OK so some of you cake decorating veterans my already be a step or two ahead of me, but for a rookie decorator this is the coolest thing I have ever seen. I didn't have a camera with me at the time or I'd have a picture to share but here goes.
My friend just got married. Her wedding colors were red and white. Her cake was a 3 tier stacked cake, all white, with red roses. She hates the taste of fondant and gumpaste (who ever eats gumpaste???) for flowers. She had her baker make the roses out of red starburst!! They were just as beautiful as most of the gumpaste roses I've seen here on this site but were tasty too. I talked to the baker a little bit yesterday Yes, I went into the bakery to discuss the roses with her HEHE. She said she made 45 starburst roses for the cake, dusted them lightly with cornstarch to get rid of the shine then refridgerated them overnight. By the time the cake was served the roses were soft enough to eat but did not lose shape. She said in the past she's also done roses with tootsie rolls. Is this cool or what? So, I went home and immediately started constructing tootsie roll roses! They were just as easy as gumpaste except I didn't have to make gumpaste!! I just opened a bag of tootsie rolls and went to town. I'll be posting pics in the next day or so as I am out of town right now. Just had to share though!!

what a great idea...thanks for sharing.....

Can't wait to see the pics! Have you seen the loop bows and roses made from bubble tape? It's amazing how creative people can be with candy!

would love to see your roses...that's so interesting!

Here's a tutorial for the bubble tape roses in case anyone is interested. I wonder if the starburst ones are made like these?

http://www.baking911.com/decorating/cakes_bubblegum_roses.htm

Now THAT is cool!!! Thanks!

I' a little confused... Do they actually roll out tootsie rolls to make roses? If so, how???
Vicky, MO

Yes, you pull little pieces of tootsie roll to make the petals. Since these were just practice i used my bare hands. Took a little piece, squished it with my thumb and thinned it out to shape a petal. My roses consist of 15 petals each and one center overlap and a base. I used about 2 little tootsie rolls to form my cone shaped base. Use the little center overlap on top to look like a rose center. Uses 3 petals on top row, 5 on middle row, and 7 on bottom row. I made my fiance email me the pics I took of my practice flowers (since I'm out of town) so I can upload them, you can go to my photos by clicking the photo button at the bottom of my post to view the photos. Always happy to share!

I'd read about the tootsie roll flowers, but the starburst ones wonderful! I think gumpaste is beautiful, but not practical. I'm a down home kinda gal and want stuff on the cake I can eat. Now, if I could just figure out how to make biscuits a cake decoration...

Sorry, can't remember which site had the tootsie roll flower instructions. Try a google search.

Bubblezmom, I was just looking at your photos and I LOVE the Barney Droppings!! Those are so cool and funny. I bet whoever those were for loved them.

You could even used the colored tootsie rolls. They would make really pretty roses, too.

I'm trying to picture a biscuit as a cake decoration and I'm having a hard time with that. Now, my husband would love it!!!

Aren't toosie rolls the chocolate clay recipe? When I make chocolate clay, it melts in my hands. I guess I have hot hands. Perhaps the tootsie rolls will stay harder longer. I have to try. Have you used different colored tootsie rolls? I couldn't figure out what starburst was, but now I remember. Do you do the same with starburst as you do the tootsie rolls? Thanks for the tips!!
Vicky, MO

What a wonderful idea! I haven't sculpted flowers with either fondant or gumpaste yet, but maybe I'll just do them with candy if I ever need to. Thanks for sharing! Can't wait to see your pics!

MMMMMMMMMMMMM Biscuits (in the voice of Homer Simpson) LOL It's lunch time LOL

These ideas sound great! I cant wait to try them!!!!!!

I never see the colored tootsie rolls except around Halloween. I bet thats why the baker didn't just use those. They were quite easy to make and worth a shot even if you don't think they'll turn out great. I've never made chocolate clay. I just knew I happened to have left over Halloween candy of my sons at home so I tried it with tootsie rolls. I'm sure this can be done with any pliable candy. These didn't melt at all while I was making them and I've been told I have hot hands. I love the look of gumpaste too but the flowers never get eaten. These will every time!

I wonder if taffy would work??

Taffy would probably work....hmmm or bit-o-honeys would be fabulous! the possibilities are endless!

I'm making a cake to take to a thanksgiving party. It is going to have chocolate buttercream, maybe some tootsie roses, orange red and yellow starburst roses too for a fall colored theme. HMMM maybe I'll make fall leaves out of starburst and tootsies. HMM we're on to something here. No one will have to worry about peeling off the fondant decor. They'll just eat it.

I had to work at the Vet. Hosp halloween night, well needless to say around 6:00 there was nothing going on and we had this big bag of tootsie rolls to hand out, soooo I started molding roses. The girls at work were so impressed. All I could do was laugh thinking my DH is going to think I have lost my mind.

Sounds interesting...can't wait to try them.

That's brilliant! How fun!