I created this cake for my son’s turtle themed second birthday.  I used buttercream frosting for the main cake and then used fondant to define the turtle’s shell.  I also used fondant to create a cute party hat for the turtle.  The clown on the front right foot is a personal accessory that was used on my first birthday cake and that my family has used ever since, so you may see it on a few cakes!  I could have easily used fondant on the entire cake, but I feel that if you don’t need fondant there is really no reason to use it.  Here I felt that the naturalness of frosting was preferable to a more polished fondant look.

Cake Dimensions:  (2) 8-in round (carved) additional for head and feet
Serving Size:  32 sensible servings (finished cake)
Type: vanilla buttercream with fondant accents
Event Location:  McLean, VA