I'm trying to figure out the best way to measure/mark a round cake so that the decorations I add are even? In other words, I want to put diamond-shaped fondant pieces around the sides of a round cake. How do I figure out the exact placement so that I don't end up with diamond that's not whole? I hope this makes sense! Thanks!

I have not done this myself and it sounds a bit annoying but I am thinking this is a possible way. Get the circumference of the cake. Figure out the approximent size of the diamonds you want to make. Measure what the widest part of the diamond is, the center. Divide the circumference by that number and see how much you get. Round to the closest whole number. Take the circumference and divide by that number you got and that will be the size of the diamond(the centers) and the whole number will be how many you need. I hope that made sense hehe

Kind of what katjo said, but maybe easier.

Make a rectangle out of fondant that has the length equal to the cakes circumference and the width/height that is equal to the height of the cake. If you already know the number of the diamonds you want on the cake, then just cut the rectangle into equal secondary rectangles. Then cut out diamonds from those rectangles.

I've taken a string and wrapped it around the cake, make sure you know where the string meets, then fold it in half, continue folding in half until you get the width of the diamond you want to use and that length would be the measurement from center to center of your diamonds - or the edge of one diamond to the edge of the next diamond.

Thanks for the tips. Who'd have thought this could be so complicated!!!

Now we know why we took all those math courses in school & wondered when we would ever use it all!

would this help, i was thinking about getting one for this same reason.
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30D66E-475A-BAC0-57C5D7D262D8EE2D&fid=3E32BB4B-475A-BAC0-5E68EC75487AF6C3

That's one of the very few Wilton products I have, I use and I like! It makes placement of embellishments on a round cake Easy!

I guess I should have paid closer attention in geometry class! Thanks again, everyone!

I bet something like this folded paper trick would work. I Just saw this posted on another thread.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....ure=relmfu

Its very easy, make a template of your cake with baking paper, trace around bottom of tin and cut out. fold template in half then in half again. now open out and your template will be divided into quarters. you can fold again to make eigths if you have more decorations to place. now place the template onto of your iced cake and place decorations until you are happy with them, you can make position through baking paper with a small pin prick if necessary, remove baking paper template and attach fondant decorations.

This method can be used for side of cake aswell, just make a long strip of baking paper the same circumfrence of cake, then fold in half and in half again

hope this helps

peta

My cake turntable has markings on it, showing eight even points around the cake. I'd had the turntable for about a year before i noticed this