With the Oscar hosts recently announced, Hollywood's attention is turning to the awards season, especially the Academy Awards. While your bakery may not be located in Hollywood, it doesn't mean your customers wouldn't be thrilled to be awarded their own version of the Oscar. This replica Oscar cake is ideal for anyone who wants to acknowledge someone special in his or her life for a birthday, retirement, graduation or any special occasion. The number, size and shape of the tiers can be easily manipulated for any size function.

  1. Cover a square cake board with red fondant. At the back of the tier, insert several plastic dowels in the cake to support the next tier.

  2. Use icing to cover the tops of the dowels to hold the top tier in place. Place a 6-in. square tier covered with white fondant directly over the dowels.

  3. Sheet red fondant and cut a strip that measures 3 1/2 ins. wide and long enough to run from the back of top tier to the base of the lower tier. (Length will vary depending on the depth of your cakes.) Steam the front of the cake, and place the red fondant strip down the center, creating a red carpet effect.

  4. Roll a rope of white fondant, fold in half and twist to create a braid. Make two braided ropes long enough to wrap around the tiers. Paint the ropes with gold luster dust. To create the paint, add the dust to grain alcohol, vodka, lemon oil or clear vanilla extract.

  5. Steam the bottom borders of the tiers, and place the rope around the bottom of the cake tiers beginning at the edge of the red carpet and ending at the other side.

  6. Hot glue a plastic dowel onto the base of the plastic replica statuette. Then, insert the dowel into the center of the top tier.

  7. Use tip No. 4 to pipe the black decorations on the bottom tier. Begin by piping an elongated “s.”

  8. Then, add a backward “c” at the top and sideways “c” on the opposite side of the “s.”

  9. Pipe a series of dots that decrease in size as they extend away from the center of the design. Continue piping the curlicue shapes around the sides and top of the bottom tier.

  10. Use a ball tool to make indentions in the sides of the top tier.

  11. Fill the indentations with a small amount of buttercream, and then insert gold balls.

  12. To finish the design, pipe an appropriate message on a fondant plaque placed at the base of the red carpet.

Fourth-generation baker buddy valastro, along with his mother and siblings, owns Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, N.J. Valastro has been decorating since the age of 11, when he learned the craft from his father. He specializes in rolled fondant cakes and gumpaste decorations. His wedding cakes are regularly showcased in national bridal magazines and have been featured on several television shows, including The Sorpranos, The View and The Today Show. Valastro and his staff are featured on the television show, Cake Boss, airing on TLC.