Okay so has anybody seen "The Cake Mamas" website? well these 2 fabulous ladies make amazing cakes and cupcakes and i would just like to know if ANY of you wonderful people out here in cake land know:

A) what kind of glitter they are using to achieve this look ((pics below))
and
B) what a good brand of edible markers they are using to write on their fondant with?

* I know of wilton edible writers and Americolor's food writers as i have both at home! Does anybody know of any more effective? Or maybe how i can get the 1s at home to work better and possible the color to just "POP" more?

* The glitter looks like REAL GLITTER! It can't be luster dust or the glitter flakes just crushed up can it? thats alotta dang glitter! look at those fondant letters on the cheetah cake lol Can somebody help 1'd really like to know! Thanks so much in advance!

If the pictures dont work here are the links for what i'm referring to:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150774312309334.427680.90550989333&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10150889788319334&set=a.10150774312309334.427680.90550989333&type=3&theater

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.317320384333.146673.90550989333&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10150707211459334&set=a.317320384333.146673.90550989333&type=3&theater

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.317320384333.146673.90550989333&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=10150324592434334&set=a.317320384333.146673.90550989333&type=3&theater

To me, it looks like edible glitter:
http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E310D1E-475A-BAC0-5E0EF1DB7697E8A1

It's disco dust which is still not edible.

My question is... why would someone use Disco Dust if it is not edible. (I have always thought it was) I mean on fondant? Is it at least then non-toxic?

So 1st thing you have to understand is that many people shop at art stores for things to use on cakes. If it's marked "non-toxic" many choose to use it.

The product marketed as "disco dust" in cake stores is non-toxic craft glitter. It's not special other then it won't poison you. But it's little plastic flakes that are re-packaged and marked up a ton if you buy it at a cake store. If you want to save yourself some money just buy it at Michaels or another art store - that is, if you are okie-dokie loading your cake/cupcakes with
plastic flakes. Just make sure they are NON-TOXIC. The cake pic you've attached, if they bought all that at a cake store would have $100 worth of disco dust on it. So I bet they bought it from a craft store and paid $10 for the same product. And I guarantee you if you ate a piece of that cake and actually ate all that glitter, you'd be blessed the next day with magical sparkle poo

As for markers, they probably use Sharpies. Yes, SHARPIES. They are "non-toxic" and work much better then the super expensive food writers out there, they come in all different colors and tips and are much cheaper. And, I do believe, the Kopycake brand of food writers are re-packaged Sharpies, but I could be wrong on the brand (Kopycake). Anyway, many cake designers use their trusty black sharpies to do things like pin stripes and stitch detail. In fact, there are a whole host of different brands of non-toxic markers that you can use to get all kinds of different effects.

IMO, The first cake doesn't look like Disco Dust. There are other options for "glitter" that are edible that are not as glittery like disco dust. I recently purchased an item called glitter dust. It wasn't as shiny, but not as sparkly as DD. I also have some "rainbow sparkle" that are awesome! The cupcakes look like sugar. I have some sugar called "Gourmet" sugar that look more "sparkley" (is that a real word?) than regular sanding sugar. There are also some crystal sugars out there. The last cake is def. DD, but, it is on the name and stuff on top that an be taken off the cake and not eaten. When I use things that are not edible, I make the person aware of this on their requests AND again when it is done. I also write it on the paper work. Now, having said that, silver and gold dragees are also non toxic but not edible and they are used on cakes all of the time. I give the warning on those too. However, I remember eating them all the time when I was a kid. Maybe that's what happened to me??????

Oh, and not all sanding sugar is created equal. I am partial to Dean and Deluca brand, it's $$$ but it's very pretty, doesn't bleed and has a very nice sparkle. Much better then CK brand (which again, is what a lot of cake stores carry).

I'll have to check them out!

Since Play Dough is non-toxic I'm thinking about using that to replace the expensive fondant I use.

I've always been confused by this, how do you cover your fondant in something that isn't edible? Do people just peel away the fondant with out eating any? and what happens to the bits that stay on the plate and get accidentally scooped up on the spoon/fork?
I know that not everyone likes the taste of fondant and peel it off but eating some while not liking it and eating some when not commestible are not the same thing. Any thoughts much appreciated,
Confused in Paris!

'Edible', in this context, means that you digest it as food. 'Non-toxic' means that it will pass through without poisoning you. So the glitter is able to be eaten; it just won't be digested.

Play doh is non toxic but could you get over the smell? Eew! Of course there are fondants out there that are icky too!

Gee, I didn't see the Sharpie thing until now. Those things smell as bad a playdoh! Ick! I use edible food writers or I use a small paint brush with americolor black gel.

You aren't going to find an ingredient list because disco dust isn't food.

I learned all this stuff from some high-profile cake people and also from this site. I'm not the 1st person to post about disco dust, but I might be the only one that has mentioned using sharpies.

I think a cake, like the one above, the fondant probably isn't eaten. As I said, if you did you'd get some serious sparkle poo and if you had a sensitive tummy, like me, you'd probably get a tummy ache.

Sadly a lot of people use Satin Ice fondant which smells like (and doesn't taste much better then) play dough. IMHO that stuff isn't food. Yuck. I'd eat my fondant with a few black sharpie marks any day and I know it would still taste a billion times better then Satin Ice. (:

FromScratchSF: LMAO!

The KopyKake food writers are NOT "repackaged Sharpies".
They are made using U.S. and E.U. Certified Food Colors. This is clearly stated on the packaging and online when referencing the ingredients.

I am certain that food markers are just that--markers made with approved food coloring.

Although I know that Sharpies are non-toxic, I would never, ever use them on something that will be eaten..............the same way that I would never, ever use disco dust on something that will be eaten.

Know better, do better. Find the EDIBLE alternative--ALWAYS!

Rae

This is all so interesting, certainly clearing up some of my questions!

I've used Sharpies on fondant pieces that I know will NOT be eaten (I am at the party and don't allow anyone to eat them). However, I have found that lines made with Sharpies will actually "spread" and get very "fuzzy" and distort into something that is not what I initially drew. Most edible writers I've used have better staying power and don't smudge or go foggy.

I'm thinking that people are confusing non toxic for it's intended use, such as external or being able to handle something with your hands, and it being safe to be consumed.

I have found that when I need a very fine line on fondant (or crusted butter cream for that matter) I use an extremely fine tipped art brush with americolor food color gel. I love the way it looks and have not had the spreading issues. I can also do finer detail than with the food markers.