. Place the cake on a cake board with the cut edge of the cake facing down. This creates the shape of a makeup bag with a flat bottom and curved top.
4. Cover the top and sides of the cake with icing. You can stir in a few drops of food coloring to tint the icing to your desired color.
5. Roll a piece of fondant -- which is commonly used to decorate wedding cakes -- between your hands to form a tube approximately 1/4 inch in diameter and 15 inches long. Repeat this process to create a second tube.
6. Press the fondant tubes onto the cake along the curved edges. This will pipe icing into a decoration for your makeup bag cake. If the fondant does not stick to the cake, you can moisten it slightly with water.
7. Roll another piece of fondant into a 5 inch long tube with a 1/4 inch diameter. Flatten this tube slightly with your fingers and place it in the center of the cake's curved top. This is the zipper for your makeup bag cake.
8. Drag a knife lengthwise along the center of the zipper to score the fondant. Then use the knife to make small marks on either side of the first line. This will give your zipper a realistic appearance.
