I am making my first three-tiered cake that will need to be delivered and I have a few questions. It will be covered in fondant and have the beautiful gumpaste bows from the tutorial on this site. (thanks!!)
My first few questions relate to the bows. It says they should or are usually done directly on the cake, I am doing refrigerated fillings. Can gumpaste be refrigerated? Will it dry?? Will that make it crack??
My other questions relate to the transport. I think I have no choice but to deliver it assembled because of the bows, and I am petrified to do a center dowel. You all talk about it like it is such a simple thing, any advice??
Thank you for your time!
I would do the center dowel before delivery but I wouldn't attach the bows till you get to the reception site. Gumpaste bows and flowers can be refrigerated if your refrigerator doesn't contain a lot of humidty. But travelling with the bows in place in the car is really scary. Unless you make extras of each bow to replace if you have any damage inroute.
On that center dowel, I know the prospect of hammering through cardboard without the cake cracking or falling apart is really nerve wracking. But you will be surprised how easily it goes through. Just sharpen the dowel to a point with a pencil sharpener, position and it will slide easily through the cake layers until it reaches the cardboard circle, when you feel that resistence just tap lightly with your mallet or hammer and it will go through, same thing when it gets to the next tier and board. Leave a bit exposed at the top and when you get where you are going you can remove it by twisting and pulling up gently. Or if you have flowers or something on top to conceal it you can leave it in place until you are ready to cut the cake. Or talk to the person who will be cutting the cake and explain the procedure to them.
From a not so fun experience last week, don't put the bow on until you get there. I assembled mine at home and drove an hour an a half. I went to open the cake box for the customer to show her and we both were in shock! 
The bow had collapsed, crumbled, and was unfixable. I apologized, took the cake to the local Walmart and bought some fresh flowers and a generic princess tierra (it was for an 11 year old girls Birthday) and added that to where the bow was. I actually think it looked better than it did with the bow, and I think the customer was pleased, but how embarrassing! 
So anyway...you might want to wait to assemble the bow!!!
Good Luck 
The bow had collapsed, crumbled, and was unfixable.
ok, that is so my worst fear! How would you recommend transporting the bows??? Sorry, I am so new to this! Luckily my next cake is for my next door neighbor, easy transport!
The bow had collapsed, crumbled, and was unfixable.
ok, that is so my worst fear! How would you recommend transporting the bows??? Sorry, I am so new to this! Luckily my next cake is for my next door neighbor, easy transport!
Oh thanks, that was my first whimsy cake, done for my daughters birthday 2 years ago. I would make my bows and dust them with super pearl luster dust, steam them and allow to dry. Line a small box with bubble wrap or a thin sheet of foam rubber, carefully stuff wadded paper toweling or kleenex inside the bow loops, lay two bows to a box and carefully lay foam pieces between the bows so they don't bump against one another. Attach with royal icing when you get there, support them with toothpicks if you need to until the icing sets firmly enough to secure them. The nice thing about this design is that the bows are at the base of each cake tier, so the tier below will support them.
I did it!! I skewered my cake! And the cake survived!! Thanks for all of your help. I have my bows ready to go in a box and piping bags filled with royal icing and extra frosting in case something goes terribly wrong in the car. I will post pictures possibly later tonight of the cake is all put together at the event. I really don't know what I would do without this website! Thanks again for all your help and support.
The cake survived the transport. Some of my bow tails had issues when I tried applying them to the cake, but it all worked out in the end.
One question though, do you put the bows on the cake to dry and then remove them for transport? I think I may try that next time. Or maybe just attach the tails and then glue the bow on once I'm there. Anyone tried that?
ShirleyW- I am also interested in steaming the bows, I did not do that because I wasn't sure how...
Here is the photo: ok I so don't know how to include a photo, you will have to look in my album sorry![/img]
I did it!! I skewered my cake!
And the cake survived!! Thanks for all of your help. I have my bows ready to go in a box and piping bags filled with royal icing and extra frosting in case something goes terribly wrong in the car. I will post pictures possibly later tonight of the cake is all put together at the event. I really don't know what I would do without this website! Thanks again for all your help and support.
See, I knew you could do it! I know it is scary the first time you try it, but it really isn't difficult, is it? The cake turned out very nice and the bows look beautiful.
I steam all of my gumpaste flowers and bows after dusting them with petal or luster dust. It sets the dusts and keeps them from flaking off on your iced cake and it also gives them some shine.
Bring a suacepan of water to a boil, turn down so that it is steaming. On the flowers I hold them by the wire stem and rotate them back and forth in my fingers over the steam. Only until the gumpaste begins to look shiny, too long and it will melt the paste. Then I stick the wires into a piece of styrofoam to let them air dry. Don't touch the steamed areas until they are dry or it will leave a white spot. On the bows I would carefully hook my fingers into the loops of the bow and hold them over the steam, steam front and back, then lay bottom side down on a piece of styrofoam. On the tails, hold them with your fingers at the sides of the tail then steam on both sides. When you use Super pearl and then steam it brings out all the glimmer and shine of the pearl.
When I make bows I stack my cake pans that I will be using for the cake in the same manner as a real cake, I use card board cake rounds between the pans and stack the bottom one right side up and the others bottom side up. Then I lay my finished bow and the tails on the pans just as I would on the cake, this way they conform to the shape of the cake pans as they dry. Then dust and steam. It just makes the bows fit better on the finished cake.
Thank you so much Shirley! That is great information that I will definitely try next later next month. I looked through your many cakes and they are all stunning. I wish I lived closer to you so I could take one of your classes, your flowers are amazing. I really thought they were real!
I think the finished product turned out great!!! Good job!!!
I guess I would think that you should of put the tails on first, and attached everything else once you got there...but who knows, considering my experience with my bows...lol!
Thanks for all your help sbcakes! I'm glad you like the cake, it means alot to me when people here like it!
Thank you so much Shirley! That is great information that I will definitely try next later next month. I looked through your many cakes and they are all stunning. I wish I lived closer to you so I could take one of your classes, your flowers are amazing. I really thought they were real!
Thanks very much. 
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