I know you aren't suppose to put colorflow designs on top of buttercream...but is this just for all butter buttercream or will it work ok on top of a crisco base buttercream? how about a buttercream that has crusted over?

Or do you think I should cut out some MMF in the shape of the object and place it on that?

This cake has to sit for a day before serving and I don't want the colors, which have lots of reds and dark blues in it, to run...

colour flow will break down with contact with either, but it takes a while. Our class 2 cake had a picket fence with the picket going into the buttercream and it stayed up for about 4 days but when you pulled it up the bottom had dissolved. If you put them on marshmellows this will help keep them away from the frosting will hlep.

I have been told that if the color flow is completely dry it takes several days for it to break down. I do think though that it depends on how you are storing the cake. When I made my course 2 cake it had 2 colorflow birds on it. I took it home after class and stored it in my cake carrier overnight. The next morning I opened the carrier and touched one of the birds and it disintegrated. I think it was because it was in the cake carrier all night and it was just holding in the moisture. I think that if you store it in some place where it can breathe such as a cake box it will be ok for a while.

This was also done with the crisco buttercream. My mother had to do a cake for a birthday party that had a lot of colorflow pieces on it and also wanted to see how it would hold up on the cake because she had the same experience with the birds. she iced a piece of wax paper and put one of the color flow pieces on it and let it sit on her counter for about 2 days and the colorflow held up very nicely.

Thanks for the hints...I never thought of just placing it on top of marshmellows...

I love color flow - use it all the time. As long as you let it dry completely - at least 48 hours depending on the size of your item - more if a large piece - and then put it on the cake - it'll hold up for days - even with the shortening BC recipe. As stated above - a cake box is great for storage - you don't want to put it into anything too air-tight - it needs to breathe. Good luck - it's alot of fun to work with. In my pix - there's a color flow rooster that traveled from CT to NYC and sat there for 2 days before we had our celebration. Even being bright red - it didn't bleed at all. The key is dryness.

How do you make color flow?
or is it something you purchase, I've never used it before.

Thanks! I completed the colorflow last night and it isn't due on the cake until Saturday, so I should be nice and dry. I will have to post the completed cake when its done, this is a copy of a little baseball boy from a invite and it is so cute!

I also love colorflow...! It is so much fun!

I love listening to all the scientific experiments on color flow and buttercream.

I had the same questions a few months ago. I had the same results as most of you mentioned; that it will be fine for more than a minute or two like I was lead to believe. I made 100 little puddle faces for my Kindergartner's "100th day of school" cake. I brought the faces to class and plastered them around the sides of the cake and on top before the kids came in from Art class. I learned my lesson on color flow and buttercream! My color flow hasn't lasted more than two days in my house before evidence indicates it was ripped off the cake by tiny fingers!

kos

Ashley - I purchase mine and always have - it comes in a powder form and you just add conf. sugar to it. Your local craft shop should have it if they sell cake decorating supplies. I get mine at Michaels. I'm sure there is a home made recipe for it but I don't know of it. Maybe someone here at CC might.

To be on the safe side, would it hold up better if I placed it on fondant, or will it have the same reaction as buttercream?

Fondant would be perfect if you concerned - no problem with that stuff at all.

Thanks! I just have no control over what will happen to the cake once the customer picks it up and I hate to see it melt all over the place!

I have used colorflow on fondant and buttercream without any complication. I've put it on the cake a day before. I do make my cf a few days in advance

AshleyLogan, If you want to make your own colorflow here is the recipe:

1 lb sifted powdered sugar (best to buy 10x and sift twice)
2 tbs wilton color flow icing mix ( I buy at Hobby Lobby or Michael's)
1/4 cup plus 1 tsp water

yield: 1 3/4 cups

Use a mixer and mix all ingredients together for about 7-10 minutes.

Make sure that all your utensils are grease free because the grease will break down the color flow. I also store my color flow in glass jars with a piece of wax paper on the top to keep the icing away from the rubber seal of the jar.

You can outline figures with this consistency, and then thin down with water to fill inside the lines. Just remember that it takes very little water to thin down the icing so just add a tiny bit at a time.

well I finished the cake tonight (see my photos, baseball baby) The customer picks it up tomorrow so I hope it survives till they get it! haha! I tried laying it on fondant, but it wouldn't stick, even with a moist fondant, so I put it directly on the buttercream.

I have another colorflow cake due on Sunday (its a rubber ducky with a pink bow) so I will probably put it on tomorrow night..

Looks great loriemoms! I think it will fine. You'll have to ask the customer to see. Can't wait to see the rubber duck!!

kos

Sure! I just posted it in the gallery....