Help! A plain white 1/2 sheet cake for a bridal shower was ordered from the local supermarket (the bride, believe it or not, loves their cake) and the MOH is going to decorate it with gold-dusted chocolate seashells (purchased online), orchids (white+purple I'm assuming) and a gold ribbon around the outside.
None of us trusted a supermarket with the task of writing anything on the cake, so I offered to give it a try w/fondant letters after being inspired by many cakes here! However it has to say so much that I had to make them rather thin and small (so they're somewhat fragile) to fit on the cake. I did them in white MMF with the intention of painting them gold with luster dust.
Now here's the rub: I have 100% ZERO clue about painting fondant decorations. I tried dissolving gold "shimmer dust" (the only product I could find at the local store) in vodka and painting it on. Looks fine, if you want a pukey yellowish color! That stuff doesn't look gold at all!!!
I tried sprinkling the gold dust on top of the painted color but it just looks like I rolled the letter in sugar. I tried switching to purple gel diluted w/alcohol, thinking it might match the orchids, but you can imagine how streaky that looks since it's painted on rather than mixed in w/the fondant. Also, my alcohol doesn't evaporate immediately?! So there are some sticking-to-the-work-surface issues.
The only other thing I can think is to paint w/the pearl shimmer dust that came in the pkg and at least they'll be shiny white. Don't know if that will look good on white BC frosting or if the words will just get sucked into the frosting (visually I mean). I don't have time to keep remaking the letters--the shower is this Sunday!--so I don't want to ruin any more letters on a whim. (I have, however, just been rolling out more fondant and painting on it to see what happens.)
Basically I realized since I don't know what I am doing, some expert advice would be in order! Here is a pic of the letters, including several trial colors. Any suggestions??
Note: The cake doesn't HAVE to have writing on it so if this all sounds like too much of a pain, please just tell me to forget about it! The MOH doesn't care about writing on the cake, but I am sure you can appreciate the desire to make something nifty and then have it used. Would love to do it if it will work out; don't want to do it if it will "cheapen" the look of the cake.
Thanks!
I would colour the fondant before I rolled it out to cut the letters. More even colour and perhaps the shades of the orchid. I do paint my fondant with alcohol, colour and a little glaze if it is gold. There are so many golds out there, some I like and some I don't. Good Luck.
Don't use too much alcohol. You literally want just enough to hold the powder together. I also find with the metallic colours you sometimes need 2 or 3 thin coats of colour to look right
Hope this helps ... my recipe for painting fondant is 1 tsp. vodka/lemon extract/everclear to 1/4 tsp. dust/powder. It always works well for me, and dries very quickly. Hopefully this will help your gold look better, if that's what you decide to use. Good luck!
Thanks for the input. I still think gold sounds like the best choice for this cake, to complement the ribbon and shells. Am I using the right product (shimmer dust/wilton)?? I can't imagine being able to find something else by tomorrow.
If the dust is the right product, have any of you found that using the alcohol w/it (if you don't over-dilute it which I clearly did, and if you do apply a few coats) does indeed eventually result in a real "gold" color?? I worried that it was just going to turn a darker "mustard", which neither the MOH nor I liked. Also, even w/the alcohol, might my letters turn to goo because they are so thin??
Although it's too late for this, what color should I have tinted the fondant in order to go for gold afterwards w/paint? I almost did it yellow but was afraid it would clash with the gold dust...not having known how the gold dust would work out.
Thanks for entertaining my many questions!
Sorry for all the colouring troubles you are having ... but I just wanted to let you know that your lettering is great!
I'm not familiar with Wilton's shimmer dust, but the gold dust I use does actually make the item I paint look gold (sparkly and all). So hopefully, you'll be able to achieve that result with the shimmer dust.
I have always had the most success when I use lemon extract, but if you don't have that or can't find it, alcohol will work fine. I think your letters should be fine. I would let each coat dry before you add another coat.
I would say that if you have the right dust, you shouldn't have to tint the fondant at all.
Good luck with this. Please let us know how it turns out. 
Thanks for the suggestion, I do have lemon extract and will try it. Is the chalice in your photos the result of gold dust painted onto fondant? It definitely looks like what I am trying to achieve! In case Wilton's doesn't come thru, can you please tell me what brand you used?
Oh and yet another question:
When I mix the dust in w/extract, what consistency should I expect? Right now my new batch is still very gritty. Is that correct or should the dust dissolve completely? I'm afraid to keep adding more liquid as that's how I over-diluted it the first time.
Alright, three posts from me in a row, but I am a fool: I figured it was the right dust since it was from the only craft store that has a HUGE selection of cake dec. supplies. But here's something you might find interesting, from the Wilton forum, in case any of you have the misfortune of buying this dust in a pinch:
"I just purchased some of this a couple of days ago to see if it was different than luster dust. It is actually just fine edible glitter. It doesn't spread easily like luster dust does, & it doesn't dissolve in clear vanilla extract, so you can't paint it on. You wet your object, then sprinkle it on. That is the only way I could get color. It would have it's uses, but it's not luster dust."
DUH! Sorry to have wasted everyone's time! However if I can find the REAL luster dust somewhere, all of your input will be invaluable for a successful coloring job. I'm going to start calling around NOW. Thank you!
Hi there ... I guess you found your answer before I had a chance to answer.
Yes, the chalice in my photos was painted with gold luster dust mixed with lemon extract, in the proportion of 1 tsp. lemon extract to 1/4 tsp. dust.
I'm sorry to hear that Wilton's dust isn't the right stuff. That is good to know. I hope you were able to find some luster dust somewhere. If I lived near you (where do you live??), I would be happy to bring you some of the good dust.
Thanks for your kind offer . I am lucky to live in a big city and I finally found a cake suppply store only about 20 miles away. (Of course the local craft store is like 1 mile and that 20 miles translated into over an hour r/t with traffic ). So they had the right dust and OMG they look soooooooo nice now! I can't wait to get them on the cake. It would have been really nice if Wilton's packaging specifically stated that the dust wouldn't work for painting!!
Anyway, I would have never figured it out if you all hadn't assured me that luster dust+alcohol(extract) would definitely work. And the tips about several light coats were invaluable. Thanks again a million!
Am I using the right product (shimmer dust/wilton)??
I hate to tell you this but the Wilton Shimmer Dust is not the same thing you are thinking of. Yes you can use alcohol mixed with luster or pearl dusts, but those dusts are a super fine powder. Wilton's Shimmer Dust is more course, almost a cross between the color sugar and luster/pearl dusts. It will not mix with alcohol like you want it too.
Generally when using the Wilton Shimmer Dust you paint the area you want it to cover with water then sprinkle the dust on. It will not be a fine smooth look.
Ceshell ... I'm so glad you were able to find the gold luster dust somewhat nearby, and I'm also so glad to hear that you are happy with the letters that you painted. Please post a picture of the finished cake!
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