Cakes and Giveaways!

This is Mallory.
Mallory is a good friend in my neighborhood.
Not only is Mallory GORGEOUS, but she's also super creative.
But I've managed to get past my jealousy so I can share some of her talents with you. In pictures and with a GIVEAWAY! (Details at the end of this post.)

One of the things Mallory makes is cakes.
Impressive fondant cakes.
You can check out all her creations here on her blog.
Here's a little taste.
(Click on any of the pictures in this post to make them bigger.)

I've always wanted to know how fondant cakes are made, so Mallory showed me.
This is not a tutorial, because there's no way I can remember everything she did.
Rather, it's a glimpse into the magical world of cake-making.
And it's supposed to make you drool, then order one of Mallory's super-amazing, super-inexpensive cakes.
Mallory charges next to nothing for her cakes because it's like therapy for her. She loves it.

First things first, did you know the fondant is made from marshmallows?
I didn't until this moment.
But it totally makes sense.
Now that I think about it, it does taste like marshmallows.

I should rephrase that.
Fondant is made from marshmellows and LOTS and LOTS of powdered sugar.

When you keep adding sugar, eventually the white blob turns into a white play-doh-like ball.

Did you know fondant cakes are make with more than one kind of icing?
Here Mallory is making a sugar icing.
It works as a glue to hold the cake all together.

Then Mallory gets out her trusty little cutting tool to cut the cake.
(She made the cake the day before and froze it.)
Pretty cool gadget, eh?

The cake Mallory is making is for a missionary farewell party.
The missionary was called to Omaha, Nebraska, so Mallory cut the cake into the shape of Nebraska.

This is me eating the scraps from cake.
Holy cow was it delicious!
Quite possibly the best cake I've ever eaten.
It was lemon and white chocolate flavored.

Next Mallory fills the cake with pudding, adds the top layer, and ices it all over.

Then she gets the ball of fondant out again (it was in the fridge), rolls it out, and places it over the cake.

After cutting off the excess fondant, Mallory gets out another cool gadget.
I call this one the "smooth operator" because it smooths the icing all over.

With the fondant scraps, Mallory balls it up again and adds brown food coloring.
She is making a belt for the cake.

Yellow food coloring for the belt buckle.

Here Mallory is making Rice Krispy treats.
This is one of her little secrets.
For specific shapes on top of her cakes, Rice Krispy treats work really well because she can cut it into what ever she wants and it will hold its shape.
Today she is making a tie.

She covers the tie with blue and red fondant.

Mallory adds the tie to the cake. Adds a pocket and a missionary tag...

And viola!
A fondant cake in the shake of Nebraska (with a star over Omaha).
The cake is also a shirt with a tie!
Perfect for a missionary!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Mallory doesn't just make cakes, she's also amazing at making truffles!
Need proof? Okay!
One lucky reader will win a batch of her delicious truffles.
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.
Want a second entry?
Follow my blog publicly and tell me in a second comment that you are doing so.
I know this is a cheap way for me to get more followers, but whatevs.
It's my blog and I can do what I want!

What? You don't live in Utah County or Salt Lake County?
You can still enter!
If you win, I'll throw a party with your truffles, then e-mail you pictures of us eating them.
It'll be like you were there too!

Make sure you leave your e-mail in your comment so I can contact you if you win.
The winner will be expected to come and pick up his/her prize.
Trust me, they're well worth the drive!

The giveaway ends this Sunday (March 14) at 10 p.m.
Plenty of time to enter the giveaway and tell all your friends to enter!

Good Luck!