Any Suggestions For Making The Planks For A Wooden Barrel

Decorating By ThisNameInUse Updated 13 Apr 2009 , 2:40pm by FlourPots

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ThisNameInUse Posted 28 Mar 2009 , 12:31am
post #1 of 24

I am making a beer bottle cake with the wooden barrel.

I was going to make the plank boards out of fondant but I am afraid they won't be stiff enough to stand up.

I've done a search, but haven't found any details on actually making the barrel or planks, so if someone can point me in the direction of a thread, or toss me out some ideas, that would be great. Any ideas about achieving the wood grain look would be really helpful, too.

Thanks~ icon_smile.gif

23 replies
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Price Posted 28 Mar 2009 , 12:52am
post #2 of 24

How much time do you have before the cake is due? If you want to make individual planks, if you add some tylose to your fondant if will help it to harden for you. Roll the fondant out a little larger than you want a plank to be. Using a veining tool, make lines in the fondant to look like wood grain. let the fondant dry for about 48 hours and then very carefully cut it the the size and shape you want the plank to be. You will need to work gently and carefully so you don't break the planks, but you can attach them to your cake with melted chocolate.

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ThisNameInUse Posted 28 Mar 2009 , 1:12am
post #3 of 24

It's not due until April 4th.

I was going to cover the whole cake with CMMF, and then attach the planks to that,...do you think that will work?

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Price Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 1:15am
post #4 of 24

Yes, that should work.

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luvsfreebies72 Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 1:18am
post #5 of 24

there are tolos in hardware stores that help you acheive a wood-grain look with paint - maybe that would work with the fondant. they are rubber or silicone I believe

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Tona Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 1:26am
post #6 of 24

Check at global sugar art. they have a impression mat that makes the wood gain look. Nicholas Lodge also sells them.

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KellBell22 Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 3:42am
post #7 of 24

I was going to make planks for a cake I'm working on next week, and my friend was adamant about not using fondant. So I was going to try and mold them out of chocolate from a treasure box mold I have. And then attach them with frosting. I'm not sure it will work, but that's another idea for you. HTH

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poohsmomma Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 12:47pm
post #8 of 24

I made a barn with individual planks attached. I cut the fondant planks out of plain fondant-no GP-and attached them. They stuck and held up well. (I was sticking them to a RKT form, though) There is a pic in my photos if you want to see how they looked. (Jack's Farm Cake)

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Allidsk8 Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 2:18pm
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I used vodka and brown coloring paste for the barrel on my bunny cake ans it came out pretty good. Ended up looking weathered. I just painted it on gumpaste planks with a paint brush and let it dry. Hope it helps icon_biggrin.gif

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ThisNameInUse Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 2:26pm
post #10 of 24

I've looked at the barrel pics over and over and there are so many options about how to make it...that I've confused myself about which way to try it...LOL

In my head, I can do it!...In reality, this is only my 4th cake. I'm overthinking it and making myself a nervous wreck.

I would love to have some of the impression matts, but as this point I can't spend any more money on anything. I have been cut off. LOL Someday, I *will* have them! (although, secretly last night, I sent my daughter out to pick me up another 12" cake pan. She is my baking accomplice) icon_cool.gif

I was at Hobby Lobby and Micheals' last week, and they didn't have any woodgraining tools. I thought that was strange because I know I've seen them before.

Your farm cake is so cute, poohsmomma! I loveeeee the horses!

I am so addicted to this website. Yesterday, I have NINE different windows open and they were all CC, except for one...which was FB...LOL

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ThisNameInUse Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 2:27pm
post #11 of 24

Thanks for all your help!

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cambo Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 2:33pm
post #12 of 24

I've made a beer cake in a wooden tub and my planks were fondant. I just cut them out, veined them with a sharp tool (like a knife or tip of a spatula) and let them dry nice and hard. Although I used my airbrush to add dark lines/details to them, if I made them again I would probably paint them on with my color gels...and make the planks a little darker brown to start. I attached them to my buttercream covered cake with buttercream and they held great! I think I have a picture in my gallery of the cake! Good luck to you!

*edited to add: the picture is on my gallery second page, 5th row down

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ThisNameInUse Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 2:51pm
post #13 of 24

That's awesome, cambo!

