I have a request for an all buttercream decorated cake......denim or navy blue with white pinstripes to simulate a conductors hat. They have specifically requested no fondant. I'm pretty sure that the blue will bleed into the white! Any suggestions on how to prevent it from bleeding? If I use royal icing instead of buttercream for the white pinstripes, would it still bleed?

Thanks!
Valerie

Wow thats a toughie. The blue is such a stong color I'm not sure it wouldn't bleed into the royal icing. What about white modeling chocolate? I don't think it would bleed into it. As far as making pinstripes, you could use an extruder. It might be worth a try!

I've never worked with modeling chocolate, but that definitely might be worth a try!! Thanks for the idea...that also would help with getting straight and neat lines too!

You are very welcome! A few pointers about modeling chocolate, it can be tempermental! If you over mix it, it will get very oily and gritty. I have thrown away several batches. I just stumbled upon a very easy recipe and it worked great! I made the black rope border on my Wild Animals cake in my photos. I hand rolled it since it had to be a bit thick. The recipe is pretty basic except that in this particular recipe you heat the corn syrup. I hope it works for you. Here is the recipe

8 oz chocolate (I used candy melts because thats what I had on hand)
3 oz of corn syrup (I used light corn syrup)
plastic wrap
Instructions
1 Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. To create a double boiler, fill the saucepan with water, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat, and rest the bowl on the inside rim of the saucepan, just above the height of the water. This ensures the chocolate does not get overheated.

2 Cool the melted chocolate until it feels cool, but is fluid

3 Heat the corn syrup until it just starts to boil.

4 Add the heated corn syrup to the melted chocolate and mix with a rubber spatula until it forms a smooth paste. Do not over mix!

5 Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

6 Allow the modeling chocolate to firm and chill all the way through. This may take up to an hour.

7 Remove the modeling chocolate from the refrigerator and knead until it becomes soft and pliable.

8 Shape into logs for easy storage. Store wrapped and refrigerated.