Is there a trick to make certain that satin ribbon on buttercream doesn't absorb the oils from the butter. I've tried dusting the area with powdered sugar and another time with cornstarch, but neither helped. Each time I've made sure that the frosting is firm and hard. Thanks for sharing.

I have read that if you iron the ribbon between wax paper it helps. I just spray pam ,or something like it, on the ribbon. that way it stays the same color. hth

You do know that you really shouldn't be using fabric ribbon on a cake anyway, right? Fondant ribbon is food safe. However if you are going to use satin ribbon anyway, spray it with Pam as the PP said, or "line" it with clear packing tape.

Leahs - Thank you. No I hadn't thought about that and will make fondant ribbon instead. Thank you.

Chocolate clay also works well for ribbons, and if you need a metallic look it works better with the luster dusts than fondant does.

If you coat the entire ribbon with oil or shortening before applying it, the entire ribbon will discolor evenly ... no splotching. However, you need to watch the colors as some will darken way more than you want it to. I had one a couple of weeks ago that was navy blue ... once I crisco-coated it, it turned black. So I just waited until the next day, when the cake icing had crusted and applied the ribbon then. No grease spots at all.

I have ironed the ribbon between the wax paper, but even though the icing has crusted I still got grease spots bleeding through. Now I just pipe a thin line of royal around the center of where the ribbon goes, acts like the glue to help hold it on and keeps it slightly elevated away from the sides of the cake and now no more grease spots. But I still do iron it between the wax paper. lol