I was going to make those curly things that look like curly shoelaces the othe weekend where they were sticking up out of the cake.

I found a cute cake in the gallery by Toptier that is what I was trying to do (not the whimsy part, just the curly ribbons)

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1233161&done=2

I cut out fondant and wrapped around a dowel rod.... but it stuck to the rod and I was not getting any of it off in one piece. Last minute I made some gumpaste and put some plastic wrap on the dowel. I had to roll super thin so it would dry fast since my cake was due shortly. I just laid them on top of the cake rather than having them stick straight out.... too fragile.

Could anyone give me some hints on how to do these for the future? Wrapping was difficult because the ends don't want to stay. And you have to hang them somewhere to dry. I had my DH drill holes in the bottom of my cabinet and put two U hooks so my dowel can be under the cabinet and out of the way when I am drying loops... I saw that Toptier used straws.... I can't even imagine how that worked.

Any help please?

Just dust the dowel or straw with cornstarch first. And lay them across a narrow open drawer. After they dry, brush off the cornstarch.

You seem to pretty much have it right... cut out strips of fondant (a 50/50 blend would probably work well) and then curl them around your dowell rod and leave to dry, no need to hang upside down or anything. They should come right off as long as you didn't wrap too tightly. If they are still sticking, then maybe dust your dowell rod with corn starch or powdered sugar, or maybe a blend. Wilton Course III has a lesson on that... I'll see what it says and let you know.

How do you keep the ends from uncurling?

Just balance 'em on there--I mean you can snap off the raggedy end if you need to.

I wrap mine around my kids spare pencils.Dust them first with a bit of icing sugar...let them dry and then slip them off!! I may use a touch of water to hold the ends but sometimes they stick so I try to have the fondant a bit stickier with less powder on it so that pressing it onto the pencil holds it instead!!

I agree. T-Bird has the right tips. I've made a couple of these, most recently my nephews graduation cake. Needed all kinds of stars, and shooty spirals - big celebration look.

Don't need cornstarch (mine were navy so tried to avoid), just don't wrap them too tightly around the dowel. Drop the first end with enough to go back and loop it over, hold lightly with one finger, then start winding loosely around the dowel. Flip the starting end up and over. Then I just set them on parchment. In about 30 minutes check to see if they have hardened enough to pull off. If you use 50/50 they should be pretty firm, but still spring-ey enough to not break. Sliiiiiide them slowly off the dowels (I always need to reuse the dowels) loosening any areas that have stuck. I lay them back on the parchment and fuss with them a little, stretching them out longer etc.

Also, likek8memphis said, any flat starter ends can be snipped on an nice angle to tidy up (another reason the 50/50 gumpaste-fondant mix is nice.)

HTH

I just use fondant and wrap them around a straw - no crisco, no powder sugar. Make them the night before and stick them in a cold oven with only the light bulb on. In the AM, springs slide right off. Way easy.

bj

Yes, I tried making these on a dowel first too and had the same sticking problem. I think the wood is too porous. So that's when I tried plastic straws and I did coat them lightly with crisco. I let them dry overnight just lying flat on a cookie sheet- they still had a little give to them when I pulled them gently off. It might have been better to leave them longer. Lost a few of them but still had many good ones. I used a 50/50 fondant and gumpaste mix.

I tried these because my regular loop bow didn't work, have to work on that one - LOL.