Royal Icing On A Cake Board???
Decorating By mamafrogcakes Updated 23 Dec 2005 , 6:22am by MissBaritone
OK, it's a little late, Christmas chores are starting to get to me, but I'm just CONFUSED about something. I was sniffing around on Martha's site seeing what she's up to and I'm reading these instructions on how to make this fall basket cake. http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe2874&contentGroup=MSL&site=living She says to cover the bottom cake board in royal icing and then set aside. Later you simply put the cake on the board. What is this all about??? 
What is the purpose of this?? I'm not a big Martha fan so maybe she does this all the time, I just don't get it. Anyone know?
I cant really see the cake board details. But it's no different from covering the cake board with fondant. It's just another technique that' used to coordinate the cake and the cake board.
Edit:
P.S. it's not a Martha invention. If you get a cake decorating book from england I'm sure you will find the same technique.
I don't really get this either--it sounds like just another way to cover the cake board. Funny thing is, in the picture it sure doesn't look like anything special.
Oh I figured it wasn't her "invention". I just wondered with the point is. The pic looks like a regular old cake drum. Plus it doesn't say anything about decorating or making the royal look pretty. It just says to cover it. Hmmmm....
My guess it would just be to give the white cake a mathcing white background. From a distance, it would make the bottom layer look bigger.
It's in Colette Peters book. She says to "flood" the board with matching royal icing... so basically the cake stand, platform, whatever matches the cake perfectly. The art of the cake covers the board.
Hi I have done this. You just use a little water to make it thinner. I put it on foam corboard then put ribbon or trim around it..It just makes a pertty cake board . I made my cake borad in a petal shape .It was pink with large green dots. It was for a kid party .
Not sure why you'd need the entire board covered and not just the outside rim, but I suppose if you're flooding the thing anyway, it's just as easy to do the entire board.
And what's with the Fun-Tak used to level off the dowels? Why not cut your dowels to the proper length after you've made the cake? Is that even safe to add to your cake? What if it comes off the dowels and gets into a couple of slices and people eat it? Dumb.
I used to use this technique all the time. To me it's more low maintenance (and less expensive) than other ways of covering the board and I like the smooth, sugary look of it. You just mix up the royal icing, flow it over the board, let it dry and you're done.
But then I moved to an area that is humid and the technique is no more. The board dries with ripples all over it every single time and the color is spotty.
You have to make sure your board is sturdy (foamcore or masonite). Flow & dry it on a completely level surface that is protected from lint. Use only enough royal to cover the board. Too much and it could drip over the edges as it's drying and pull down.
Not sure why you'd need the entire board covered and not just the outside rim, but I suppose if you're flooding the thing anyway, it's just as easy to do the entire board.
And what's with the Fun-Tak used to level off the dowels? Why not cut your dowels to the proper length after you've made the cake? Is that even safe to add to your cake? What if it comes off the dowels and gets into a couple of slices and people eat it? Dumb.
With fondant most of The time you can get away with covering the entire board then cutting out the inner section where the cake is going to be.
With royal icing it's easier to just cover the entire board. It's a cost factor. With fondant being as expensive as it is then we try to conserve where possible.
Yep, was just reading this lastnight in my "Cakes to Dream On" book of Collette Peters. She was saying it just makes the cake board flow with the rest of the design for the cake. I guess I missed the part where you put it directly on the board or either just read right over it without putting much thought to it. So, you don't have to wrap the board first? You just put the royal directly on the board? She did say that you use a ribbon that is as thick as your board to glue around the side. I think she even said something about NOT putting the royal on the sides at all.
Each time I have seen this technique executed it's been done with an offset spatula. the board is iced in much the same way that a Cake is iced in royal icing. A thin layer is applied and it's allowed to dry. This is repeated until the board has had 3 or 4 layers applied.
The flow technique does seem to be faster. I wonder if the is any advantage in drying time where the Layers are concerned
Each time I have seen this technique executed it's been done with an offset spatula. the board is iced in much the same way that a Cake is iced in royal icing. A thin layer is applied and it's allowed to dry. This is repeated until the board has had 3 or 4 layers applied.
The flow technique does seem to be faster. I wonder if the is any advantage in drying time where the Layers are concerned
Hmm. This makes me wonder. I've never tried the layers. In a drier climate, I was good to go with one coating. But maybe a few thin layers would work in a humid climate and I wouldn't get the ripples. I think I may have to give this a shot.
And yes to the offset spatula.
So, you don't have to wrap the board first? You just put the royal directly on the board? She did say that you use a ribbon that is as thick as your board to glue around the side. I think she even said something about NOT putting the royal on the sides at all.
I've never wrapped the board and no, you don't want to put royal on the sides. Pour the royal in the center and smooth with your offset spatula just to the edges. If you go over the edge or if it's too thick right at the edge, it will start pull the rest of the mass down and over the edge when it's drying and you'll have to redo it.
With royal icing it's easier to just cover the entire board. It's a cost factor. With fondant being as expensive as it is then we try to conserve where possible.
You're talking about store-bought fondant here, not homemade. It would only be a few pennies' worth if it was homemade. And no problems with warping boards and drying time, either. And you could continue the fondant right over the edge.
Two different looks, however.
Check my baseball cake In my photos. It was done this way. THe cake board was foam core cut in the shape of a baseball diamond. After the board was done I put the cake on it. The black royal icing really looked like a base plate when dry. I had the board raise up and newspaoer underneath it to let it cover the edges. No ribbon needed!
Jane--which cake?? I was excited to get to see an actual example but I don't see the one you are talking about in your photos?
Sorry I thought was on the website site. Now it is in my photos or you can check my web page
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/[email protected]/my_photos
The idea of layers is to get a smoother coat. This is the same technique thats used to ice cakes in royal. Each coat must dry throughly before attempting the next
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