Hiya all! 
Fairly new to the cake decorating, and will be attempting my first cake in September (Nans 80th). I wanted to do her a nice simple cake and jazz it up a bit with swirly wires and fondant stuck on the end of wires, springing from the middle of the cake (If that makes sense?!). I have been looking about and the ones I find have different gauges? Can anyone shed some light on this for me and tell me what gauge i would need?!
Thanks muchly xx
The gauge depends on how heavy the decoration will be at the end. As long as the wire is strong enought to hold it up without bending then it is good. I know many decorators use florist wire. I used a wire from the jewelry section in the one in my photos(zebra stripe). I lost the sticker that had the gauge marked on it, but it is as low as I would go. If my decoration had been much heavier it wouldn't have worked. I think it was 12 gauge but not sure. Hopefully someone out there has numbers for you.
I use 20 gauge wire that you can find in the florist dept. I usually wrap it around a pencil, fat marker or small rolling pin to get it in the shape I want. Make sure to leave about 2 inches of the wire straight so that you can stick it in the cake. I put drink straws in the top of my cake then put the wire with the fondant ball in it. That way it won't tear your cake.
Check out my pictures.....black and blue wedding cake was done that way.
If you dip the end of the wire into white chocolate, it makes the wire "food safe".
But what if the chocolate breaks off into the cake? Then the wire is touching the cake.
There was a big discussion about this not too long ago about wire in cakes. I wish someone would just start making "cake wire" so we wouldn't have to dink around with straws and whatnot. I used a straw on my MIL's birthday cake and then when it came time to cut the cake, I had nothing to take the straw out with. It was my first time doing that and I didn't think ahead. Had to dig my fingers into the cake. So I got that slice. After that I read someone on here always keeps needle nose pliers in their cake kits so they can easily remove the straws.
Here's the discussion I think you were referring to Rose_N_Crantz about sticking wires directly into cakes:
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-632290-wire.html
I, too, wish someone would make food-safe cake wire to save us the trouble of using straws.
Maybe some smart entrepreneur is in the process!
It bothers the crap out of me to see so many cakes with wires stuck directly in them. That's a dirty, dangerous practice.
Oh wow girls your cakes are wonderful! I am hoping to keep it pretty simple but effective! Have chosen a square cake, and got a little purple bear wearing a party have for the figuirine so hopefully it will be OK
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