i love cake decorating. but i get so upset when i c people doing cake designs with other things other then cake. like copper or wires. were the cakes are not 100% ediable. this really pisses me off. they look wonderful but it still upsets me. am i the only one who thinks this? i refuse to do a cake that is not 100% ediable.

I like all edible cakes as well, but when the customer requests wires, hand me plastic toppers etc., I just dont argue. I might offer other suggestions, but ultimately it is their cake.

Guess it is just maybe different strokes for different folks, huh?

Sometimes not every aspect of the cake decoration can be edible. Some things need to be placed on the cake for structure or support or just look better in other mediums.

To me, if a cake is not "all edible" it's kind of "cheating." For instance, I am seeing cakes now that have JEWELRY on them. I mean ANY cake can be beautiful if you put a diamond brooch on it for heaven's sake.

That said, to each his/her own. If someone doesn't mind plastic toys or jewelry on their cake, it's THEIR cake.

Think you're being a little harsh. Not everyone is confident enough to model EVERYTHING from icing and if they want to use plastic models surely it's their choice and I doubt that they are bothered if other people think they are cheating as long as the cake they produce is how they want it to look. As for wires - sometimes these are necessary for instance when making a spray of roses or other flowers.

I used a string of diamante on a Marilyn Monroe cake (diamonds are a girls best friend and all that) and an edible image that I did not make myself (I know my limitations).

I can think of much worse things to get worked up about to be honest!

CP x

I agree to an extent. I don't do cake that need the majority of it made from rkt, or pvc and stuff. Did anyone else see the episode of cake boss where he made the shark? The customer raved over how he couldn't believe that was made of cake......it wasn't! There was a small section of cake on the top in between boards! And I have seen many cakes on the most saved list that are only decorated with a few fake flowers or the broaches and ribbon- not impressive to me. But on the other hand....I would rather have a plastic toy my kid could play with than spend $20 for someone to "sculpt" a horrible rendition of the princesses that i am going to toss.

I don't have problems with putting a few things on cakes that are non-edible, I ALWAYS make a point of telling the customer that certain things need to be removed before cutting and serving. Last summer I made a wedding cake that had broaches on it- one for each tier and it "made" the cake and it was not a problem to pluck three broaches off before serving...I do have issues with cake designs that incorporate TONS of inedibles, so many to the point that when it comes time to "undress" the cake it looks like a mess of gouge marks, holes, and squashed up bits.
The one thing I won't do, is crazy 3-D cakes that requires wire frameworking,4000 toothpicks, molded rice crispy treat, PVC pipes etc..etc..Although I can truely appreciate the art and effort going into these kind of cakes, I often wonder how awful that cake must have been to serve to the guests. IMO cakes should be cut-not dismantled.

In this world of bigger and better, some of the cakes out there to me are too much. Sure you can do really cool things with cake when you have wood, copper, plastic structures holding them up. For some reason as long as you call it "structure" and coat it in something edible people don't seem to mind. Or when 3/4ths of the the 'cake' is something else, like rice crispie treats.

I try to make as much of a cake as edible as possible. It isn't always possible. If you want to get down to details, after we put wire stamens in gumpaste flowers and attach them to wires, then they really aren't edible.

I guess for me it isn't so much of an edible vs non edible issues, but when a huge portion of the cake is not longer a cake, but other things. Even the FN challenges with their "extreme" cakes are starting to annoy me.

I tend to agree that it is the client's cake and that I will make the best cake that I can for them according to their specifications. I disagree with the comment that ANY cake will look good if you place a diamond broach on it. If the fondant work is not clean or the buttercream is not smooth, it will not look good. Further, if the cake design is poor, it will not look good.

For me, a cleanly iced or fondanted cake is like a blank canvas, limited only by imagination. I have no problem incorporating jewelry into a cake design or plastic figurines, for that matter. For example, I am making a Bob the Builder cake for this weekend. Because this is a licensed character and the cake is being sold, I have no choice but to use the plastic figurines as part of the design, in addition to the fondant flowers etc that I will be making. In that case, I don't think I am "cheating"---I am complying with the law.

To each their own. This is what works for me, and I fully realize that it just might not work for someone else. I think there is room for both points of view in the caking world.

Oh I wish I hadn't come back to this! Rice Krispie Treats! MY PET HATE!!!!!!!! But hell's teeth - some of the creations made with them look awesome!!!! LOL!

CP xxx

The Food Network's Extreme cakes are getting ridiculous. Smoke, steam, fire, explosive, etc.
Sugar art is what caking is supposed to be about not dynamite!

I don't have a problem at all with a few wires, ribbons, RKT, whatever... what I DESPISE is a cake like mentioned a few posts back where it is built entirely of wood or other material, then a little layer of cake is slipped into the design somehow. The 'cake' part is only 2% of the whole design. To me, I don't think you should be able to call that a cake. Frosted wood. Fondant covered scaffolding. Whatever else you like to call it is cool, but it's not really a cake if it's not MADE of cake. Just sayin'.

I've only read the first page, and I kinda agree. I love making my cakes all edible and really feel I've achieved something when they are. But I've made cakes also (my bowls cake springs to mind) where I bought little toppers so they had something to keep as well. I do prefer to do all the modelling myself but I'm lucky that I find sculpting 'quite' easy, some people really struggle...my weak point is lettering...I'm so rubbish that I avoid writing on my cakes unless its really necessary!

