Mouse in the cheese!

by Deborah Godfrey
(Enterprise, AL)

This is a very small cake, maybe 2-3 servings and can be made any size.
I baked a 2 layer cake and put it together {one layer on top of the other} with buttercream. I cut away cake until it was in a pie slice shape. The "holes" in the cheese I cut out with a small knife. Then I crumbcoated with buttercream and chilled in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. The cake was then iced in the buttercream and placed back in the refridgerator for about 15 minutes to crust the buttercream. I had already made the white chocolate fondant. I make large batches and keep it stored in airtight containers. {The bags with the battery operated vacumm work great}. I also make the marzipan ahead and store it in the refrigerator in the same type of airtight bags.
I colored the fondant with yellow and orange paste colors and rolled it out with cornstarch. Then I layed it over the iced cake, pressing into the "holes" and pinching at the corners. I cut the fondant on the corners from top to bottom with scissors, then smoothed the corners with a little bit of water on the tips of my fingers. The fondant was trimmed away from the base of the cake with a pizza cutter. {makes a nice clean cut} When I cut fondant at the base, I have the cake on a large cardboard so I don't ruin table or counter surfaces. I find the best place to roll out fondant is on my table. Works better than the mat I purchased.
I made the mouse out of marzipan, colored gray with black paste color. I also made a small amt of black for the nose and eyes.
The mouse body is a teardrop shape, flat on the bottom so it will stand, large part on the bottom. I put half a toothpick in the top to help hold the head which is another teardrop, only a little smaller. {I made a "glue" out of meringue powder and a few drops of water. Mix until like thickened water. Paint a small amt on top of body, then place the smaller teardrop on the toothpick, sideways. I stuck small pieces of toothpicks in the sides where the arms go to help support them. I then made the arms and glued them on. The legs are just glued in place without toothpicks as well as the tail. The eyes and nose are tiny balls of black marzipan also glued in place. {If the mouse is going to be eaten, don't use the toothpicks. If you do use the picks, be sure and tell whoever the cake is for}. Also, marzipan is made out of almonds so be sure whoever is going to eat this knows there are nuts in it. The mouse was glued to the top of the cake with the meringe mixture.