I need some help with my next project please! I think I want to make for my upcoming Harley cake some flames that are not flat against the cake. I'd like to fold them such that there would be some dimension to them, then place them against the bottom tier.
I'm not sure fondant alone is up to the job. I've read where you can mix fondant with gumpaste 50/50, and I've heard you can add Tylose to the fondant. I've never done either.
What happens to the fondant in either case? Does one make it stronger than the other? Does either render the fondant inedible? Which would you recommend?
And last, how far ahead should I and can I make these flames with either mixture?
Thanks in advance for any help.
I just think if you don't have Tylose on hand all the time, it's just as easy to use the 50/50 combo of fondant and gumpaste. Or, for flames as you described, you can go straight gumpaste. It just depends on whether or not you expect people to remove them from the cake or try to eat them. If you think they would remove them, then make them from straight gumpaste which will dry hard like a plaque so you can easily paint on it, or however you plan to color them. The gumpaste/fondant mixture will take longer to dry hard to pressure points like markers. If you are going to make them with precolored materials is should not matter which you use.
As to when you can start... any time. Both of these methods will last, once dry, for a very long time. If I know I'm working with them in a matter of weeks, I just place them in cardboard boxes and let them sit in the room in which I work for further drying out time. If I'm not going to use something for months and simply was able to make items such as flowers ahead of time, I put them in a box layered between tissue paper.
HTH!
That helped enormously! Thank you so much.
Maybe you can help with my next question: How would you paint such a thing? With petal dust/alcohol? With markers? I don't even know what options are available!
Thanks again.
You can paint with food color (gel) diluted with vodka or lemon extract. Petal dust is fine as well - again diluted with vodka.
I just see a flame as something that would look great with the colors slightly running together and would probably go with the gels in appropriate colors.
Thanks so much! It's great to have help from experienced cakers! I just got the entiree set of Americolor - not one bottle opened yet. That's about to change!
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