Hi, I'm making my first wedding cake this summer and the bride wants a satin ribbon around the layers. I was wondering how to get the ribbon to stay on. Can anyone help?

I want to know how other people do this, too. I have always used a fondant ribbon. I am thinking, though, that perhaps you can attach it with a little bc... just under where you would put the decorations? (like the flowers) I would think that the ribbon wouldn't slip if it were tight enough...

Anyone else??

Gum glue. Made with gum paste disolved into water. Meringue mixed with water works too.

Well, here's the problem. When you use buttercream and you put ribbon on it....the grease soaks in and spots it! Now, I KNOW that there are techniques like using wax paper to "back" the ribbon or parchment paper. I tried both and NEITHER worked well. I finally DID get the wax paper to stick somewhat and had very few grease spots.

Now, I have read, I think here on CC, that you can spread a little Crisco on the back of the ribbon ahead of time so that the grease is absorbed evenly and then put it on the cake with no worries. However, it will change the color of the ribbon somewhat!

HTH

Beth in KY

Are you covering the cake with buttercream or fondant? I just did a four tier wedding cake iced with bc this weekend. I covered both sides of the ribbon with clear adhesive paper that comes in a roll (I think I got it at Wal-Mart where the shelf paper is). Then when I put it on the cake I just put a dab of icing where the ribbon overlapped and it stayed fine. Then I trimmed it out with a bead border. Turned out great.
Hope this helps.

I've heard of a lot of people using bc or royal icing to attach the ribbons. I don't know if that's how EVERYONE does it, but I know that works. HTH!

bump

Someone else mentioned one time that she uses clear sealing tape, like you use to seal boxes for shipping. I haven't had to use the idea yet, but it sure sounded like the easiest way to do it. Just lay down a big long piece of sealing tape, sticky side up, then lay the ribbon, back side down, on top of it. Trim off the tape around the edges, and voila!

But is the tape/sticky shelf paper safe to use on the cake? Just wondering...

I can't imagine it would be harmful. It may not be on the FDA's list of 'absolutely foodsafe items', but who can trust what the FDA says any more, given the recent pet food recall mess?

And I do know that many decorators cover their cakeboards with decorative paper, then the clear shelf paper over it to make it moisture-proof.

There's probably more plastic toxins in the farm-raised fish who are being fed melamine than in a little sealing tape or contact paper that comes into contact with a cake.

Thank you all for the helpful ideas and tips. Now I'm not as stressed about it.
Thanks again,
Pam

Is there some way that you can pull the ribbon around the cake and secure it with a pin at the end, like a pearl-capped hat pin?? I've wondered this, but I worry that the pin would somehow end up on someone's plate...what a nightmare.

I did use BC once, and there was a grease line through the middle of the ribbon...not good. Would you avoid this entirely if you used Royal Icing, since there is no grease, or would the ribbon still discolor from moisture absorbtion??

I have several of these coming up, and would love to know the best trick!
I wonder, wouldn't the contact/packing tape slip off the buttercream eventually?? It doesn't seem like it would stay put, but I've never tried it.

Best of luck to all of you attempting this! Lindsay

I am glad this topic was brought up before I used ribbon on a cake! It seems obvious now that grease/moisture from cake would mess up the ribbon. Now I know to try using some sort of moisture barrier on it!

I have used pins, it was under the bow at each tier. I made sure to tell the caterer it was there and pointed each one out. I also had it highlighted on the contract so no one would eat them! I placed the ribbons on the tiers the night before in my fridge, that way if it absorbed any grease it would be uniform. It was a BC cake and I also allowed for the possibility of the orange color to deepen. I would say if you worry about the color changing then test it! If the bride needs the exact color given then do as previously suggested and wrap the ribbon in tape or test a piece overnight laying on some of the butter cream you will use, it may not change, mine did not!
Tracy

I've always cut wax paper a little smaller in width than the ribbon I'm using on my buttercream cakes. I place that behind the ribbon and secure it on the backside of the cake with a small piece of tape. I've always done this on all my cakes and I've had no grease to stain the ribbon. The ribbon has always stayed secure.

Hi All,
I iron the satin ribbon between wax paper. Put a piece of paper towel beneath the wax paper and on top to protect your iron and board. Iron the ribbon on low heat. Works very well. To attach you can use a small dab of piping gel, b/c or double sided tape. They all work. Hope this helps and answers questions. PM me if you need any further help. Good luck.

I have a cake due in a couple weeks and they want ribbon around the bottom of all the layers. I am using fondant instead of BC. Will I have a grease problem with the fondant and what is best to use to join the ends?I thought I would use double sided tape. That should be all right, right??

Now that you mention it, my grandma did the same thing with hat pins. She gave me a large box of her supplies (since she's 90 years old now) and in the box were ribbons that she had saved to use over and over, and they still had the pins in them. I don't think that I would use the same ribbon over and over, but hey... she was raised in the depression, so who am I to judge?

I agree with tbittner, though and to point out the pins ahead of time. They can't eat a fabric ribbon anyway. They have to take it off to cut the cake. They may as well take the pins out then.

No one suggested grease proof ribbons]. I've used those and skipped the hassles. It was great. Hate greasy ribbons.

I use pins too (glass-headed in a contrasting colour to the ribbon, so they are seen by the caterer!), but I've only used ribbons on fondant cakes!

Where do you get them cakes-r-us? Are they expensive? I haven't been able to find any grease resistant ribbon but would love to use it !!

I just did a cake with bc and satin ribbon (in my photos).........I had to ask the same question, and I sprayed cooking spray on my ribbon and let it soak in so there were no spots..........always test a small piece of ribbon first, to see how much the color changes.......mine didn't change alot, but some colors may. Then, it stuck to the cake a little easier, and I placed random dots of bc around to secure them, including in the back of the cake where the two ends meet. Alot of good suggestions here, this was just my 2 cents.

Good idea to spray with cooking spray. That's what I love about this web site. You guys are all SO SMART!!! I would never have thought of that! Way to go.

Very nice cakes, Kerri.