Carousel Cakes

• The carousel cake has been around for some time, but its format lends itself to various interpretations that cater to either the recipient's tastes or the decorator's skill. The carousel animals can be either horses or something more exotic, such as circus animals. The canopy can be elaborate or made from simple cardstock in alternating colors.
  
  Carousel animals can be cookie-shaped animals or small plastic figurines depending on the type of animal you want to feature. Top off the carousel with its canopy. The easiest way to assemble the canopy is by using cardstock. Using an 8½ x11 inch sheet of cardstock, cut out a circle that is 7 inches in diameter. Once the circle is cut, you can decorate it by covering it with colored tissue paper or printed scrapbook paper.
  
  

Game Board Cakes

• Games such as Monopoly, Life and Candy Land have become staples of everyday life. Board games evoke a feeling of fun and childhood memories.
  
  To make a board game cake, you must first decide which board game you want to emulate. Once you have decided, you'll need to assemble the decorating items needed to complete the cake.
  
  The cake itself should be a basic sheet cake. Size can vary. Prepare the cake with a white buttercream frosting. Once the cake is frosted, it's time to assemble the actual board game. For instance, if you are re-creating Candy Land, the pathway blocks of the game can be made of flattened, pre-colored fondant in various colors. Flatten the fondant with a rolling pin, then cut uniform squares from each color. Alternate the colors as you begin to piece together your winding game path. The board can be further decorated with gumdrops and even game pieces from the game itself.
  
  

Movie-Inspired Cakes

• Most everyone has a favorite movie, and many professional cake decorators offer a number of movie-themed cakes in their decorating catalog. With the availability of not only small action figures based on a variety of movies, but also cake decorating figures that are available with popular film releases, it's easy to find a way to re-create many films on cake.
  
  In the event that the recipient's favorite movie is one that is more obscure, cake toppers can be made with an inkjet printer and cardstock or shrink plastic. Be sure to purchase shrink plastic made for inkjet printing. By following the instructions included with the shrink plastic, you'll be able to create any film character by finding a photo of the character online and preparing the photo in a photo-editing program.
  
  

Photo Cakes

• Many professional cake decorators now offer photo cakes that allow customers to place photos right on top of the cake that can be eaten just as if they are part of the cake.
  
  While it might be more efficient to employ a professional bakery to do this job, some bakeries are bound by what they can and cannot print on the cake. In this event, you may opt to create the photo cake yourself.
  
  Luckily, edible paper and edible inks can be purchased online. With the use of either a Canon or Epson inkjet printer, edible paper and inks by KopyKake can be used to create your own edible photos at home.