I need to make a big fancy looking letter M stand on top of a cake. Should I make it from fondant or gumpaste? I thought I would put sticks in it to put it in the cake but I am afraid it will flop back or forth. Any suggestions?

you can also use spaghetti noodles that way if people eat the letter no one has to worry about sticks.....i would just stick the noodle in the letter about half way, and then the other half into the cake. good luck

I use gumpaste and then make my letter ..let it dry for 3 days...you can use tooth picks or spaghetti or even lollipop sticks..I let it set up for a few hours and then make holes with whatever is going in there. When it is dry and ready to put it in your cake I dip it in white chocolate then ad you stick in the bottom..let it set up 15 min or so. Ready to go!

when I transport cakes with stand up letters or numbers, if the letter or number is Large I will remove it and put it on ( or have them insert) after the cake gets to the designation. Hate it when they fall and then perhaps knock something else off

I also use a mixture of half gumpaste and half MMF. That way if someone eats the letter it will still taste half way good.
I use spaghetti as well but I don't put the letter on top of the cake until I have delivered the cake. That way the moisture from the cake doesn't soften the spaghetti and then make the letter fall over. Plus the ride would surely break the spaghetti..
HTH

I use fondant with tylose. I like to cut out two of the letters and sandwich flat craft sticks between the two. I like the skinny craft sticks better than skewers or lollipop sticks because they are flat so they don't pull through the cake and lean or fall over.

You have to let the number/letter dry for two or three days. It will stand up just fine.

The "5" on the top of this cake was made this way:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjscakes/5381417078/in/photostream