I am making my boyfriend a 3 tier cake for his surpsrise 30th birthday in july. I haven't learned how to use fondant yet so it will be in chocolate buttercream (i'm hoping it doesn't melt) and I want to make dots on one of the layers and paint them with gold luster dust. Is this possible or should i make fondant pearls?

~Jill

I would love to know the answer to this too.

I think if you used a very thick consistency and let it crust really good you would be ok. I'm not positive though so here's a bump.

I would try dabbing the luster dust on with a dry paintbrush. That way the alcohol usually used wont dissolve your buttercream dots.

does anybody know different?

It might be difficult, but you probably could as long as the buttercream was well crusted and you were very careful with your brush. I would probably suggest making the dots with Royal though, as it dries much harder and you would have better results.

If you refridgerate the cake really good so it is cold and a bit crusty after it is finished then it is much easier to piant the lustre dust on.I have done it several times.

I just bought a new cake decorating book by Mic Turner, and she does royal beads on a buttercream cake, then paints them with luster dust.

There is a picture in my photos of a St. Patricks day birthday cake I did where I painted gold lustre dust on the border after it crusted. It was a last minute addition, so I think it was the next morning. Anyway, it worked great! Good luck!

P.S. my 200th post!

Great ideas! I hadn't even thought of using royal pearls. Thanks all!

~Jill

on my luau cake i painted the blue luster dust onto the bc about 15 minutes after i iced it.

You could also try color flow - or thinned out royal icing on waxed paper to make the dots of various sizes - then paint them with luster.