I prefer to use all edible procuct on my cakes...However I am in business, which means it is all about the customer, their wants and their budget. Making a hand sculpted figure does't always fit into their budget or their vision, or like previously stated, they want a keepsake toy rather than a figurine. Sometimes a little bling is want the bride wants...who am I to tell her No because it is not edible. I posted a picture today that had a broach as an accent. Was it edible? No. did it look fabulous? Yes. Was it only because I threw on a broach? I would certainly hope not!

We all have our pet peeves, I suppose. Getting 'so upset' and 'really pissed off' about it seems a bit disproportionate to the issue, however.

You just go ahead and make your cakes however you like.

I'd like to add, kathie-d I couldn't agree more with what you said. Some people hate sheet cakes and think edible images are lame or whatever (I'm not slamming people for thinking that) and I can tell you, I'd love to be doing hand carved, extremely gorgeous cakes all the time, but around here, people won't pay for it. They almost all want sheet cakes unless it's a wedding, and for me, the most cost effective, quick output is a sheet cake with an edible image and a pretty border. Does it take a ton of skill? No. Does it look "stunning"? No. Does it keep me in business? You betcha! Like I said, I'd love to be doing fondant sculpting, etc. but until I find someone willing to pay for it... bring on the edible images.

People who are in the cake business to make money, like myself, do what the costumer wants within reason. Sculpting is all good and fine if you are being paid for it. But not all things turn out well sculpted, for example it's very difficult to make a true likeness of a person or character. I had much rather see a plastic Barbie or Mario figurine on a cake than some badly sculpted rendition.

I use wires for things like butterflies, stars, flowers to stick out of the cake. I assume since an adult picked up the cake that there should be an adult at the party to supervise the children to make sure they don't eat the wires or poke each other in the eye.

I have no issue with all the fake stuff on/in cakes. I take issue, like others posting here, of calling them cakes.

There are some things you can't avoid. Wires in flowers, etc. But the cake itself is really cake.

Remember all those cake statues several years ago, Cher, Colonel Sanders, etc.. that everyone was so impressed with? They weren't cake. They were wood and wire structures with maybe only the waistline being cake.

A lot of these cakes are more Styrofoam than cake these days. If I won't call buttercream that lacks butter buttercream, I certainly won't call those things cakes.

Make it, enjoy it, but call it what it is - not a fully edible cake.

Plastic toys - absolutely if that customer requires that "Dora" or "my little pony" or whatever licensed character they want on the cake. Besides, kids love to get the toys. If they get a shark or a deer or whatever, they will have cake. They will also have pvc, modeling chocolate, PVC or whatever else is needed to support or create details, but the majority will be cake. Personally, I'm glad we get to be creative. I would love if customers wanted curtain work or lambeth on a cake but those aren't in style right now, maybe someday.

Is this chick crazy lol why do people stress over the little things so many more things we can think about not everyone on this website sells cakes and to put them down like that is really dumb sorry had to say it we can post about ther things on here .... such a waste of time oh my post is not edible sorry lol.........................

Crystal you are soooooooooooooooooo naughty - but funny!!! x

To each his/her own...I recently got the pvc set from caljava and am really excited to try it out but that's probably the farthest I'll go with any type of piping inside a cake...

...in regards to the customer...well for the most part they are usually right (b/c they are paying). I had a tasting last night and the bride and groom were insistent on having pillars and stairs (now frankly I don't do these style cakes and this is just my personal opinion but I HATE THEM). I kinda tried to "modernize" the cake a bit but that was their style and I went with it (mentally itching the entire meeting). It's their day and their cake...it's my job to give them something delicious and beautiful...pillars and stairs and all...LOL!

I'd like to point out RKT ARE edible. I cover mine (homemade) with buttercream and frosting, then MMF and the kids and parents eat them.

Even my skate which i wanted to keep a bit longer, the base was covered with cut down cake board then covered in saran wrap well, then covered in modeling choc., THEN I placed my skulpted RKT skate on the prepped board.

They ate my giant 16 inch cake under it, the cuppies, AND the RKT skate all that was left was the truck toy base(with board and coverings in place) and cake board itself.

I am not sure about other people, but my RKT structures have NO inner support. They are ALL RKT, which I consider a decorating element like fondant, modeling choc., nasty tasting gumpaste*edible but no one really WANTS to eat it because it tastes good- do they, gelatin anything(even flavored- yuck).

I understand the point of the jewelry, but havn't gone down that path myself. I almost used an edible brooch I was working on, but thought it looked too fake(with isomalt gems- couldn't get them small enough) and sugar pearls. If the customer wants it, then so be it.

Like others said, for licensed figures- it's kits 0r waivers and good luck with that. Otherwise it's copyright infringement if you sell it, so what else you gonna do? If I have a licensed character in my pics- it was for my own purposes or family and never sold. Until Disney, Pixar and more get a company to license edible products(hint hint anyone out there) then its their kits.

Wires and stuff(depends on if it was handled in a food safe way- there are methods to make most things safe). I personally love the anti-uped on cakes. As long as the cake part is enough servings for the event. As an artist, it just let's me see outside the cake board(box). If its not your thing, stick to what you as an artist envision.