Hi there,
At the moment if i am securing things onto a cake (such as a fondant bow or folding butterflies) I make up some icing with egg white and icing sugar and pipe on some "blobs" where I need them to go. If it's something small I have used alcohol with a brush but things like the butterflies need to be more secure. So my question is - are there any shortcuts/alternatives to this method. I am a newbie at this wonderful "cake thing" and have about 3 cakes to do most weekends. But often I find myself mixing a whole quantity of icing to pipe just one small thing. It seems wasteful as i might not use it again that week. Could buttercream be used if I had some spare, or is there something i could buy like icing gel or pens ( I have heard of these but not sure if they are just for painting on details.)
Thank you,
Finola

You can use a bit of melted chocolate or white chocolate or candy melts.

I use chocolate to hold bows together, but gum glue (tylose and water) for most other things.

My cake instructor taught me to use a small amt of gumpaste, dissolve in hot water and let cool - I think tylose and water is the same thing. According to old hands just using water works for most things (sugar sticks to sugar love).

Water, bc, royal icing, edible glue, chocolate, all good options, depends what your trying to stick together.
xx

I am doing a 4 tier cake with rice paper butterflies and was wondering the same thing

When I made my "Gone to the Dogs" cake, the ears on my chocolate lab kept falling off. I melted one chocolate chip in the microwave and glued them back on. Nice and easy. I need to keep some white chocolate chips on hand in case I have something that just won't stick.

Thanks for all those tips. So informative. Just went out to buy white chocolate but loce the idea of choc chips too. Will be buying edible glue next order. Thanks everyone.

I just started using melted chocolate and I love it! It is so easy and hardens very quickly!

I have been using melted chocolate, also. I put it is a plastic piping bag, micro it on medium heat (keep an eye on it so you don't over heat it.) Then I cut off a small tip and use it from the bag. When I am finished, I just flatten the bag out and keep it for the next time. Since I have several color of chocolate melts, I always what I need on hand.

you dont need to buy edible glue - use the variations above to make it your self. much cheaper! I keep the dried up bits of fondant/ gumpaste just for that purpose.
xx

I have a question...Can you use Piping Gel...Curious

Thank you

I make up a batch of gum glue (tylose mixed with warm water), and keep it in a small squeeze bottle in my fridge. Then it's all ready to go whenever I need it.

What about securing things (like, for example, heavier fondant roses) to the SIDES of cakes, and not have them pointing downward at the end of the day?

(i.e. when creating a tiered cake with roses cascading down it)