I see Bengals cakes! Are you in Ohio, too?

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cb_one Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 3:01pm
post #14 of 24

I've done a couple cakes in the shape of a Barrel. i'm not sure if its what your looking for but I stacked 8" rounds about 1' high. then I carved it into the shape somewhat. I then rolled out 2 different shades of Fondant, colored it with brown coloring and lemon extract. Then I took a veining tool and made the lines to make it look like wood.
I cut strips about 2" wide and just attached them to the cake. They didn't stick straight up, maybe thats what your looking for, but it's in my pics. if you have time to take a look.

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ThisNameInUse Posted 29 Mar 2009 , 3:09pm
post #15 of 24

That is so cool!

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zdebssweetsj Posted 31 Mar 2009 , 11:32pm
post #16 of 24

I've made planks from hershey candy bars. Warm oven, place candy bars on parchment paper , put them in the warm oven just long enough for the bar to soften. Remove the pan I used my angled spatula to texture the planks, you can even pull the edge of the planks slightly up the side of the pan to give it a slight curve. I have a picture in my photos called garden party.

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ThisNameInUse Posted 6 Apr 2009 , 6:03pm
post #17 of 24

I ended up rolling out fondant that I had colored a dark tannish color, and cutting it with a pizza cutter to the widths and lengths I wanted to make the planks. Then I used a toothpick to make the woodgrain design, and then used a knife and sorta bounced it on the fondant all over to make it have a rustic look. I first covered the cake with chocolate buttercream, and then attched each piece plank to the cake. I made the length of the planks long enough to roll over the top of the tray and attached it with buttercream also. I let the cake sit for a bit, and then with a 1 inch brush, I painted the grain with brown coloring and watered down brown coloring so I could get a variation in the woodgrain. I was nervous to start painting it, but just went for it, and it ended up being super easy.

Thank you for all of your help and suggestions! Mucho appreciated! icon_wink.gif

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thecook Posted 12 Apr 2009 , 10:24pm
post #18 of 24

There is something I can't figure out about letting the planks dry hard. Can you cut through them and serve with the cake or do they need to be removed before serving? Probably a dumb question, but I can't see how they would be edible if they are rock hard. Thanks

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piscesbleue36 Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 6:08am
post #19 of 24

sorry...wrong log in name....it was my daughters and not mine...lol she didn't log off....

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CakeRN Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 6:14am
post #20 of 24

I did a beer bucket cake with the wooden bucket. It was really the first time I worked with fondant. I colored my fondant a pinkish color and then cut strips which ended up stretching to beat hell....so I turned them under at the top and they just kind of stuck to the icing on the top and sides of the cake. Then I took some Ivory coloring and brown and mixed a bit of vodka with them ( 2 seperate bowls) and just painted them on to look like wood grain. I then cut black fondant for the barrel to wrap around them. I think it turned out good...it's in my photo's.... When I made that cake I didn't really know about GUM paste or tylose....so it did turn out ok even with all the stuff I didn't know.

Teri ( ok...somehow I got on my daughters sign in which is piscesbleue36 instead of my own which is Cakern...I don't think she logged out to begin with and I didn't remember that I hadn't logged in)...

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FlourPots Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 1:01pm
post #21 of 24

Wow...your planks came out so great.


Quote:
Originally Posted by ThisNameInUse

then used a knife and sorta bounced it on the fondant all over to make it have a rustic look.





Do you mean you made little nics with the tip of the blade??

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ThisNameInUse Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 1:45pm
post #22 of 24

I wasn't sure about making the planks standing straight up. I like the look of them standing straight up but I was wondering about how you would cut through it, or just peel them off and then cut the cake...but mostly I was afraid of using the tylose because I've never used anything like that. I was scared. LOL

I used the true black marshamllow fondant I found on here for black. My entire family tested it out before adding the black, and it was like eating a tootsie roll...YUMMY!

Flourpot, yeah just the tip of the blade to make nics...however I did forget to do it on a few of the planks.

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poohthebear Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 2:03pm
post #23 of 24

You can get a wood looking vein tool at the hardware and lumber stores. Look in the paint department

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FlourPots Posted 13 Apr 2009 , 2:40pm
post #24 of 24

Got it, thanks icon_smile.gif .

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