Hi Ladies! I need your help again. I am going to make a 100th day of school cake this weekend for my son's Pre-K class. Can someone tell me what the wire is that I see with the fondant stars and such sticking out of the top of the cake and where I may find that? Any tips on how to actually attatch the stars to the wire? I will be using MMF.

Thanks so much for any help.
Jamie

I've never used MMF, so I can't comment there, but I use regular fondant (satin ice) and just slide the wire (uncovered floral wire, from the floral section at the craft store or a floral supply, or a I use the fabric covered white wire, if I want the look of white wire). For flat shapes (stars and such) I just roll out the fondant, cut the shape and slide in the wire. Easy peasy. For larger/heavier items (balls, for instance) I'll use a little gum glue. If the stars or flat cut outs are VERY large, I'll mix in some CMC or tylose, but only rarely. I stick my wires straight into the cake (all my cakes are fondant covered) although some people use coffee stirrers or straws int eh cake as a holder--I don't do this.

Just in case, because this is the first time you're doing it, I would use the coffee stirrer straws to help anchor the wire (better safe than sorry, right?). Sometimes if your fondant is too thin the weight of the decoration can weigh the wire down and cause a tear or a bigger hole. For a bc cake, I would definitely use the stirrers. You just insert the straw into the cake wherever you want the wire, then stick the wire into the straw.

Thanks so much Ladies! Do I cut the stirrers? Can you explain to me how to do it?Do I have to add anything to the straws to make the wire stay and how do I cover the top of the stirrer up or the hole from it?

Thanks again,
Jamie

One word of caution: I would *never* stick wires straight into the cake! I generally use a piece of drinking straw, fill it with some fondant, stick the wires in it and then stick the straw into the cake. This helps prevent any reaction or contamination between the cake and the wires, and holds the wires in place so they do not fall to the sides, cutting into the fondant.

I have also been told by many people never to put wires straight into cakes, I always put them into a posy pick (I don't know if it called the same in the US a it is in UK) they cme in a few sizes and i put a bit of fondant in them to stop the wires moving.
Hope this helps