What Would You Do???????? Dilemma W/ 50Th Anniversary Cake
Decorating By Michele25 Updated 24 Jun 2007 , 1:18am by lu9129
Hi all,
I was hoping to get some advice on my dilemma:
A friend of mine asked me to make a cake for her parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary this weekend. She is having a small, informal party at her home for her parents and about 30 people. When we were trying to generate ideas for the cake design, I mentioned that I had made a 50th Anniversary cake for another customer who wanted to use her original cake topper on the cake. (There are photos of this cake in my gallery and the topper was in fantastic condition--it was hard to believe it was 50 years old). My friend was excited by this idea and thought her mother had saved the topper from her wedding cake. She was going to try to find it (without her mom knowing) and wanted to use it on the cake as a surprise.
She was able to locate the topper and brought that over to me yesterday, along with a center section (separator plates with swans and pillars on them). Well, my dilemma is that the cake topper is in pretty bad shape. It is very yellowed and does not look very stable at all. The separator plate section is yellowed too. I am afraid it will look terrible on the cake, but don't really want to say anything to hurt my friend's feelings now that she seems to have her heart set on using it and especially because she "snuck" it out of her mom's house. I will be setting the cake up at her house, so I'm not worried about transporting the cake, I'm just worried I might not get it to look very pretty. I'm also worried about getting the topper to stay on top of the cake since it looks unstable). Several thoughts keep running through my head as I'm trying to work this out:
--in the family's eyes, hopefully, the cake will look beautiful and they'll look past the condition of the topper because of the sentimentality of using it again and the surprise of seeing it on the cake
--I can tint the icing ivory so the yellowness of the topper will not stand out so much (I actually think it was ivory to start with and not snow white)
--I could mention my concerns to my friend, but I don't want to hurt her feelings especially since, as I said, she seems pleased with the idea of using this.
Has anyone ever had a similar situation before, and if so, could you please tell me how you handled it?
Thank you in advance,
Michele
while I have NOT had a similar situation...
you've already hit on the solutions I would use if I did...
tint icing ivory (and add touches of gold luster)
use the topper as the sentimental value would more than compensate for it's age (tho' i might try to fix it a bit if possible)
anything kept that long will yellow unless very $pecial con$ervation method$ are u$ed -- so the yellowing would be expected.
and with gold accents, it will have a wonderful sentimental look to it -- sort of like those sepia tinted photos.
I agree with Doug - I'd also try to fix the cake topper with a glue gun - if that's possible. Try to add some shimmery gold tulle and gold leaves, if possible. I agree, too, that they will be suprised that the original topper is on there and will love whatever you do! 
Good luck!
One of my best friends daughter was married last year and she wanted to use the wedding cake topper that had been used by her mother AND grandmother - it was 50 years old. It was also discolored and in not perfect condition. This is what they did -- They had the wedding cake in the center of the table - very plain only border trim and monogram on side of cake - no topper. The 50 yr old cake topper sat next to the cake with 2 pictures in frames next to it - one with her grandparents and their wedding cake and one with her parents and their wedding cake and the same topper in both pictures. This way it 'honored' the family and topper but did not distract from the cake.
I thought it was a perfect way to display and use the topper without taking away from the cake. The new brides cake looked nothing like the previous cakes in the pictures, but that didn't matter -- it was the thought and memories that did matter.
Hope this helps.
Suzycakes.
I'm doing a 50th cake this weekend as well with the original topper. I'm making the fondant and roses a cream/off white for the same reason. I think if you put roses or other deco around the topper it should make it more stable. Can't wait to see your cake!
HTH
I agree with Doug in that you could tint the icing ivory. Also, would you have to use the center section with the swans?
Yellowing is to be expected after 50 years. My mother recently found her topper and after 50 years of storage, it is yellowed too and could stand some repair work.
As for the seperator plates,pillars and swans explain your concern for stability, use your own and try and make some swans from fondant to put at the bottom of pillars. I am sure she would understand that part even she wouldn't want the cake to topple over. Good luck and don't forget the pictures!
All I can say is... when they see that you've used the original pieces, they could've turned black and no one will care!! That couple is going to be in tears at what you've done for them. I am telling you, in the pictures they still look lovely, you haven't a THING to worry about. I would say a touch of ivory would look great, and adding gold accents to signify the 50th would just be that much better! This cake is going to be wonderful!!
If you're worried about stability, you could put the topper on the separator plate (add some lacey stuff to cover the plate) and use the entire thing as a topper. (Assuming that it's a small plate, looks that way in the pick) That way you don't have to worry about it supporting the weight of a cake.
