Questions, Questions, So Many Questions
Decorating By mschroder1 Updated 28 Apr 2007 , 12:08pm by kelly75
Good Day!
I'm doing the pillow cake for my niece's 13th birthday next weekend. However, some friends are getting together this weekend for a barbecue so I thought this would be a great chance do to a practice cake....and I have some questions that I need answered by you smarty pants here at CC!
First of all, for the practice cake I just bought DH cake mixes 'cause I don't have time or feel like making one completely from scratch. The thing that worries me is they're extra moist (thats all they had) and I'm worried the cake under the pillow won't be able to hold the fondant on itself along with the pillow cake and fondant on the pillowcake. Any suggestions? The cakes aren't huge, the bottom is going to be a 9x13 and the pillow will be a small square (2 layers, so two cakes). I'm also worried that the pillow cake won't hold on the corners after it's been carved and fondant placed on top.
Next problem. I live in the city of Edmonton in Alberta. Now living in a city you would think you could find pretty much anything you needed. But I can't seem to find a place that carries Luster Dust!! I've looked at Michaels and had no luck. I did find one place but they wanted $15 for the teeniest tiniest little jar. And I know I can buy it from here (CC) for about $2 for the same size so I refuse to pay that much! I'm not worried about it for the practice cake but I really want the cake for nieces b-day to be perfect because she is very special to me and I want it to be perfect for her. Does anyone know any tricks to get the "shine" that luster dust produces?? I have shimmer dust, but I don't know how to use it. Would that help a little?
Sorry that this is so long!! But I'd really appreciate any help to make this cake for my little angel Jessica (no matter what her mom says, shes an angel to me!! LOL)
Thanks again!
I would love to help but I haven't made this type of cake. The only place I found luster dust here was at a specialty cake shop in a little suburb of Las Vegas. As far as the corners holding up, I was thinking the same thing!! I will watch your post to see if anyone has any suggestions. Good luck!!
Amie
I thought adding the instant pudding and extra egg helped firm up cakes, is this true?
For each cake mix that yo make you should add 1 tablespoon meringue powder to help increase the density of the cake. For the pracitice cake dont worry too much, but for your nieces cake you might want to do a pound cake instead. Also free the cake so you can sculpt it and then ice it. this will firm up the cake while you add the fondant on to it. I suggest using a blush brush type brush or a brush that you can use for buffing to get a nice shimmer applied to the fondant 
I have made several pillow cakes, I have 2 in my photos...
I used doctored DH mixes, with pudding or my fav is white choc and butter. The key is to make the cake the day before decorating and refridgerating overnight. You then carve more easily. You then refridgerate again before applying your BC, then again before doing fondant. When completed, I tell the client to leave the cake out for 1-2 hrs to soften. Never had a problem yet!
I haven't used shimmer dust, onlu luster, so can't help you there.
hth
Diane
I do sprinkle the whole cake in Wilton's cake sparkles, but I crush them up finer and apply them thru a sieve, just to give some extra sparkle.
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