I am making a unique twist on a Snoopy cake (based in part on a clip on Youtube I saw of an old Snoopy episode) - Snoopy in a kiddie pool, with a beach ball (cake covered in fondant) in the "pool" and Snoopy on a surfboard (gumpaste figures) on top of the beach ball. The "wake" Snoopy creates will cause the pool to overflow on the side, and Woodstock will be sitting in a little sailboat (both gumpaste) in a pool of "water" (frosting and piping gel) on the cakeboard. The problem: How to shape and cover the cake so it looks like a kiddie pool (You know, with the sides of the pool having the three rings like a kiddie pool.)? I am proficient at covering a cake smoothly with buttercream (Viva paper towel method), but have never tried doing this on a curved surface, as the side of the cake would be. Is this doable, do you think? I am NOT good at covering a whole cake with one large piece of fondant, so am pretty sure I would fail at that, lol. Perhaps in strips of fondant, maybe? But would I do one strip all around the cake, or a different strip for each "ring?" Any ideas?

Yes, I would definitely do the three separate rings. This may sound crazy, but I see this as a variation on the "stack of pancakes" cake, that uses rings of fondant (more of them and each one a lot skinnier than you would need for a pool, of course) to get the ultimate shape. Make three fondant "snakes" and put them around the cake, one on top of the other, making sure they're large enough that the top one ends up a little higher than the cake. This sounds like quite a challenge, but it also sounds really adorable! Good luck, and please let us see a picture when it's done.

I agree with Marianna! I just made a stack of pancakes this weekend but I didn't use fondant at all, though! I used the Viva crusting buttercream for the stack and the edges of the pancake. I used a small round tip for the "edge" and then flattened it after it crusted, You can do the same for the pool rings and either flatten or don't flatten, depending on the look you are going for and if water is "rushing" out of it! Plus I find buttercream easier to cut through when starving kids and adults are involved!

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2350514/a-stack-of-pancake-for-fathers-day

Your cake sounds adorable, please post when you are done!

Theresa
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Hey, Theresa, great cake! I generally steer clear of buttercream, not because I don't like it, but because I'm so lousy at working with it. But your buttercream pancakes look great - even more realistic than the ones with fondant. Excellent job! And I guess that means that you could do a kiddie pool with either one.

Thanks Marianna! That crusting buttercream is nicely forgiving! You should try it again! I just have to "hide" my Viva papertowels so I don't wind up using them everyday and then be out when I need them the most!

I have two additional problems with buttercream (besides my lack of talent for it, that is): I can't get Viva paper towels where I live and it's so humid here that nothing will crust. But I do get that practice makes perfect, and Í'm thinking very seriously of taking the piping course they're offering here from Craftsy!

Thanks for your help, ladies! I'm still not sure which way I'll go - buttercream or fondant. But you helped me feel more confident about this. For some reason, I thought I would have to carve the sides of the cake into three rings first, but now I realize I don't have to do that. I think fondant would look better, but the sheer amount of fondant I'd have to use might be too much I'm thinking. But if I did go that route, I'm thinking I'd roll the fondant into a snake and (maybe???) cut it in half lengthwise (hopefully???) so instead of being a circle it would be a half-moon, and the flat side would go up against the cake. Hmmm...As I think about this, I'm wondering if it would be easier to buy some PVC pipe and cut it in half lengthwise. I could use that as a mold for the fondant. (NOTE: This is a cake for my son, and no one would eat the fondant since - while the family appreciates the fun cakes I make - they don't like fondant.) Maybe that would work? I'm generally more comfortable working with buttercream, but have never tried creating smooth curves or rings like this so I'm just not sure. I think I'll be winging this, lol. I'll try the buttercream method, and if that fails I'll have the supplies and fondant ready for option 2. Thanks again! I feel more confident about this now.