Hi,

just after a bit if advice please, how far in advance do you make your fondant figures before the cake? I have my 2 daughters birthdays coming up and I know what I want to put on the cakes... The parties are in 4 weeks. Is it too soon to make the figures now? Also I gave read alot of posts about gluing the figures to the cake and there's alot of different oppinions. I have some edible glue will that stick the dry figures to the cakes?

Thanks for any advice you can give, alex )

Depending on the detail of the figures and time you have available to work on them, you could start working on them 2-3 weeks before the cake is due. The figures won't go "bad" if that's what you're worried about.

I usually try to make figures at least a week in advance to give them a chance to dry adequately (also, if you are going to paint or airbrush them at all, it's helpful to let them dry properly). ALso, allow adequate time for them to dry AFTER painting etc.

After they've dried to your satisfaction, they should stay good in a tupperware type container.

As for "glue" I use royal icing if I'm attaching fondant pieces to a fondant covered cake. Depending on the size and and placement, you may need something else. If they are figures of people or animals, you may need to attach with a toothpick or skewer or something more substantial.

Those are just a few thoughts. Hope something is helpful for you.

I make my figures at least a week in advance.I attach them to my fondant covered cake with a fondant/water mixture,it is thick like glue.

I use chocolate or wilton's candy melts to attach my figures to the cake. It set's up way faster than most edible glues and it's super strong too.

I agree with all the above, but another suggestion is to cover a small cakeboard in fondant and attach the figures to that with some edible glue or chocolate. Then when you go to cut the cake, you can just remove the cake board the figures are attached to and save all of your hard work!

Thank you for all your responses there is some great advice there thankyou! I am going to have a bit of a play around tonight with some fondant figures. I found the fondant fairy tutorial on here and it was just what I'm looking for! I also like the idea of covering a cakeboard with fondant as well thank you.

I have only ever done one cake with fondant before( rolled fondant I mean) and it wasn't too hot. I'm hoping this one turnes out a little better!

Just another quick question when you say I might need toothpicks to hold the figures on the cake do I stick the toothpicks in the figures just after I made them? Thanks again x

Yes, you need to insert the toothpicks while the figures are still soft. If you wait until the figures have hardened to insert the toothpicks, you stand a good chance of cracking them. I use a cake dummy to my figure while I'm working on it. That way I can have the toothpick (or small skewer for a larger figure) inserted into the bottom of the figure and stick it down into the styrofoam.

I like Price's idea of putting the figures on a fondant-covered base so they can all be removed together and saved. If you don't want to put anything inedible on the cake, I've put fondant figures on a fondant plaque - a piece of fondant rolled out to about 3/8-1/2" thick and a diameter somewhat less than the size of the cake. It can be cut with a medallion cutter (a circle or oval with straight or scalloped edges, for example) and left to dry for about a week. Figures can be glued to it with melted chocolate, RI or tylose glue, and it can be taken off the cake by running a knife between it and the icing or fondant covering on the cake.

I agree with everything too except storing in a tupperware or plastic container. A cardboard box would be better out of daylight and stored in a cool dry room, cupboard or shelf...not in a fridge. Plastic containers can make your paste sweat depending on the environment. Also, if you're using a cake card to create your design onto, use dowels in the cake to support it as the weight of the design might sink into the cake and also to preserve the cake covering, keeping it intact. Piping around the card or board with a decorative royal icing piping trim should be enough to hold the design in place and can easily be broken off to remove the design before cutting the cake.

So true about the supports, Aine2. I made a spectacular (for me, LOL) fondant piano with ribbon roses and little musical notes pouring out of it and put it on an unsupported fondant plaque. It was so heavy it fell apart and sank into the cake! It was for my granddaughter, and she was very cool about it, but I SO it wanted to wow her with it!

i've done a few figures, and through trial and error (mostly error) i have found that using toothpicks for smaller figures works great, i usually model them, ie a head, and then skewer with a toothpick and put a dab of tylose glue on it and attach it to the body. i also stick bamboo skewers into the legs and stand the figure up and on/in a florists oasis plastic covered block. HTH

Hi guys thanks so much for all your advice there!

So I started making my fondant fairy last night. Unfortunatly she looks more like a fondant lady of the night so I think Ill have to try again tonight.

When you say put dowles (sp) into the cake for support do you mean just under the figures? Im slightly stressed today as my daughter has informed me she has 44 kids in her class she wants to invite and she has some others friends in other classes she wants to invite as well. OMG!! So I think Ill have to do a 2 tier cake or I might not have enough. I have found a cake that I would like to TRY to recreate... if I post a link would you please be able to give me any advice on how I could do it? I am nervous but strangely looking forward to a challenge!

Also when you say cardboard under the cake do you mean ordinary cardboard? Sorry I must sound really thick, I have been googling away but I am still a littler confused.

Thanks so much again I really appreciate it! x

Ok here is the link hope it works!

http://blog.pinkcakebox.com/fairy-themed-birthday-cake-2009-04-21.htm


What do you think? Do I stand a chance? I think covering the cake in fondant will be my biggest task as I havent had much experience ( 1 shocking cake). Am I out of my league? x

Ckks, have you considered not covering the cakes in fondant? This cake would look equally nice in buttercream (green, of course) with fondant accents. Also, if you continue to feel overwhelmed, you could get some toy fairies to put on the cake (just as a back up plan maybe). I think if you do the grass, mushrooms, flowers in fondant it will still be a beautiful cake. (And you may be able to get a little bit of sleep in the couple of days leading up to the party!)

Good luck!

Hi karabeal thanks for your reply,

Buttercream does sound like it could be easier. The cake I am planning to do will have ganache on it as well do you know if I am able to put buttercream on top of that?

Also will the fondant stick ok to the buttercream? I guess they would as buttercream dries doesnt it so they would be glued?

Thanks for your advice xx

Holy cow...fondant figure advice from Aine2??? You just got advice from the queen of fondant modeling! I love your work Lorraine and I read your blog regularly! As I was reading I was going to suggest going to her blog for some inspiration and some tutorials. Then I saw her post and her blog link is right there for you. She has some great information there - check it out!

Adhering fondant decorations to buttercream is straightforward. Just moisten the back of the fondant decoration with a little water (a paint brush works well for this) and then stick the grass or mushroom or whatever on the buttercream.

Unfortunately, I've never worked with ganache (it's on my list of fun things to try!) so I have no idea whether you can smear buttercream on top of ganache. I've heard such great things about ganache, and if you are already comfortable with that medium, what about making a white chocolate ganache, tinted green, and then adhering the fondant decorations on top of that? It would be tasty (ganache), look smooth (ganache) and be fancy(fondant accents).