I have a wedding cake to make that will be buttercream and the bride wants ribbon made of fabric wrapped around the base of each tier. How do I prevent the ribbon from soaking up the oil from the icing. I dont want the ribbon to look greasy.

I don't usually have a problem just wrapping it around the cake but some people like to irin wax paper on one side to prevent it from having any problems.

Either use double sided satin ribbon or you can line the back with parchment using double sided tape to make a layer or parchment (or wax paper) between the ribbon and the cake-if that makes sense.

If you let the cake set up all night and crust well, then you can put the ribbon on the next day without soaking up the oil. I have done this alot.

I run a strip of wax paper that is just a teensy bit smaller than the ribbon around the cake and then attach the ribbon to the wax paper, and itself, with a dot of buttercream or royal icing to secure. Works very well.

Thanks everyone these tips have been most helpful