I have a request for glitter all over the cake, so it will sparkle... do I use disco dust or sugar... Will the sugar melt into the icing??? anyone have experience doing this ?? any help would be great, thanks

If they want glitter I would use the disco dust - the sugar won't sparkle near as much

I would use the disco dust ( I use it all the time ) but use it sparsley.... it goes a long way. I usually put some on the top of the jar and sprinkle it from there....

I thought disco dust was NOT for consumption

Dip a dry paintbrush into the glitter and shake it over the surface to apply lightly, a tiny bit goes a long way. Disco glitter is indigestible (ie. not absorbed by the body) which is why it's not classified as 'food'. It is not toxic.

From what I understand, disco dust is plastic...the same exact product as regular craft glitter, just packaged for caking. As coral3 said, it's non-toxic and I don't think it will kill anyone. But be aware of that and make your own decision according to how you feel about that. Personally, I only use it on decorations that will not be eaten. I wouldn't sprinkle it over a cake myself, but I wouldn't judge you for doing it.

Petal dust and luster dust is the same way. Listed non toxic but we all use it. I use Disco dust all the time and nobody has ever gotten sick. Cake Boss also uses alot of Disco dust on some of his cakes.

Are you putting this on icing or fondant?

Like others have said, it is plastic so it won't melt into the icing. But how to apply it on icing is another thing. On fondant you can brush it on after the fondant has had a chance to dry. I did that on my black swirled cake in my photo section. We did not eat the fondant on that cake, so eating the plastic was not an issue. I am leery of using it after finding out it is plastic, and I don't care who uses it on TV. That does not make it right.

On icing you are going to probably use a fine net mesh little sifter like I have seen to apply PS over items. But I would experiment over wax paper first to see how fine it spreads.

At the bakery I used to work for we used sparkling sugar for this purpose. It did sparkle. In fact I felt the owner over used it to the point of gaudy. But if the customer is requesting that look then that is a different matter.

Oh yes, because Cake Boss or Duff or who ever else famous does it it must be okay?

When shopping for disco dusts it does say that are not meant to be put on edible parts of the cake, because they are non toxic. And while non toxic shouldn't hurt you it isn't meant to actually be eaten, other wise it would be labeled as edible.

I think for those who have said that Duff or Cake Boss use it, they just mean that they are televised using products making all who watch them believe that those products are safe and okay to use. If there weren't wouldn't the Health Department be all over them for using products that are not edible directly on to the edible parts of the cakes. I could be wrong, just speculating here...

I personally do not use disco dusts on edible portions of a cake - although I would love to! uggg!!!

Does anyone know if there are any that are similar to disco dusts that is edible??

cake sparkles, its just gum arabic

Thanks motherofgrace. Looks like I already have a bunch of that stuff, but its called glitter flakes. Not quite the same as the disco dusts .

But I read somewhere on here (just yesterday) that you can put the glitter flakes through a strainer to break them up more and it is more like the glitter stuff. I've never tried it, that's just what I read.

Ditto

I do use the "flakes" if I need to add sparkle to edible portions of the cake. Unfortunately I'm not near my caking supplies right now so I can't tell you exactly what they're called. Almost like a gelatin-type. But they do come as flakes and I just put them into a small glass bowl and grind them up by hand, smashing them up really. I use (can't remember the technical name) but a wooden tart shaper to smash them. Just takes a couple seconds and no extra big appliances to clean and you grind as needed. Works very well for me. They're not as sparkly as the disco dust, but it adds plenty of sparkle. I'll often add black sparkle on the part of my zebra stripe cakes if I think they'd like that touch.

It is what I have been using on small items like cookies. I just crushed them in my fingers and sprinkle. A strainer would be great for cakes though. Great tip!

kkbritt8 how do you add the sparkle to the zebra stripes? is it while your fondant is rolled or when the stripes are on the cake? Thanks.

Luster dusts and petal dusts from Crystal Colors are FDA approved... if anyone is interested...

Galveston, TX HD did send out a letter to a Cottage Food baker for using Disco Dust all over a cake. HB 2113 tried to ban it's use, but since it wasn't written

specific to just Disco Dust, it would have also banned gumpaste, isomalt, and other "non-toxic" items.     http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=83R&Bill=HB2113
 

Uh, I was under the impression that isomalt, and all of the ingredients of gum paste, were FDA approved as either food items or food additives.

Disco Dust, and other types of plastic glitter, are not.

Sorry I wasn't clear. I was explaining what would have happened if Texas HB 2113, hadn't died on the floor.

Hi, Just a question.....Can you tell me where or who told anyone that the disco dust is actually plastic ?...

I have not been able to find a link that gives the exact ingredients...Just that it is made with non toxic

ingredients and for cake decorating.....thanks

AI too would crush up the edible glitter over using disco dust.

AI know the laws in the US are different, but in the UK the FSA (equivalent of the FDA), have stated clearly that only food glitters/dusts labelled as 'edible' and which list ingredients and E numbers on the label are allowed to be placed on food and be consumed. Anything labelled as 'non-toxic' cannot. In order for a non-toxic glitter to be labelled as 'food contact' it must be tested and approved by the FSA. If something is classified as food contact it must be able to be removed from food completely prior to consumption. I and other food business owners in my area (and I'm assuming the rest of the country) received a letter about it about a year ago. Sorry for hijacking the thread, but I'm just posting this to prevent confusion amongst UK bakers who might be reading and have not seen the UK guidelines.

AThe big grocery store here sprinkles it allll over their nasty little cupcakes. Blergh.

Hi, thanks for any and all input but I would really like to know where the information can be found that

says it is actually plastic???   thanks so much 

AIt says its non toxic that's all you need to know. Glue sticks are non toxic, would you eat them? Big hoo ha in the uk about glitter. Very much not allowed on any bits you'll eat.