- 1). Grease the 12-inch and the 8-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening and then coat the shortening with flour. Follow the directions on the store-bought cake mixes. Pour the batter into the pans and bake. Once done, allow the cakes to cool for two to three hours.
- 2). Place one of the 12-inch cakes on a plastic, glass or foil-covered cake tray. Spread a moderately thick layer of buttercream icing onto the cake and place the other 12-inch cake on top. Repeat to make the two-layer 8-inch cake.
- 3). Use an icing spatula to cover the top and sides of the cake in a thin layer of buttercream icing. Roll out a sheet of sky blue fondant to a thickness of between 1/8-inch and 1/10-inch. Place the fondant on the 12-inch cake and smooth the top and sides with an icing or fondant smoother. Repeat this step to cover the two-layer 8-inch cake in fondant.
- 4). Roll out a package of green fondant to a thickness of between 1/6-inch to 1/8-inch. Use a 2-inch leaf-shaped fondant cutter to cut out approximately 50 leaves. Use a 1 ¼-inch leaf-shaped fondant cutter to cut out approximately 150 leaves. Use a fondant cutter or sharp knife to cut off ½-inch from the height of each leaf. Carve veins into the leaves with a dull knife or other dull utensil.
- 5). Moisten the backs of the 2-inch leaves with water and place 30 of them all the way around the bottom edge of the 12-inch cake and 20 of them all the way around the bottom edge of the 8-inch cake. Leave a little bit of space in between the leaves. Moisten the backs of the 150 smaller leaves with water and place them on the cake, just in front of the 2-inch leaves.
- 6). Attach animal-shaped candies onto the cakes, just above the fondant leaves. Space the candies approximately 1-inch apart.
- 7). Place three cake pillars onto the 12-inch cake. The cake pillars must be the same height as the plastic animals you purchased. Place the 8-inch cake on top of the pillars. Arrange the animal figurines in front to hide the pillars and place a single animal on top of the 8-inch cake. Surround the top animal with plastic figurine trees.
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