Hello all! I am new to the forum, but i thought this would be the best place to ask for help. I am making my sons birthday cake tomorrow, this will be the first time i am stacking cakes and using fondant, so:

I sketched the cake and colored, so i will have a go to guide. I am planning the bottom layer to be a 4 layer 10" and the top tier will be a 2 layer 9".
*Do I need to support the cake, or will it be okay on its own?
* Can i use 7 minute frosting to fill and dirty ice the cake before applying the fondant?
* I plan to decorate the cake with fondant cutouts, but i would also like to hand draw some things. Should i use RI or can i just add food coloring to the 7 min. icing?
last question: Is it a pain in the butt to add coloring to fondant after it is made and set? I don't want to have to make a whole batch of red if i only need a small amount...

thank you all for taking the time to read my rant, all help is greatly appreciated!!

Welcome to CakeCentral!

Yes, you will need support under the 9" cake. Dowels or large straws under the cake board should work well.

You need to use a crusting icing under the fondant. I'm not sure if 7 minute icing does crust. ("dirty ice" lol, somebody's been watching cake boss )

You can color royal icing or frosting using gel food colors (don't use the liquid kind). To color fondant, just apply a small amount of the gel color (with a toothpick) and knead, knead, knead! You can separate the fondant into smaller sections if you don't need a lot. Some places you can buy pre-dyed fondant. Red is a very hard color to achieve, it's easier to start with a chocolate mmf.

Good luck!

Isn't 7 minute frostnig kind of marshmallow-y? I've seen it used on coconut cakes. If so, it is not a good icing for decoratng with. Too sticky and hard to smooth. But, it would definitely be ok to fill the cakes with. I would recommend using a standard buttercream icing to frost and decorate with.

@ joyfullysweet: yee I watch Cake Boss, how can you tell?? lol i like the word!
So i will fill with 7 min, DIRTY ice with buttercream
is Wilton icing color gel?? Also, i need red and brown; if i make Chocolate MMF, and add red wilton color, will it really come out red??
Thanks again, and sorry for so many questions, I just REALLY want to impress my mother in law

lol I like the term dirty ice too!

Wilton is a gel coloring. Oops on the chocolate mmf, that trick was for black not red. I think the best way to make red mmf is to mix in the color when you melt the marshmallows. Sorry for the confusion. My brain's not working today.

lol to impressing the MIL! I can relate!

I've had success makeing a small amount of red fondant by going deep pink first, then red. If you only need a small amount, you don't have to color it until afterafter it's made, just be warned that the more coloring you add, the more the fondant's texture will be affected. Also, the color will deepen over time, so when you think you're close, walk away from it a little bit to let the color develop. HTH.

awesome tips!! I have read that i shouldn't make the ch.mmf until i am ready to use it, plus i am now out of 10x....

WHO WANTS A LAUGH?? c'mon. you know you do!

Soooo i bought all the food colorings, different colors, but my red says ' no taste red' so as i was making the sky blue fondant, I thought.. 'hmm wonder what this tastes like' (bc i good cook always tastes their food) sooooo i dipped the wrong end of a spoon into the jar and wallah! No taste... hmmm i wonder 'why isnt the blue no taste blue?' WELL let me tell you! THIS STUFF DOSN'T COME OFF! I have already brushed my tounge 3 times, once using baking soda.... All of this in the last 1/2 hour....

Just my word to the wise....