Here are a few ideas that will allow maybe the busiest moms to bake an ideal birthday cake for their child.

-Start with a shaped character pan. They generally have very detailed and easy-to-follow directions. You may also buy them fairly cheaply (check out eBay for affordable used and retired pans).
-Use pre-made and pre-colored fondant. My personal favorite is Satin Ice since it features a nice vanilla flavor; unlike some other pre-made fondants, and you may have it in a number of different colors. You may also flavor fondant with candy flavoring.
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