Hi all, as my skills are extremely limited. I've been trying to come up with a cake that incorporates music and a rose and the color blue. It's for my Pastor's birthday next month (70). I originally was going to do a blue buttercream cake with a single white gumpaste rose at the top, but now I need to figure out a way to incorporate music into it too. She composes music so that needs to be on the cake (from our worship leader). I've never worked with fondant, but thought I would try to make the flower out of gumpaste (or buy one from a friend). So far I've seen really over the top music cakes, and nothing really simple or elegant. The size of the cake will be 6-inch round with cupcakes (only about 50 people, maybe 40 will eat the cake). It would be cool if I could put a few bars on it from one her songs on it, but not sure how to do it and retain that "elegant yet simple" feel for it on a 6" cake. I can do chocolate music notes/buttercream roses on the cupcakes, so those aren't an issue.

I like this simple one http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/21909/garden-cake and thought if I did roses at the top and stems/leaves going down the sides with notes in between? If I did that I could do buttercream roses on the top and fondant stems/leaves.

What about the background color? Her favorite color is blue, so that's why I wanted to do a blue/navy buttercream, but music notes don't seem to go well on anything but white.

I've looked all over, even pinterest and can only find either fondant covered piano keys or really complicated stuff. Time to learn how to pipe properly I guess

The simplest and easiest way I have in mind is make a white buttercream cake, have notes printed on edible paper and attach it along the side and place a nice big gum paste or piped buttercream rose on top of the cake.

I did one that was blue with a strip of fondant with music written on it...It's on the bottom row of the gallery page on my website http://www.acaketoremember.com/

@julia1812  is right about the edible image being the easiest way to go, though.

one random idea is to make the rose out of wafer paper printed with music or several roses -- but just a though -- 

I would suggest doing a version of the simple garden cake you chose as an example.  Instead of leaves, use buttercream or fondant musical notes.    Try "musical note leaves" on a piece of waxed paper in both green and black and see which looks better.   

how about using a thick board, or two/three thin boards glues together, and dressing the edge of the board with a 3/8" musical notes ribbon..

how about using a thick oversized board, like a full 12", offsetting the cake, then decorating the extra space with musical notes...

something like the link below...

http://www.cakecentral.com/gallery/i/3353550/rose-music-concept

(fyi, i tried twice to attach the image directly into this post but the website kept erroring out, I've placed it in my gallery as a work around)

you would need to use a thicker board, or glue two/three thin boards together to prevent warping/bending. cover board in freezer paper (shiny side up) for beautificaion and ease (and cost saving). stick with buttercream cake, roses, vines, and leaves. the small flowers on the trailing vine(s) can be simple small piped stars. offset cake to one side; be sure to leave a little room for a border if you want/need one. depending on your skill and comfort level for adding the musical notes, you could pipe directly on the covered board, or attach fondant decorations to it; any mistakes could be easily wiped away or removed. dress edge of board with maybe a sparkly white or complimentary blue ribbon.

@Apti  You area genius! I love the idea of musical notes for the leaves! If I did it them in buttercream, I could trace their outline with a toothpick or just apply chocolate ones (green candy coating maybe). I had also considered purchasing an empty musical note fondant mold and putting those small royal icing flowers on it for the "notes." But I've never ordered a mold and not sure how fast it could get here. Then there's the trial/error period of figuring out how to use it. Ha ha.

@virago  That's a great idea too! I could do a bit of both since I already have 10" cake boards, wally world was out of 6" (or they stopped carrying them, happens a lot when I need something).

@julia1812  I had considered wafer paper, but after talking with a cake friend, I decided that wouldn't be the best way to go since wafer paper can melt in the fridge. The cake won't need to be refrigerated, but it's too darn hot to transport not cold, then there is the issue with the ac, sometimes they forget to lower it until right before the service, ha ha.

@costumeczar  I saw your picture, I had seen that cake but didn't know it was yours. Very nice and simple! How did you get the music on the fondant strip? A stamp? I wonder how well it would be to stamp MMF since I'm going to try making some this week.

Thank you all for your suggestions! So much has been happening this week my anxiety level has been going up. One less thing to stress about now! I'll have to make a few practice sketches tonight after he's gone to bed, nap time is almost up.

I just drew it on the fondant with an edible marker. Easy.

To incorporate your Pastor's music, you could photocopy her music and use the pages to cover your cake board (put food-safe cello over it). You could print the music onto linen (or another texture) scrap booking paper to give it more texture. 

@cherrycakes That is an option. Although I don't think cello would look good. I could print out a mini version and place it on the cake on top of fondant or something though.

I did find some ideas by looking up "80th birthday cake" and if I can get the mmf to work with the markers, I think something like this one, but blue instead of purple and the white strip would be her music on the white fondant. Do you think the 80 was made fondant or gumpaste? I could do something like that but make it a treble clef instead perhaps with the white roses around it.

Is there a special trick to getting MMF to adhere to a crusting BC, like Indydebi's? I'm assuming no refrigeration when it's put on since I'm going to try it with the markers, but otherwise I'll hand paint it on. I haven't painted in years, not since my face painting days.... good thing this isn't until the end of November! Now time to go brush shopping, the only thing I love as much as yarn shopping!