I was just asked to make this cake, but I'm not really sure how this cake was made. I would love some input! The bride really likes the "sketched" look of the cake.

- This is a buttercream exterior cake, right? (vs. fondant)
- What technique was used to make the red background?
- What technique was used to do the blue flowers?
- What kind of "ink" was used for the coloring?
- The outlines of the flowers are royal icing, right? What about the dots?

Thanks! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Guessing here but it looks like fondant panels here for the background colors. Then colored royal brushed on for the blue and then outlined in white royal. And, yes, the little dots look like royal as well but could be a buttercream trim.

I've done that cake, but in different colors. It can easily be done in all buttercream. Obviously, color the buttercream, or I suppose you could airbrush the background color on. I'm not too handy with the airbrush.

Then you use a small spatula to smear on the "flower petals." Then outline in either bc or royal. It's all freehand, there's no right or wrong way to do it, and if you just relax its REALLY fast.

I've done it too. I covered it regularly in fondant, then topped with a square of white. Add the piped borders and it crisps the whole thing up. I painted my flowers with airbrush coloring then outlined with royal.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1000283

Wow, this is an interesting cake!
I think catlharper is right, but I think the red/orange color is brushed on too. Ive never heard (or seen) this technique before but I am still a newbie to cake decorating. I do have lots of experience with painting. This is how I would guess you could replicate the cake:
- Cover the cake in fondant (if you look at the top edges of each tier, they look like fondant to me),
- mix two colors of royal icing (using regular gel food coloring) and thin both of them down to a thick acrylic paint-like consistency, and then paint the back ground and the flowers with a flat artist brush. I imagine if the color is not opaque enough you could wait for the first coat to dry and then reapply as necessary.
- Then outline/embellish in white royal with a tip 3.

I think I might try this technique too, to see if it works! Good luck!

Wow! Love this. It is different. Will want to give it a try. My question is do you stack the cake first and then paint the flower?

Auntginn...I don't know about others but there is no way I could paint the flower accurately without stacking the cakes first! LOL!

Yes, I "dry stacked." That is I placed the cakes on their cardboards onto the SPS plates, painted the flowers and then removed the cakes for transport. It was just a matter of lining things up at the venue.

pretty cake.

And for mine, yes I did stack it then paint it. I travel with mine stacked,so no issue.

Thanks!! That was really helpful - I never even thought of using RI to paint. Plus, I couldn't even tell it was fondant, but I do think you're right after looking at it closer.

Any other input would be greatly appreciated!

I've always loved this cake, I've seen several variations of it. Thanks for the tips on "how to" -- now I'm inspired to try my own!