Sorry for all the questions today. I am new at this.

What do you cover the cake board with? I have seen some that use a pretty colored, patterned foil. I don't know where to get it. Is it food safe?

Also, I have seen some with what appears to be wrapping paper, but I do not want to use anything that I don't know to be food safe (there could be lead in the in for instance).

I don't want to just use those plain boards that have the silver pattern already on them.

Thanks for your help!
Barbaranne

Most of the pretty foil is called fancy foil. It is made by Wilton and comes in various colors that you can apply to cake boards.
A lot of people use scrapbooking paper or wrapping paper and cover it with clear contact paper. You can also cover boards with rolled fondant.

So the contact paper is food safe?

I was wondering about the fondant. When the cake is cut, does the fondant that is on the board come off and stay stuck to the bottom of the cake, resulting in a messy looking board?

Thanks for all the help!

You can also cover your board in thinned down R.I. My Darth Vader Cake, the Mermaid Cake and the Action Sports Cake in my photos all have RI covered boards. I like it because you can swirl several colours together and match the board to the cake. And it is guaranteed food safe and inexpensive. The only downside is that you have to be organised enough to do the board at least one day ahead. I have also used fondant on the board, like the Sleeping Beauty Cake. The positive is that you can use impression mats, but it is definitively a more expensive way of doing a board.

With either technique I cover the board first in foil, it just makes it easier to remove the icing afterwards so that I can re-use the boards.

When your board is covered with fondant you can dust the area that will be under the cake with powdered sugar to make it so it doesn't stick. You can to the same thing between your layers to help out for when you are removing your teirs too!
Welcome to CC, you will find many knowledgable and very helpful people here!!!

Contact paper is not officially safe but remember that your cake isn't set directly on the bottom board. Generally there is a cake board under the cake while you ice and decorate - then you set the cake on the decorated board and finish off with the border. If you cover a board in fondant do it 24 to 48 hours before (or even longer) you need it so it is dry. Because your cake is on a cake board of it's own (like an 8" cake on an 8" board) when you cut the cake the fondant board is not going to stick to the cake.

BakingGirl, how do you do the RI board? Like you would do with a cookie?
Pipe a border and flood it?

That is a neat idea to use ROYAL. I have never thought of that. I would also like to know your process for covering a board with royal.

Edit,

I don't bother with piping a border when covering the cake board. I just blob the thinned down icing around the board, generally not bothering about covering the middle as that is under the cake anyway. Then I just push the icing out to the edges and let it run over the sides. Before the icing sets I take a spatula and run it around the edge to take off excess icing so that I don't end up with big blobs on the edge of the board. I finish the edge with a ribbon to cover it.

Thank you so much for the info! I think I will try that soon. For the swirl effect areyou just dropping colr right onto the wet royal or are you using colored royal to swirl into the main color?

cake-angel,

I divide my RI into several bowls which I color individually, then I start "blobbing" it on, adding color until I am happy with the result. Usually there will be one main color and smaller amounts of accent colors.

I've learned at least 2 new things today, thank you BakingGirl.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

I have found that the RI technique needs to be done about 24 hours in advance as well in order to dry hard. Most experts recommend that as well. Also, if you are using a single color in RI it can be thinned down to the same consistency as a petit four icing and "poured" on the board, allowing it to run off over a catch pan. This makes for a smoother than silk look to the board.

I love Dolittles cake boards.. not only does she go the extra step and cover in fondant (which won't pull up with the cake because your cake would be on another board).. she inlays designs in them and cuts the boards in the cutest shapes

Here is an example

Indeed, I like fondant the best. It is the most versatile, and one an really do anything with it! Grass... tile... marbled... wood...

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1161369

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1210181

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1199828

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1183551

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1153095

Awesome! I am definitely going to try the thinned royal icing sometime!

Just to throw my 2 cents in, I use fabric a lot. I buy what i need and bring it home and wash with free and clear detergent. I press with a hot iron, and glue or tack to my board. I sometimes use ribbon around the edges, feathers, or lace to accent a little bit.

My boards are 3/8 thick wood bought from my neighborhood Lowe's, and then cut into the shapes that I want by my DH. I have a couple of rounds in different sizes, some squares in different sizes, etc. They are totally reusable, all I have to do is remove the fabric and toss in the trash.

I have used royal icing, fondant, fancy foil, and wrapping paper covered with clear contact paper. I do place my cake on a cake board so it doesn't contact anything on my base. With fondant I cut out the middle where the cake will sit so that there is not wasted fondant.

I am just getting started using what I am calling "fancy boards". All I did was find a pretty 12x12 scrapbook paper that matched or coordinated with my cake, cut to about 1" larger diameter than board, attacted to board (folding edged under) and then covered the whole thing with press n seal wrap. I did all 4 boards under the teapots this way and the board under the john deere cake. worked very well for me.

what size is the board that is directly under the cake-- the same size as the cake- or one size bigger?

Same as the cake, penguinprincess. Love your nick!

I'm starting to use wrapping paper. It comes in so many patterns and colors and you can always find one to go with your cake. Is it okay?

Never thought about it.....

Thank you baking girl!! I love how everyone is soo helpful and so nice! Thanks again!

Thank you everyone for the helpful replies! They all sound like really great suggestions and I will probably try them all depending on the cake I am doing!

Have a great day!