My daughter and future son in law have chosen the attached cake for their wedding. Anyone know what the texture is on the cake? Possibly cake sparkles? I plan to frost the layers, transport separately, and assemble at the reception. If they are cake sparkles, how do I get them to stick to dry frosting? I would apply them after I assemble the cake, right? She waited too long to make a decision, so she won't be having the monogram on top. She decided on the clear acrylic dancing bride & groom from Michael's.

Also, I am planning to use straws for support. How many should I use for each layer. The layers will be 12, 10 and 8 inch.

Any advice on attaching the ribbon at the base of each layer? How about a filling idea that doesn't need to be refrigerated? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Lisa

I do beieve that is sugar crystles that one must shoot onto the cake w/somne kind of spiecal gun.

looks like sparkling sugar to me

Not sure if I am much help, but will try. The cake looks like fondant, but if you use regular bc frosting then you can attach the ribbon once the frosting has crusted well. I use a pin (the long ones you can get at a floral shop) to attach in the back or use a few dots of royal icing. I prefer the pin, it looks nice and clean. For a filling, you can buy those sleaves of different flavors, they don't have to be refridgerated. The glitter looks more like a course sugar of some type. You can probably LIGHTLY mist the cake and sprinkle glitter on it but I have never done it on a tiered cake. It could of been done with some type of sprayer. I am sure someone here has and knows how to get this look. Good luck, pretty cake!!

With the winter theme I would certainly suggest sugar crystals. You can spray gin or any clear alcohol on your crusted cake and the crystals will adhere to it without dissolving. I have used pie filings for fillings before and they do not need refrigeration. Just be careful and not think more is better and it oozes out the sides! Make the dam very wide to keep it in. For the 12 in tier I would typically use 6 of the big straws and sometimes 2 in the middle also depending on the weight. 4-5 should be enough for the 10 in but if you are unsure you can add more. Good luck!

I don't kow for sure that this would work but I don't know why not. I would press the sugar crystals onto the buttercream before it crusts. Y'know like you press nuts onto the side of the cake, same same.

Or if that didn't work, I'd just brush some piping gel on there & press them onto that. Me, I would do it before delivery because it is a little messy. I chill all my cakes so I would test that out in advance too to make sure condensation did not bite me and they start to melt or something. Probably would not happen but again I test stuff.

For moi, I would never ever use anything like a long pin into my cake to hold the ribbon. And for the ribbon, you want to get grease proof ribbon or spray it with Pam or something so it stays an even color.

Another idea is to just put the sugar on a piece of folded parchment paper and let it slide off to apply. Point & slide.

As to filling stay away from anything with milk or cream cheese - a jam type filling would hold ok with out refrigeration. maybe kinda of torte it with raspberry filling.
The ribbon can be attached using icing or gel as a glue.. Just dot in back and wrap ribbon around and dot to hold. (Satin ribbon or paper ribbon will bleed thru so use just enough to hold.

Beautiful cake. Good luck and post picture.

I know where I saw this. In one of the Wilton books. If memory serves me correct, they used fondant, brushed with piping gel I think thinned down, and the sprinkled the sparkling sugar on it. It was beautiful. Yes, I just checked and they thinned it down with water. They have this one which is beautiful but made with the same principal.http://www.wilton.com/idea/Ice-Castle

That appears to be sanding sugar. If you'll be covering the cake in fondant, just brush a light coat of piping gel over the cake, then gently press the sugar against the cake.

Even better if you use this glitter gel http://www.pastrysampler.com/Products/glitter_gel.htm. That's what I used on this cake: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1168552

If you're covering the cake in buttercream, you'll probably want to look into the special gun kakeladi talked about.

Your other questions will be easier to answer once we know whether you're icing the cakes with fondant or buttercream.

I did a cake like this and I used thined out piping gel that I brushed on the cake the took the crystals in the palm of my hand and stuck them to the cake. Is kind of a long process since some areas you have to redo..but it sticks wonderfuly..
Edna

Thank you everyone for the replies. I will be using buttercream. My daughter wants nothing to do with fondant.

Lisa, When is the wedding? What kind of straws are you using? Skinny drinking straws or the fatter bubble tea straws?

The wedding is Saturday. Baking like crazy right now. I don't have a source for the bubble tea straws and probably not enough time to have them shipped. The straws I have are just over 1/4 in diameter and fairly heavy duty compared to most straws.

Those should do fine. I have used them many, many times. Use about 7 in your 12" tier and 3 in the other one. That top tier won't be heavy so you don't need as many.

The way I get sanding sugar on the sides of my cakes is to pour a thick layer out all along the base of the bottom of whichever tier I am sanding. Then, with a thin pallete kinfe, scoop some up and gently pull the knife straight up the side of the cake, and the sugar sticks quite nicely. Icing needs to be semi wet still. Very gently, and there is no denting of the cake, and no icing gets squished or smeared. Works very well for me.

No gun needed! What gun would that be anyways? To spray sanding sugar? Here's what mine looks like when I do the pull up with pallete knife method. Very even and it doesn't mar the icing at all. And nothing is needed as far adhesive.....maybe with fondant though.

Three might be a good number for dowel but my minimum is four dowel/straws. A three legged table can be unstable and tip easy.

But you are stacking on site too but still, consider using 4.

God bless you so much.

I hope there are not any other details you have to do. It is difficult to do any wedding cake--add in the fact it's your own kid <faint> <panic>

See if you can get a volunteer to take over any other task you have to do. Just a thought for you.

Thank you!

The wedding and reception are two hours away from us. They decided to be married in the Salt Lake City Temple. His parents live near there, so they are having the reception at their church. The location is more convenient for everyone but us. (We live in the middle of nowhere.)

His family is doing the decorating and the punch. The cake will be the only food. She is having a lunch for family only prior to the reception. Various family members are bringing food for that. We're planning to bring pre-cooked meatballs and sticking them in the crockpot with some teriyaki sauce. We're also taking a rice cooker and rice to go with the meatballs.

Fortunately, that is fairly simple. I think the harder part will be getting our three boys and ourselves up and picture ready early and keeping an eye on them while trying to set up the cake. (Ages 13, 7 and 3)