OK~ I am SO new to cake decorating, but I am just DIVING right in with fingers crossed! WHEW!
SO, I am making my mom's birthday cake. I am making a 3 tier stacked cake, covered and decorated with fondant. Never used fondant, never made a stacked cake before! So, it is ALL good. Worse case scenrio we have tipped over and crushed up cake pudding!

For the Fondant: I want to make MM fondant, since all of my reading has said it is easier to use. And sometimes, a few people have said it is better tasting. I have 2 questions about MM fondant:
1) What do I use to dye MM fondant? My moms cake is going to be White and I am hoping 2-3 shades of purple. Can I use just regular food coloring or is there something else I need to buy?
2) Also, is it POSSIBLE to flavor MM fondant?

Now, for stacking. I am going to explain how I THINK it is supposed to be done. If I am wrong PLEASE PLEASE O PLEASE correct me.

1) I will need 2 of each cake size and I will need to stack them to make 1 thicker cake. So 6 cakes, for 3 tiers. Right?
2) I will do a thin layer of buttercream frosting onto my now 3 cakes.
3) I will roll my fondant out a few inches larger than what my cake needs
4) I will use WHAT to support my cakes? I have heard that straws are easiest, but do these work as well? Also, my covered cakes are on cake boards cut to size. I KEEP these boards under each cake/layer for support, correct?
5) I want to cut out circle shapes of fondant to decorate. How do I adhere this? Is it correct that I just maybe use my finger or something and rub some water onto the underside of my cut out and gently press onto the fondue covered cake?
6) What can I do to cover the seams of where the different stacks meet?

Basically, what I am going for is 3 tiers (2 if I get scared LOL). One layer dark purple with lighter purple and white circles. The other 2 white with the dark and light purple cirles.
So.....HELP????
Thanks!

Ok first of all straws can not hold the weight of fondant so try using wilton plastic dowels or a standard wooden dowl from your hardware store . I personally love the taste of MMF and have had no issues with coloring with gell colors from wilton I just color the liquid before I add the marshmellows. Start with light color you can always add but never take away. The colors are strong so a little goes a long way for a light lavender a tip of a toothpick should be all you need . You have it you can bake six 2 inch layers and stack them with a thick well of stiff icign between. If you want to bake once you can always collar the pans to add height and just level.

Tosha,

To dye your fondant it is better to use paste or gel colours as they do not make your fondant sticky. You can flavour your MM fondant with any flavour you want, just make sure the flavour of your fondant doesn't hide the flavour of your cake. I personally like Michelle Foster's delicious fondant because it is consistent everytime. You have to consider that you have to make your fondant ahead and let it rest for a while.

The number of cakes for each tier will depend on the height you want. You could use one 4 in height torted and filled. Sometimes I bake 2 2in cakes and torte them together. (You also have to decide how many layers you want, that is bread-filling-bread-filling-bread, for example).

Yes, you roll your fondant a few inches larger, pick it up with your rolling pin and put it on your buttercream covered cake. Then use a fondant smoother to achieve a nice smooth look.
You can cover each cake separately and at the end stack them together.

There are a number of techniques to stack your cakes. You could use wood dowels or check on SPS (there are instructions about SPS in a sticky in the forum How to?). This is a great system to stack cakes.

Yes, you keep the boards under each cake.

You can use water to adhere the dots to the cake. Just make sure to use very little water.To cover the seams there are many techniques. You could pipe a royal icing border, make little balls of fondant, a fondant rope, basically anything you want.

Hope that helps!

I put tons of info about MMF in my recipe:
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7351-2-Marshmallow-Fondant---MacsMoms-BC-flavored-variation.html

I use LoRann flavored oils that come in teaspoon-sized drams because they give a great favor, but you may have to buy them online. I mostly use butter flavor to mimic the taste of buttercream.

You can add food color to the melted marshmallows before adding the PS, but if you don't want an entire batch of purple you'll have to knead it into regular old white MMF.

Just a small amount of water will adhere fondant decor (too much will cause the pieces to slide down).

I use foam core board (buy the large sheets at Michael's and cut oy rounds) for each teir and as a base. I first cover the cake in fondant on it's board, and then add a long strip of fondant around the base to cover the board.

As a border you can roll a long thin snake or a bunch of balls or cut out shapes... use your imagination.

For a three tier cake I usually hammer 2 long wooden dowels all the way through each tier, but that is mainly for support while traveling. You may not need to do this if the cake is moving very far.

Oh, and for the weight of 3 tiers you'll want to glue 2 or 3 pieces of foam core board together so it doesn't buckle when you lift it.

hello tosha,
forgive my writing, i have a new born baby in my other hand.
you can go to walmart, michael's , or any other cake supply store for the food coloring. i forget what its called but its in a little jar. Its more of a gel consistency.
I'm not a professional but its up to you on how thick you want each layer. i typically divide a cake box in two and stack those for tier. you can then slice those in half as well to add even more layers of frosting.
You are correct in your number 4. i've never used straws, you can buy wooden dowel rods and cut them, but straws sound way easier.
5. i have always used vodka to adhere...
6. you can roll the fondant into a long snale and wrap it around the bottom edge of each tier, or you can roll little balls of fondant and alternate between the shades of purple and line them up on the bottom of each tier

I tend to disagree about straws not holding the weight. I've used them many a time
........is it POSSIBLE to flavor MM fondant?.......
Sure Add any flavoring you want. Just knead it into the dough.
For color use paste/gel colors. What you might buy in a grocery store will be mostly water and will thin your fondant.
.......roll my fondant out a few inches larger .......
I'd go about 4" larger. You cut off any excess after you get the cake covered.
.......my covered cakes are on cake boards cut to size. I KEEP these boards under each cake/layer for support, correct? ......
You are right
........use my finger or something and rub some water onto the underside of my cut out and gently press onto the fondue covered cake? .......
Yes, very little water. Just a mist really
.......do to cover the seams of where the different stacks meet? ....
This is called a border. It can be many little balls of fondant or a couple of ropes twisted together or a piped border.
Do be sure you have a *very* sturdy base board at least 2-4" larger than the biggest cake you are making.
You don't say what size the cakes will be. If you don't need/want a lot of cake you can make one or more of those 'tiers' a single layer of cake (2") instead of using two 2" cakes put together.

WOW!!!!
Thank you all so much for replying!!!
You all just gave me SO much useful information! I am so excited to get started!
In terms of the MM fondant and flavoring.....I want to do the btm layer carrot cake for my mom because that is her favorite. Should I flavor the mm fondant with something? I usually use cream cheese frosting, but I am unsure how the fondant will taste just plain.
I think I have decided to do just 2 layers, because the party is going to be on the smaller size and I think that 2 layers should be enough. I have not thought of a size yet I still have to get some cake pans.
Fondant dye~ Ok I know I have seen gel dyes by the cake mix etc. is this what I could use or is there something else that is better for fondant, or made for fondant?

Thank you all SO much again! I am so glad I found this forum! I think I am going to have FUN!

You could use vanilla extract and Wilton's butter flavoring together to make the MMF more tasty.

As for color, any old food color will work just fine - there is no special fondant food color. I've used gels, pastes and liquids with similar effect. Powdered food color is nice, but too expensive since it usually takes a whole jar!