square/present box cake

source: http://thecakegirls.com/catalog/product/view/id/1638/s/shoe-on-a-shoebox-step-by-step/category/110/

STEP 1: CUT AND ICE CAKE
Level your cake so that the top is flat. Cut the 12" square evenly in half.

Place the cake layers on the board and fill with buttercream. Press on the top of the cake to make sure it's level.

Ice the cake in a thin layer of buttercream. Take time to make the corners sharp. When finished it should look like this. Chill the cake until the icing is firm.

STEP 2: COVER IN FONDANT

 Roll out white fondant 1/8" thick and large enough to cover the shoebox. Roll and drape the fondant over the cake. 

Gather the excess fondant in each corner

Use scissors to trim some of the excess off each corner. 

Use a paintbrush to brush water inside the fondant, close to the edge of the cake. Then use your fingers to seal the fondant together

Trim the corners again, this time close to the edge of the cake, creating the final corner. When you are finished, it should look like this.

STEP 3 : STENCIL PATTERN AND ADD LID

 

Lay the stencil against the side of the cake and use removable painter's tape to mask off the top and side of the stencil to create the same size as the cake side (this will give you a cleaner pattern). Next, hold the stencil steady and spread the ivory royal icing on with a spatula. 

Next, use your spatula to remove most of the icing evenly, leaving a thin coating. (You should be able to see the stencil more clearly now). 

Remove the stencil to reveal the pattern. Repeat this process on the back of the cake. Remove tape, wash and dry stencil and then repeat the process on the sides. 

Next, to create the lid, start by measuring the top of your cake. You will need a piece of fondant 2" wider and longer than the top of your cake. Roll the dark pink fondant 1/8" thick and cut a rectangle the correct size. 

Center the pink piece of fondant on top of the cake to make sure it's evenly placed. Then gently lift parts of the fondant and brush water underneath to adhere. Continue the lid in the same manner as the white fondant; brushing and trimming the corners. Because the lid can be challenging, you may need to use an x-acto knife to do some additional trimming of the fondant once it's on the cake.

When you are done, your cake should look like this.