Did you always dream of becoming the next Cake Boss? Or glare at the TV wondering how on earth these chefs make their cakes look so good? The answer is fondant. And by following a few simple steps, your dream could become a reality. My sister, Virge, who has recently become a cake-decorating enthusiast, taught me how to decorate a fabulous fondant cake.

The first step is to bake a cake. Virge decided to bake a series of miniature banana chocolate chip loafs. Then, basically, you go nuts decorating with fondant, following the advice below. Ready? Here goes!

Zoe McKinnell just graduated from Brown University and is busy trying out new recipes with her free time.

**Recipe**

Banana Chocolate Chip Loaf

Adapted from Rachel Ray
Makes approximately 4 mini loafs or 1 large loaf

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 bananas, mashed (1 cup mashed banana)
1 cup chocolate chips

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Grease your loaf.

Mix flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the oil, bananas and eggs. Stir in the chocolate chips and mix well. Pour batter into the buttered pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool the loaves.

Alternatively, you bake one large cake or cupcakes.

The next step is to ice your cakes. Fondant doesn’t actually taste all that great and Virge actually claims that the best way to eat a fondant cake is to first take a few photos, then peel off the fondant and eat the tasty iced cake.

**Recipe**

Chocolate Fudge Icing

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Make approximately 5 cups of icing

Ingredients

15 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ¼ cups sour cream
¼ light corn syrup
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir well and then keep heating for 15 seconds until completely melted. Whisk together the sour cream, corn syrup and vanilla. Add the chocolate and stir.

Refrigerate the icing until it’s a spreadable consistency and ice the cooled cakes.

During this time, you can plan out a design for your cakes and which colors to dye the fondant.

Once the cakes have been baked, cooled and iced, it is finally time to tackle the fondant.

**Recipe**

Fondant

Makes enough fondant to cover and decorate 1 large cake, 4 mini loaves or 1 batch of cupcakes.

Ingredients

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
Assorted food coloring

First, mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate mixture for 1 hour.

Second, divide the fondant into 3 or 4, depending on how many different colors you want to work with. Add food coloring and mix well.

Third, flour surface and rolling pin. Roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out appropriately sized pieces and place on cooled, iced cakes.

And voila! Fabulous chocolate banana fondant cakes! Original, beautiful and tasty.