The lady's hat cake a simple, but impressive cake created with an embossing mat and lustre dust. It's a great idea for Mother's Day or for a birthday.

1. 1. Prepare 8" cake with a full coat of buttercream as though one was selling a buttercream cake. No cake should be seen through the buttercream. Refrigerate.

2. 2. Prepare the fondant embossing mat by lightly greasing with shortening then dabbing off all the excess so that the shortening is not visible.

3. 3. Position the cake on the back third of the cake board, ensuring that there is enough room for the back part of the hat brim.

4. 4. Roll out purple fondant on a lightly greased (with shortening) Ateco fondant work mat until the fondant is approximately 16th inch "thin".

5. 5. Lightly dust with cornstarch, then wipe excess cornstarch off the fondant being sure that none is visible. Cornstarch remaining on the surface of the fondant will cause it to dry and crack.

6. 6. Flip the fondant over onto another mat so that the cornstarched side is down. This is to ensure that the fondant does not stick too firmly to the mat therefore, preventing the embossed design from stretching out of shape when peeled from away from the mat.

7. 7. Place the greased side of the embossing mat down on the fondant.

8. Roll firmly over the top of the design until the fondant peeks through the holes. Do not press too hard so that the fondant comes above the surface of the mat.

9. 10. Once the design is even, lightly grease with shortening over the top of the mat making sure that all the exposed areas of the fondant has a light, even covering.

10. 11. Use a flat two inch Ateco food grade pastry brush to spread edible luster over the top of the mat. Rub the luster into the fondant using the side of the brush and until the luster comes off the mat and is only on the surface of the fondant.

11. 12. Carefully peel the embossing mat away from the fondant.

12. 13. Put another mat carefully over the top of the fondant and flip upside down, so that the bottom mat is now on top. Fetch cake out of the refrigerator.

13. 14. Gently peel the top mat away from the fondant.

14. 15. Slip your arm under the center of the mat and lift carefully so that the fondant does not move or smudge.

15. 16. Flip fondant and mat over the cake then carefully remove the mat.

16. 17. The design side is now on top of the cake.

17. 18. Use a soft dry sponge to dab the fondant and mold to the cake. Do not wipe the sponge over the design or it may smudge.

18. 19. Trim away the excess fondant using an Ateco pizza wheel, so that the brim is wider than the back.

19. 20. Mix 50% pink fondant with 50% gum paste and roll out thinly to 28" X 2".

20. 21. This 50/50 mix makes handling the ribbon easier.

21. 22. Cut a 2" x 28" ribbon, using a pizza wheel ensuring that the edges are straight.

22. 23. Moisten the cake base slightly with water then attach ribbon working from the front to the back. The ribbon should be long enough to overlap the tails.

23. 24. Roll out another piece of purple ribbon the same width and length. Place water on one edge of the ribbon then fold from top to bottom leaving a rounded edge.

24. 25. Moisten flat edge of ribbon with water. Tuck sides down to form a cone shape.

25. 26. Carefully gather and pleat from the bottom of the ribbon only, squashing the base as you wind the ribbon around. Be careful not to squash the top.

26. 27. Trim off the end and place the ribbon rose in the center of the ribbon tails where they cross over.

27. 28. Gather the front of the brim slightly to give a soft hat fabric effect.

28. 29. Attach a bouquet of flowers to the left side of the hat, above the brim, at the base of the ribbon.

29. 30. Pipe message on a small dried plaque.

30. 31. Pipe a small snails trail of buttercream around the outer edge of the brim. (Pictured above)

This is a great gift for any occasion!