I am a novice in cake decoration & was planning to make a basket cake, could some1 please advise me on how i can make a handle for the basket.I wanna make something that resembles the handles of a basket that they use for easter eggs.I guess i need to make it with fondant. I just wanna know how do i make an arch of the handle & ensure that it remains firm & doesn't collapse. I haven't used gumpaste before.

when i made the handle for the basket in my pics i used a thin piece of card measured to how big i wanted the handle attached it to the cake where the handle was going to sit and then draped the gumpaste over it until it dried. then just removed the card and secured the handle in place. gumpaste is not heavy enough to distort the card and it worked out perfectly for me
hope this helps

I made a basket handle using royal icing. There's a pattern on Wilton that you can download and use the rope border (I think tip 22). The pattern is made for an 8" round but you could enlarge it or modify it for a different shape cake too. The cake is in my gallery if you want to see what it looks like. Oh, the handle was very strong (I put small pieces of straw into the bottom of the handle to stick into the cake) and it long outlived the cake!

agroeve - Thanks a lot for ur prompt response .I liked the handle you made but I haven't used gumpaste before so do not know how to go about using it.Is it ok if I try making it with fondant to which a little gumtex is added?


cherrycakes - Thanks for your response. I loved the design on ur handle. Since u've mentioned its made from Royal Icing, I'm wondering if the pattern on it is on both sides of the handle.

Is this the link you said I need to use to make the handle
http://www.wilton.com/downloads/patterns/Brilliant%20Basket%20Handle.pdf

hiya again, not sure what gumtex is as i'm from the uk. if its the same as cmc or tylose then yes.
i actually made that handle with my own make modelling paste which has a royal icing base lol

make a batch of stiff peak royal icing then sprinkle on 3-4 spoonfuls of gum tragacanth leave to sit covered with a damp cloth for 10 mins then stir and it will start to bind together. you will then be able to mould it like gumpaste. i used a clay gun with a rope end on and squeezed it out and laid it over the card. simple as that really.

hope this makes sense

Hi! Here's the link for the handle. I printed it, taped it to a cookie sheet and then taped wax paper on top. Then I piped the rope, let it dry for a day then turned it over and did the piping on the following the piping from the front. Hope that makes sense!


http://www.wilton.com/downloads/patterns/pb1984_30a.pdf

If yo don't mind it being inedible...I did (a small one) just simply twisted two long 'snakes' of fondant around a wire...my Easter cake pic - on small basket...Then dipped ends of wire in chocolate before poking into cake. not sure that will help you with a larger basket, though...