Color Flow Questions

Decorating By Heatherly30 Updated 30 Aug 2007 , 2:20am by ktm00n

Heatherly30 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Heatherly30 Posted 14 Aug 2007 , 6:30pm
post #1 of 5

Does it taste good?

Do I have to use a parchment bag, or can I use a disposable bag?

Can I use an actual tip to outline (#3)?

Do I need to thin it out to fill in?

I plan to use yellow, orange and red to create flames.

Any advice or tips for me? This will be my second time using this (1st and only time was in class).

4 replies
jackiessweettreasures Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
jackiessweettreasures Posted 14 Aug 2007 , 8:02pm
post #2 of 5

I have only done colorflow 2 times but this is what I found. I hope that it helps../

#1 - It is har when it dris but it kind of tastes like rock candy - sugar

#2 - I hate parchment bags - I used disposal bags and it worked out fine for me.

#3 - I found that not using a tip for outlining was easier than tring to push the thick outlining through the tip. I just cut a little off the end of the bag

#4 - I used a small tip to fill in (easier to control - yes you thin out adding a little water at a time till it takes til the count of 10 to absorb back in.

The advice I would give is bigger is easier for outlining and filling - have a design under your parchment paper tapped to a surface and be patient in allowing it to dry before moving it (2 to 3 days)

Good luck - I made a Minnesota Wild Hockey logo - everyone loved it but it is hard and your hand does get sore.

I hope that I helped.

Jackie

TexasSugar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
TexasSugar Posted 14 Aug 2007 , 8:30pm
post #3 of 5

Does it taste good? - I don't really eat it. You can always remove the piece off the cake before it is served. I also usually use royal icing when making mine.

Do I have to use a parchment bag, or can I use a disposable bag? - I have used both for it. I like the parchment for smaller amounts of icing, but it can be done in disposable bags.

Can I use an actual tip to outline (#3)? - Sure. Depending on how big your piece is 3 may look better. If it is too hard to squeeze it may be that your icing is too thick and you should thin it down just a little. You want to be able to pipe the icing easily, with out struggling, but you do want the icing to hold it's shape as well.

Do I need to thin it out to fill in? - Yep. Just add water until it is a flowable consistancy. Think elmers glue.

Any advice or tips for me? This will be my second time using this (1st and only time was in class). -

When you make your outlines make sure they are pretty and rounded. You want to keep your bag at a 45* angle and not drag your tip though where you have already piped.

When you fill in your out lines, make sure you work quickly and keep the tip of the bag buried in the icing. You also want to make sure your icing pillows above the outline. You want the filled in part to be above the outline, so that when it dries it won't be completely flat. You don't have to use a tip for this part. If you have little parts you need to get icing into you can use a tooth pick or corsage pin to help push the icing in it.

I take my pattern and stick it in a plastic page protector and take that to a cake board. You can do them on wax paper or plastic wrap taped to a board, but the page protector works great for me.

DianeLM Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
DianeLM Posted 14 Aug 2007 , 8:36pm
post #4 of 5

Are you using the Wilton colorflow product or royal icing? You know, you can achieve virtually the same effect with royal icing. Colorflow was 'invented' by Wilton so they'd have a product to sell along with their run-in sugar class. icon_smile.gif

I always use a tip for my run-in pieces. If the icing is too thick to squeeze through a tip, then it's just too thick, period. Thin it with a drop or two of water at a time until it's a good, comfortable piping consistency.

For filling in, I have to disagree with jackiessweettreasures. Use nothing larger than tip 2. It sounds insane, but there's a good reason. Thinning your icing down to run-in consistency incorporates a lot of bubbles. You should try to tap out as many bubbles as you can before you fill your bag, but there will invariably be bubbles in your bag. Squeezing your icing through a small tip - like tip 2 - will help pop those pesky bubbles before they become a nuisance.

My advice to you for your flames is not to outline each color, but pipe your run-in colors next to each other, then take a toothpick and swirl them together. Like on these cakes. I hope you can see the effect I'm talking about.
LL
LL

ktm00n Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
ktm00n Posted 30 Aug 2007 , 2:20am
post #5 of 5

I sometimes use a spoon for bigger areas of thinned color flow; it saves filling a bag and I find it's just as easy. I just use a toothpick to get it into corners.

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