Need Help With Attaching Fondant Rope To Cake Sides
Decorating By JaneK Updated 7 Aug 2007 , 5:04pm by DianeLM
if I want to put a fondant rope or ribbon say 1/3 of the way down from the top of a cake, spanning the circumference, how is that done?
I did something similar long ago and the fondant rope kept on breaking, I couldn't get it to stay in place...it was wiggly not straight..it might be possible on a tiny 4" cake but I want to do a 9" or 12" one...
Any tips? I would like to make a jewelry box cake and add a rope (not twisted..just the tube of fondant) around it and then add a clasp.....
similar to this lovely cake.....(awesome site BTW)
http://www.anascustomcakes.com/weddings.html
It is the stacked jewelry boxes with the flowers coming out of the top....
Any ideas would be appreciated...
TIA
Jane
Well, I'm not sure how well this would work for you but this is the way I would try to do it.
Take a ruler and use it to make a mark all the way around the cake at the exact place you want it. A seam gauge used for sewing is what I use 'cause I can put the pointer at the mark I want and then touch it to the side of the cake and go around. Makes a straight even line. Then I would put a line of icing on top of this line then attach the rope onto this line. This should make it straight. As far as the rope breaking, if possible get an extra pair of hands to help you hold the rope up to the line while you attach it, or stick it to a strip of acetate and peel it off as you go.
If your cake is covered in fondant and if the rope can be more flat then round you can actually put a band of fondant around the cake, a lot wider than what you need. With the help of "helping hands" or the acetate strip. Then measure your lines onto the fondant straight and as wide as you want, then use an exacto knife to cut away the extra and peel it off, leaving the strip you want. This makes it even all the way around.
Hopefully, someone else will reply with some better tips. Good Luck!
Measure the circumference of the cake. Roll out your rope to the right length. Using a small brush, moisten one side of your rope with water, vanilla extract, or gum glue (I use water and it works fine). Starting with the middle of the rope, press it gently to the side of the cake. Work around to the ends of the rope, trimming if necessary. Cut the ends of the rope on a diagonal & place together (this makes the seam less noticeable). If you're doing a clasp, use that to cover the seam.
If you're using a really heavy or thick piece of fondant for the rope, you can attach with royal icing rather than water. Based on the photo, though, water or vanilla should work fine.
You can also use an overturned dish or a piece of styrofoam the same height as your border to rest one end of the rope on while you attach the other end. This may help with the stretching or breaking problem.
Does that help?
Bec
Thanks for the suggestions! I never thought about attaching starting in the middle...I am used to handling fondant but this is a skill I totally lack!!! Hopefully when I try again I will be able to report favourably!!! I could see where an extra pair of hands would come in handy as well!
Thanks again
Jane
I agree with i_heart_pastry's instructions - except, I would moisten the cake, not the rope. That way, the rope will only stick right where you want it. If you moisten the rope and it slides or you misplace it, it may leave a streak where you slide it back into place.
You can also insert straight under the rope to support it while your glue dries.
If all those ideas still fail, try using toothpicks inserted from the back of the rope (the part unseen) and insert into cake at the weak areas of the rope. HTH
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