Hi all!

I just watched a video (think it's a Wilton one) on youtube... and it shows how to make a pond/watering hole effect on a cake. The lady said you mix coloring with "piping gel".... and that it was a "sugar water" type solution.... does anybody know what this is? I doubt highly that I'd be able to find it readymade here in Paris... so wondered if there is any way to make it on my own? I'm making a cake this weekend and thought to include a little pond... and this gel that she used really looks great as water! Any ideas oh wise CC gang?

Thanks in advance!

Vicky

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080525235400AAorgPG

That's what I found when I googled it.

I've only bought piping gel personally, so I don't know how the home made recipes compare to it.

Can you get glucose? You can also you it for water.

It's a fairly common item that's found in baking or sugar art supply stores. It's a clear jell substance. With all the wonderful bakers and sugar artists there are in Paris, surely there are specialty stores!

I used a recipe for piping gel I found here on CC. http://cakecentral.com/recipes/6998/piping-gel-that-works

You can see the result in the pirate ship cake in my gallery. I colored it blue with gel food color and the put it over blue fondant.

Good luck!

Thanks for the speedy responses!

I've just come back from one of the big baking stores here... it's the main one... and am pretty sure I can't remember seeing anything like that piping gel.... there are the little tubes of colored gel that you can use to pipe... but not the clear one... so wasn't sure if it's the same thing!

TexasSugar I thinkkkkk I saw glucose there... but not sure... would I just dye that the same way and just pipe/pour it into the area I want to have the pond?

Thanks again!

Vicky

I use piping gel for the "ice" on these cakes

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1923346

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1924916/1924924

The recipe I use is as follows:

Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch. Gradually add 1/4 cup vinegar, then add 1/4 cup water. Stir till there are no lumps. Stir over medium heat till mixture boils and thickens.

I add the color with the water. It lasts a month or so in the fridge.

The original recipe called for lemon juice in place of the vinegar, but I found that the color would be off. with vinegar the color is much more clear.

Oh... Jennajane... you and I posted at the same time... so didn't see your response till after! Thanks for yours also! have looked at the recipe and it seems pretty easy to make if I don't find the gel/glucose!

By the way.. your pirate cake is just adorable! And the water effect is really cool! So did you use the light blue fondant and then the dark blue piping gel?

Looks really great... added depth to the water!! Well done!

Thanks again!

Vicky

The colored piping gels are the same thing as the clear.

And yes you can just color the glucose with your icing colors.

Cakeyouverymuch... thanks to you too!! Had read in comments about the first gel piping recipe that someone was put off by the lemon flavor from the lemon juice... so it's good to know I can use vinegar too... does it affect the taste at all? And how thick does it get? Do I need to make the icing around it quite "tight" so that it doesn't leak through? Or is it quite thick and just stays put? Am assuming it doesn't need a lotttt of coloring to color it?

thanks again! Love the iced-over pond/lake you did for your cake!! So incredibly cute!

Vicky

Thanks again TexasSugar!! Very helpful! I have gone on the baking store's website.. and found they do indeed stock glucose... so it's now down to a matter of time... if I have time to go to the store or not before I need to finish this cake!

You guys are so helpful! Thanksss a million!!

Vicky

I have made the homemade gel and it went runny and seeped into my golf course cake.Luckily it was for my Dad's birthday....Wouldn't make it again!!

Kiddiekakes... which recipe did you use? eeek! Now am worried! lol!! Love your profile pic btw!! ) Thanks for the heads-up! Might try to make it and do a trial run first!

Thanks!

Vicky

Oh.man I can't remember which recipe but it was for homemade piping gel..I made it with knox gelatine and it looked right so I used it for my ponds on my golf cake.In the morning it all had seeped into the cake..and I did line the ponds with BC first...It was for my Dad's 60th birthday so no big deal I just added more but I wouldn't use it for a customers cake...

hello, i have tried the  recipe  with lemon juice it comes great consistency but test a looottt of lemon, and yellowish, with vinegar how is the taste and color?