What a brilliant idea. Fondant really scares some people and this, to quote Sandra Lee, is a semi-homemade way to pull off a beautiful cake. (We didn’t get this idea from Sandra, I only wish we knew where the image originated so we could give props.) Here’s what you’ll need:

• Four cake mixes
• Four cans of icing; I personally love the cream cheese icing
• Gingerbread or sugar cookie dough
• Food coloring
• Nine-inch cake pan
• Seven-inch cake pan (if you can’t locate, just trim the nine-inch)
• 5 plastic or wooden cake dowels (Wilton offers both)
• 1 cardboard cake board

Here’s what you do:

1. Bake three nine-inch cake layers for the bottom tier and three seven-inch layers for the top.
2. After the cakes have cooled, ice between each cake layer for the bottom tier and then insert your dowels (making sure that you’ve placed them so that they will match up to support your cake board).
3. Using a decorating spatula, pull the icing in one direction and to the edge for both the top and sides of the tier. This will give you the smooth effect you’re looking for. (TIP: If you’re presenting your cake on a cake pedestal, place four pieces of wax paper on the cake plate prior to placing each layer. This will allow you to ice without worrying about the plate and then you can simply pull them out once you’re done.)
4. Do the same method, stacking and icing, for the top tier, minus the dowels.
5. Bake (or buy) your sugar/gingerbread cookies. You’ll want them to be an inch to an inch-and-a-half in diameter. (If you go larger no worries, you’ll just get fewer on the cake.)
6. Ice your cookies with your décor colors and allow them to dry completely, at least 45 minutes.
7. Now it’s time to assemble. You should have the bottom tier in place either on a sheet or on your cake plate and your top tier should be on a cake board. Center the top tier so that it rests on the dowels of the bottom tier. (TIP: Sprinkle the bottom tier, only where the cake board will cover it, with coconut or powdered sugar to keep the board from sticking to the bottom layer.)
8. Pipe a stream of icing to cover the connection and smooth it into place.
9. Use a small amount of icing on the back of each cookie and place them around your cake. You may need to hold the cookie in place for 10 seconds or so.

Listen to your guests oooohhh and aaaahhhh!