A cake in the shape of an open Bible is a thoughtful way to recognize a friend or loved one's faith on a special occasion. By using fondant icing, you can create realistic "pages" of an open Bible with scriptures written in edible ink. The cake also makes a delightful centerpiece for an Easter or Christmas celebration, and you can write scriptures on the cake relevant to the religious holiday or celebration at hand.

Roll out a package of dark brown or black fondant to a thickness of approximately 1/8 inch. Place the open-book cake pan on top of the fondant and trace around the pan, allowing an extra 1/4 inch of fondant beyond the edges of the pan. Cut out the fondant and place it on a sheet of wax paper to dry.

Prepare your favorite cake mix according to the recipe or cake mix’s instructions.

Cover the inside of the open book-shaped cake pan with a thin coating of vegetable shortening or butter. Use your fingers to sprinkle some flour into the pan and tap the pan to spread the flour over the entire inside of the pan.

Fill the pan with the batter and bake the cake according to the recipe’s instructions. When the cake is done, cool it in the pan for at least 20 to 30 minutes. The sides of the cake should have loosened from the sides of the pan. Carefully remove the cake by turning the pan upside down on a plate or platter, then turn the cake right side up onto a cooling rack. Let it finish cooling.

Use a knife or icing spatula to spread a thin coat of buttercream icing over the entire cake.

Roll out a package of off-white fondant. Make it approximately 1/10-inch thick. Drape the sheet over the cake. Make a smooth top and sides to the cake with a fondant smoother.

Make the sides of the cake look like pages. Press against the sides of the cake with a piece of thick paper or cardstock to make a linear indent. Start just below the top of the cake and make indents all the way down each side.

Spread a thin coating of buttercream icing on top of the dark brown or black fondant rectangle and place the cake on top. The dark brown fondant serves as the book cover. Let the fondant dry for 24 hours.

Decorate the top of the cake with scriptures. Use an edible ink pen in metallic bronze or gold to write relevant scriptures on the cake. You can fill each of the open pages with a single scripture or make the cake look like a Bible by writing small and filling each page with multiple scriptures.