Cake Decorating

I made this cake for my in-laws' 30th anniversary. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Frosting roses can be intimidating to try, but they're really quite easy once you get the hang of it. check out the Wilton website for instructions and a video showing how to make these roses.

I was able to make the roses a few days ahead of time and then I froze them until I needed them. It really helps to have a good, thick frosting to work with. This is the recipe I used:

Decorator Frosting

Ingredients
7 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup all-vegetable shortening
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla extract instead)

Instructions

Combine sugar and shortening in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on low speed until ingredients start to come together. Beat in almond extract. Gradually add milk as you increase mixing speed until frosting is smooth and creamy. If necessary, beat in a few more drops of milk until it reaches the desired consistency, which should hold firm but pliable peaks.

I torted both layers and filled them with raspberry jelly. Yum!

Does anyone else have any cake decorating ideas? I'd love to know if someone has had success using fondant.