I saw the post on how to paint on fondant with gel/powdered food colors but I had a question about the evaporation. I'm making a birthday cake for a 3 year old that's going to require some extensive painting and the parents are concerned about the use of vodka on the cake. I know that there is evaporation that occurs, but does the actual alcohol content evaporate? If not, what do you suggest I use?
The alcohol evaporates. The water does too...that's how the paint ends up drying. You can use clear vanilla or lemon extracts if that sounds more appealing to the parents...they have alcohol too which will evaporate. The reason people use vodka is that it's a lot cheaper than extracts when you're doing a lot of painting. When the paint is totally dry, then you know that there's no alcohol (or water) left on the fondant.
When my daughter was doing her school cake, she was painting with vodka but we didn't want to say vodka on something that was going to school so she just described it as "extract".
You know, alcohol is alcohol, no matter what "vehicle" you put it in--booze or extracts.
Good lemon extract has over 80% alcohol in it, making it 160 proof, and good vanilla extract runs a bit over 50%, making it 100 proof.
When alcohol is exposed to air, it evaporates at a rapid rate. If you use it to paint with, it will be gone in no time.
Rae
take a shot of vodka, paint the cake.......and tell them it's a special mix of paint you came up with especially for cakes 
Taaa Daaa! They think your the best thing since sliced bread because you have your own "special paint" LOL
Texas Rose is right on - use the extract if they are so bothered. I used vodka to paint my Pooh cake and trust me, there is no alcohol or even an aftertaste of alcohol - it all evaporates! I also really like Kelli's take on the whole thing....shot of vodka, yes! LOL!
I use everclear myself and I would not have a problem serving the cake to a minor or a child. The amount you will be using is not that much no matter how much painting you are doing.
Leave a little of the vodka in a dish on the cabinet and come back to it in a little while and see how much of it is left.
Everclear evaporates away before I can finish using it somethings.
I'm with everyone else on this one too. I use vodka on children's cakes all the time and have never had an issue... 
i am an everclear girl through and through. but too find that it evaporates so fast that i have to reanimate my paints with more everclear frequently. dries fast, and tatestless.
to those that have used the lemon extract, i have tried it and my paint never totally dries. What did i do wrong? any suggestions? i have a friend who is allergic to alcohol and need a different medium to paint with for his cake.
even though the everclear evaporates i really dont want to chance sending my friend into A-shock.
extracts actually have more alcohol in them than vodka!!! i use vodka to attach my fondant to my ganached cake as well as for painting or washing the icing and probably a million other things, think about it, if you left a teaspoon of vodka in a glass and it evaporated (which it would) and you tried to drink it how drunk would you get? i find vodka way better than anything too high in alcohol as i mix with powdered colour and the high alcohol content mixers such as decorators alcohol (almost pure alchol) or essences change the colour of the dyes, it needs some water content which vodka has to keep the colours true
You know, alcohol is alcohol, no matter what "vehicle" you put it in--booze or extracts.
Good lemon extract has over 80% alcohol in it, making it 160 proof, and good vanilla extract runs a bit over 50%, making it 100 proof.
Rae
True , when I was in highschool there was a problem with kids buying pure vanilla and drinking it.
Whether they actually got drunk I don't know but the stores starting locking up there extracts with high alcohol volume.
I use vodka by the way.
It dries up and leaves my dusts or colors in the bottom of the cup, ready to go for the next time I need them, just add more vodka.
True , when I was in highschool there was a problem with kids buying pure vanilla and drinking it.
My friends and I tried that when Kroger's went out of business and had all of their extracts marked down to ten cents. All that was left when we were there was peppermint extract.
Let me just say, that is not the way to go 
And my parents were taking a bunch of us on a trip to the beach and they couldn't figure out why the smell of peppermint was coming from the back of the station wagon every so often (when someone farted). We were so sick.
I don't like using extracts to paint or glue with--especially if I'm working for a while, because the alcohol starts evaporating and the flavoring keeps getting more and more intense (but I'm slow.) I realize most people don't eat fondant, but if someone does there can be spots of really strong, bitter flavor.
True , when I was in highschool there was a problem with kids buying pure vanilla and drinking it.
My friends and I tried that when Kroger's went out of business and had all of their extracts marked down to ten cents. All that was left when we were there was peppermint extract.
Let me just say, that is not the way to go
And my parents were taking a bunch of us on a trip to the beach and they couldn't figure out why the smell of peppermint was coming from the back of the station wagon every so often (when someone farted). We were so sick.
maybe I should give some peppermint extract to hubby that would at least smell a lot better!
True , when I was in highschool there was a problem with kids buying pure vanilla and drinking it.
My friends and I tried that when Kroger's went out of business and had all of their extracts marked down to ten cents. All that was left when we were there was peppermint extract.
Let me just say, that is not the way to go
And my parents were taking a bunch of us on a trip to the beach and they couldn't figure out why the smell of peppermint was coming from the back of the station wagon every so often (when someone farted). We were so sick. maybe I should give some peppermint extract to hubby that would at least smell a lot better!
OMG this is so funny!!!
I'm a Everclear person too. Gosh I remember drinking that stuff a couple of times and I remember it will eat the bottom out of a Mcdonalds cup...seriously! I wouldn't touch it now as far as drinking it. But our insides should have been disinfected well.
I remember soaking maraschino cherries in Everclear and eating them, we called them "Cherry Bombs"...good times good times
to those that have used the lemon extract, i have tried it and my paint never totally dries. What did i do wrong? any suggestions? i have a friend who is allergic to alcohol and need a different medium to paint with for his cake.
Tesso, check with your friend because as others mentioned extracts do have alcohol in them. I don't know if there is differences in the kinds and how the allergies work there.
I love airbrush colors for paint with. You can see the skate board cake in my photos was down with airbrush colors. They are already thinned down and dry to the touch. They could be an option.
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