I am making my sister-in-law's 21st birthday cake for this weekend, and would love to try the damask stencil. Here's my question...do you have to use royal icing or could you just paint with food coloring mixed with a little vodka? Just seems like it would be easier. Please anyone with any experience help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Is your cake going to be fondant?

Yes, sorry, that would've been helpful to include!

I'm going to throw my $.02 in here while we wait for someone else to respond. I've stenciled on buttercream with buttercream, but haven't ever tried it on fondant.

I'm thinking that the color would be too runny and could very easily end up underneath the stencil. You could probably use an airbrush if you have one (I don't) because the color would go on in such a fine layer. Would you be putting it on with a paint brush, a sponge or what??????

I would do a test run first and just go as easy on the liquid as you can. They stencil with melted cocoa butter on the Culinary Stencils videos, so you might be able to make this work. Let me know!

personally i would do royal icing for a nicer look, its tricky though so have a practice beforehand. good luck x

Actually I think royal would be easier as it wont run and you can just spread it over the stencil. I suppose you could sponge paint over the stencil but IMO the effect wouldn't be as nice.

Thanks so much for the help. I think I will stick with the royal icing!

I actually have another suggestion, as I have a damask pattern I have been practicing with I use tinted piping gel! Keeps a shiny look! If you get a smudge, take a damp Q-tip and rub it off like you're taking off nail polish Works like a charm I really hope there are periods at the end of my sentences, because I'm not seeing them on my screen

And yes, I'm talking about black on white fondant Looks like patent leather!

And for sure, a runny liquid just doesn't cut it. And stippling it on with a stenciling/stippling brush looks hideous. Just my opinion, as I tried it and quit after the first couple of passes.

I've used the damask stencil with black royal on white fondant. It's actually pretty easy to do. Just be sure to clean the icing off of the stencil every time. It's a pain but it keeps the royal from transferring where you don't want it to go on your cake. LOL

I would practice just a little bit to get the feel for it but it's pretty easy to do.

Jamie, do you buy colored piping gel? I would love to see a picture - it is looking great in my mind!

You know what....I saved one on Picnik, let me fix it and I'll upload. It's just a mock up practice run for a bride to see at a tasting last weekend.

Here ya go. It's not as clean as it will be when I'm done tinkering, but it was really just to see how the overall effect will look. And this is a dummy cake. Not bad for the first go round! But see how shiny?? It's cool!

And no, I color my own piping gel.

Oh my! beautiful cake...I love the effect with the piping gel Jamie. Did you have to use quite a bit of black dye to get it colored that dark?
So glad I found this post...Maybe someone can clear up some questions I have about stenciling...Recently I had a cake with scrolls and I ended up doing them freehand because the stencils I found at Hobby Lobby didn't work so great (okay so I'm sure it was just me lol!). I tried to transfer the scroll pattern with piping gel (clear) and couldn't get it to work with my stencil. I think the stencil might have been too large as the pipiing gel was kind of smearing around. Maybe I'm just not precise or careful enough because I can't seem to get this down....Is it worth it to by the culinary stencils. With royal icing when using the stencil doesn't it dry really hard causing kind of a gross texture when someone bites into it...No experience w royal icing...Sorry didn't mean to hijack the post...

I don't think I could use RI either, for the reason you described. Maybe it doesn't get to that hard crackly stage, but I just don't even like the appearance of it period.

Nope, not much black at all, like half a squeeze on the bottle (Americolor).

The ones I have, are from Designer Stencils, it's the floral applique set, or whatever I forget already. Expensive little suckers. I don't see any difference between them and the stencils you get at the hobby shop....other than the great level of detail from Designer Stencils, BUT as far as thickness of plastic...I don't see a diff.

A good tip, if you can, have another set of hands hold them on to the cake for you while you stencil. Really helps.

Silly question, but what do you use to apply the piping gel? A brush or a sponge? I'm trying to stencil some flowers on my flip flop cake and just food coloring and vodka was not working. Thanks.

I have various sizes of acetate cards, small as credit cards, big as index cards, and I apply it like you would if you were using a spatula, only you have greater control, and maneuverability, being able to use your fingertips to gauge pressure.

How do you get a repeating pattern so close without smudging??? Especially if piping gel is used??


cakeymom

Very carefully. And I allow it set a bit first. If the stencil has to rest on some of the design that's still wet, it's ok. Just gotta be careful when remving, that you don't smudge the existing stencil work. Sometimes I have to go back and do some repair work. It's not an exact science that's for sure.

I want to stencil so bad a similar design but haven't attempted it yet because I am afraid to!! I don't know why.... it just intimidates me to no end.... need to buckle down and give it a try

Jamie, that cake is beautiful! You have some fantastic advice!

Thanks sweet! And like I said, that pic/dummy example is really rough, I know how to make it even cleaner. I definitely love love love the way the piping gel looks, as opposed to dry flat RI.

That good ole' Wilton kind, that you can get in a little tub about the size of a carton of sour cream.

Jamie: How long does the piping gel take to dry? Is it sticky at all? Easy to smudge? I LOVE the look of it!

Well, to set to tacky, meaning if you touch your finger to it, and it doesn't pull up, about 10 or 15 minutes. But it is still very much gooey underneath. I'll be honest with ya, it is tricky. But I like the look, and therefore will put up with the hassle, rather than have it look "so so" when done.

I keep a pack of cotton swabs nearby and a little dish of water. I swab away mistakes immediately, and you'd never know they were there. Additionally, if I need to fill in somewhere, I'll dab piping gel with a paint brush to fill in areas.

your cake is beautiful, but isn't the royal icing rock had like it usually, i'm wondering why not using fondant cut outs, thanks

Lol nina...look at how small some of the areas are. It would take a week straight of no other work than cutting out all of that detail work. Wow wow wow.....now I know this person DID exactly that, I asked her, but nah, no thanks!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_WgYFFhw7dcs/SLLT8L3L99I/AAAAAAAAAjs/Wkufu_eDBzY/s320/black+damask+cake.jpg

Did you see the finished product, I mean the real cake, not just the little example I posted a week ago? It's on the front page now....most saved cakes!

I am not that experienced in stencilling but there are a few things I have learnt while practicing. I have realised that when you dye royal icing black, it looks actually dark blue on the day. It will turn black the next day, therefore do your royal icing a day or two in advance. I use 'black extra' colour. No matter how many times I have tried, I can't keep the stencil in place when trying to stencil a round cake and it is very tricky. I am now going to attempt doing 4 stencilled panels and attaching it onto a buttercream covered cake which may be easier as I am stencilling on the work top and it will stay in place.