If you would like to put a cake on the separator plate, use a syrofoam dummy so it's super light. You'll have a stable base for the topper that way too.
Michele25: I agree with Doug with using ivory and use the topper. But would like to add, since you and your friend went this far with the topper maybe, just maybe an oval photo plaque of the couple on their wedding day by the side of the cake with a gold luster dusted frame. The more gold the better. The gold will compliment the topper and then the photo will draw away attention from it also.
I too, would use my own seperator plates and pillars. The topper doesn't look as bad as I imagined when I first read this. I would go to Michaels or a craft store and buy more flowers similar to what is on the topper and add those to hide anything not so pretty....perhaps you can even add a new bow over the old one not getting ride of the original ...just covering it up a little...or alot! LOL. It looks like you can still use the swans if they come apart....hmmmm....I think you will do a great job! I can't wait to see the finished cake!
Thank you so much, everyone, for the replies...you've made me feel SO much better!!
Dolfin, my concern with the stability is in the topper itself. It was sitting pretty flat on my table as I took a photo because there is a plastic bag stuffed up inside the hollow part of the topper. I am afraid when it is on the cake it will not sit flat and will fall off. You cannot see it in the photos, but the base is damaged. It looks like it was maybe made of plaster of some sort and it is cracking off, so it is not level. Maybe I will leave the plastic bag inside of it to give it more stability. Don't know if that makes sense.
My friend wanted me to try to use the separator plate also, in hopes that I could recreate the general shape of the original cake too. The original cake had 2 square graduating layers on the bottom, then the separator then a round layer on top and then the cake topper. Since there are only 30 people to serve at this party, I told my friend I'd only be able to do one square on the bottom, then the plates, then the round. Maybe I could hide some of the yellow of the plates by putting flowers inside the cavity.
Oh, and suzycakes, I really liked the idea you described about putting the topper next to the cake with the photos. I had also thought of maybe, in a last ditch effort, of possibly displaying it next to the cake if I wasn't able to put it on top. I will try putting it on top first, but your idea is also a nice, sentimental option!
and one more comment
how well does gold luster stick to plastic???
if it does --- well.... gold plates, pillars and swans would certainly support the golden anniversary concept.
and even in not solid gold -- gold accents will certainly draw the eye away from any yellowing.
and yes...flowers can hide a multitude of problems.
-----------
re topper base --- gel superglue???? fills gaps and is very strong.
or...can you make a new support?
or brace w/ dowels or skewers?
I'm pretty new to using luster dust (just started experimenting with fondant in general and bought some to use with my fondant experiments). Just out of curiosity, do you know whether the luster dust would wash off of the plastic separator if I painted some on?
You're right, Melvira, I would never do anything to permanently alter the topper or the plates without asking if it's ok first.
Thank you again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I understand that using the topper is suppose to be a surprise for the couple, but somehow I would find out if it would be OK to add anything to it. Some people are funny that way and may be offended if the topper they saved this long is changed in anyway. I've got my own "topper" story I could add but suffice it to say that my "out" was I was under contract with the couple's well intentioned daughter. Just my $.02...
To level/support the topper you could take a piece of fontand or gumpaste, a little bigger than the base and about 1/4 inch thick or so and press the topper onto that. It will form to the broken base and give you a flat and more stable base.
Edited to add: And you could paint it (the fondant/gumpate) with luster dust or cover it with lace or flowers or icing.
luster dust doesn't have a glue in it...it bonds to the sugar in fondant.
but this is plastic -- so it would wash right off (in fact would have to handle carefully so don't leave fingerprints)
in fact would probably have to use a liquid w/ some oil in it to get it to stick to the plastic. vodka would probably roll right off.
or hope that static electricity would hold it on -- dust on dry using one of those poofy make-up brushes like used to dust on rouge -- this would be far more subtle -- just a hint of sparkly gold color
Okay, I just got back from setting the cake up at my friend's house. I was actually really happy with the way it turned out, although I was a nervous wreck while decorating it. I wish the photo turned out better though. I took the photo after I set the cake up on her dining room table. The dining room wall in the background is a dark blue and is distracting in the photo. I think the cake looked better in person, but my friend was thrilled with it, which is what really counts. She can't wait for her parents to see it!
Her husband said we should put a box of kleenex next to the cake because his mother-in-law will be "crying like a baby" when she sees the cake. Almost made me cry!!!
Thank you very much to everyone who calmed my fears and gave advice earlier in the week. You all are the greatest!!!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%