1St Fondant Loopy Bow -- Please Advise.
Decorating By tobycat Updated 11 Aug 2007 , 8:47pm by TexasSugar
I am now on my second attempt to make the loops for the bow, but they just seem sooooo soft! They've been sitting all night and still squash together a bit when I put them right side up. So, what do you use? All fondant? All gumpaste? Mixture of both?
I'm using different mmf recipies -- my latest is with 1/4 cup shortening and 2 tbs of glucose. It just seems soooo soft! I like the pliability, but it's just soft.
I've used the mmf with just a little shortening, and I like it, but it is drier, and I'm just afraid that it will crack.
Anyone have any advice? TIA --
S.
I have added gum-tex to a couple of the loops, and they seem harder, but I'm not sure how much to add for such a little amount of fondant. I've just been adding a pinch -- it says to add only a tbs for an entire batch of gumpaste, so I don't want to overdo it. I just don't want them to crack either.
S.
There isn't an exact amount that you add, or atleast not in my experince. The more you add the faster/harder your fondant will dry. I usually use about a teaspoon for 12oz of fondant. Sometime less sometimes more.
I totally feel your pain!
I made many attempts at a fondant loop bow and finally am able to make a bow I am happy with. I tried using fondant and didn't like it. Too soft and "curmbly". Then I tried the mix of fondant/gumpaste and still was not pleased. Finally I tried just gumpaste and I really loved it.
You can see my bow in my photos. It was the one for a wedding shower that was a stacked cake with pink and white fondant with brown dots and some stripes on the bottom tier.
I totally feel your pain!
I made many attempts at a fondant loop bow and finally am able to make a bow I am happy with. I tried using fondant and didn't like it. Too soft and "curmbly". Then I tried the mix of fondant/gumpaste and still was not pleased. Finally I tried just gumpaste and I really loved it.
You can see my bow in my photos. It was the one for a wedding shower that was a stacked cake with pink and white fondant with brown dots and some stripes on the bottom tier.
I love you bow! I may go to gumpaste, but I'm trying to avoid it because I'd like to think that they could actually eat if they wanted to. I've got a couple of practice loops drying now with some gum-tex added. Wish me luck!
THanks for sharing your pics!
S.
I love you bow! I may go to gumpaste, but I'm trying to avoid it because I'd like to think that they could actually eat if they wanted to.
Why couldn't you eat the gumpaste??
I prefer all gumpaste it tries a lot quick and I can do a bow from starting to finishing in about 4 hrs (see the white bow in my photos) This was with the loops drying and assembly with wilton candy melts.
As for eating it... I don't see why anyone can't. It is just harder than the rest of the cake but it is still edible. no different than using royal icing on buttercream cake. It is just different. My customers ate the white bow on the gift cake and they liked it, it was just a different taste than anything else.
I have never had anyone eat my bows, personally. But if someone wants to, so be it. There is nothing in them that makes it inedible. It reminds me of those Necco wafers.
And don't be afraid of something because of what others say about it. I like using gumpaste for some things. Just make sure you work with it fast. I would roll out small amounts so you have time to form your loops before it starts drying out.
I've done bows with both fondant (wilton) mixed with gum-tex, fondant mixed with gumpaste and just gumpaste. Depends on when I am making the bow. If I am doing it ahead of time then I do the first two. If I am doing it the day before, then either fondant with lots of gum-tex or gumpaste.
I dry my loops over wooden dowels. I have a few different sizes that I use depending on what size my box is and how long my strips are. I also cut some of my strips a little skinnier than the others so that I can fit them into holes.
Thank you so much Texassugar -- that tells me everything I need to know!
And, you're right, I shouldn't just take others words for things necessarily.
The loops I made the other day with mmf and gum-tex did dry nicely, so I may do that. The cake isn't until the 25th, so I've got lots of time! But, now I"m super curious to try just the gum paste, and I just happen to have a ready-to-make package here, so maybe I'll give that a whirl.
Thanks again!
S.
Go for it! And good luck.
One of the pros to using gumpaste for the loops is you can roll it thinner, so you have a more realistic looking bow. Or course the con is you have to work faster with it.
You can do it though! 
ANd with time to play around you don't have that pressure of getting to done in 24 hours. 
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