Wires On Cake; My New Enemy!!!

Decorating By aundron Updated 29 Aug 2007 , 8:11am by diane

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aundron Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:29pm
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Okay, how in the heck do you get those friggin wires to stay/work on cakes?? icon_confused.gif I've tried sticking straws in cakes which works a little bit, but what do I stuff in the hole?? I've done the "making fondant balls and try sticking the wire in it" trick, but the wire always slides or tears the fondant or the ball moves?? HELP, icon_cry.gif really want to know how to do this the right way because I think it's pretty neat!!

(BTW, this might be an easy answer, but when you're sleep deprived, nothing is easy!! icon_lol.gif )

39 replies
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Horselady Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:37pm
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Shouldn't the straws be "filled" with cake? I'm interested in this answer as I have a cake coming up that needs wires....hmmm...

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TheCakerator Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:38pm
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yeah I am pretty interested myself .. I plan on using wires in a cake today actually...

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cookieswithdots Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:39pm
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I've done it once and it worked great. I used the small coffee stirers--swiped a few at a fast food place. It was great. They didn't move around at all. Maybe because they were so small. Who knows. Like I said I've only used them once on a baby shower cake top last month.

Good luck!

Melissa

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aundron Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:43pm
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Hmmmm, the coffee stirrers, I'll have to try that!!

I did a cake yesterday that took me know time to fondant, put fondant accents on, but when I got to the putting on of the wires; that had me up until 3am trying to get it right and I still didn't like it!!

My husband woke me up at 5:30am and told me to make the wires like a coil (duhhhhhhhh icon_redface.gif ), but I guess I was so sleepy, I forgot about that!!

Needless to say, the stinky wires still didn't want to stay in place!!

Does anyone know how Duff does his wires?? Sometimes it looks like he sticks them in fondant accents/balls, but other times, it looks like he just sticks it in the cake!!

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mullett Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:48pm
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I also use the small coffee straws. You can get green ones from starbucks...thou they are a bit larger than the red ones. You can also get them at the $tree stores in white and multi colored packs.

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KellyAnne1284 Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:52pm
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So, what, you stick the coffee stirrer in the cake, then stick the wire in that? Any other process to it? Any other support? I was planning on using wires in a cake this weekend and had no idea there was a process to it. I was just gonna stick 'em in the cake! lmao. I'm glad I saw this thread by mistake!!

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BaltimoreCoutureCakes Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 6:54pm
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I used suckers sticks. I made a hole with a paperclip (small) and pushed the wire inside. It work great. I will have to try the coffee stirrers. Less work.

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aundron Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 7:02pm
post #9 of 40
Quote:
Originally Posted by mullett

I also use the small coffee straws. You can get green ones from starbucks...thou they are a bit larger than the red ones. You can also get them at the $tree stores in white and multi colored packs.





Hmm, the green ones sound good so you can see it better in the cake!! I can see me now, going to Starbucks to get me a Caramel Frappucino Light and coming out with 500 coffee stirrers that I stuffed into my purse!! icon_lol.gif

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val_nutrimetics Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 7:03pm
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I always assumed that you would just stick the wire into the cake! Like KellyAnne1284, I too had no idea there was more to it than that!

Thanks for posting this question!

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aundron Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 7:18pm
post #11 of 40

BUMP


for more comments!! icon_smile.gif

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cookieswithdots Posted 24 Aug 2007 , 8:23pm
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I just wanted to add that I had seen that trick posted here a long time ago. Also-- it keeps the wires from actually touching the cake.

Just kind-of eye ball it on the cake, and poke them in. Then I played around with the length of the wire, cut it and slipped it into the coffee stirer.

Let us know how it turns out!

Melissa

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Amberghini Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 12:36am
post #13 of 40

I use floral wires in 18 gage. I dip the wires in chocolate so that the metal does not come in contact with the cake. I also push the wires down to the bottom of the layer. I have never had a problem with the wires moving or shifting on me.
LL
LL
LL

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KellyAnne1284 Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 12:57am
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Ok, total newbie question....but....why can't the wires come into contact with the cake?

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CelebrationCakery Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:10am
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I have also used floral picks to hold them into place. That seems to work well too...I found white ones at Michaels and ACMoore

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kazzybaby Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:23am
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i always use a posie pick for the wires, and if the wires seem a little too loose and floppy i put a little fondant in the pick to hold the wires in place, but if i don't habve any posie picks then i use a straw with fondant pushed inside it, it always works well for me, and it is recomended that you don't put the wire directly into the cake as the moisture from the cake may make the wire rust.. wouldn't want to eat rusty cake..lol

kazz x
LL

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Sandra80 Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:23am
post #17 of 40
Quote:
Originally Posted by KellyAnne1284

Ok, total newbie question....but....why can't the wires come into contact with the cake?



they're not food safe.

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dl5crew Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:31am
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Save

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mjulian Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:39am
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So on the one cake that i used wires on i used regular straws and I got them to work but wasn't as pleased as I would have like to be. Any who I have to try the smaller stir straws.

THANKS FOR ALL THE TIPS!

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sisspence Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 1:44am
post #20 of 40

I'm sure glad someone asked about the wires. I'm making a cake for tuesday using wire. The las time I used wire, it tore the cke as the wire moved around and some of the stars on the ends slid down the wire even after the foundant dried. Do ya'll sandwich the wire between 2 of whatever your putting on the wires are do you roll out foundant thick and just the wire through the object.

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Lenore Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 2:00am
post #21 of 40

Kassybaby, What is a posie pick?

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kazzybaby Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 2:08am
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lol a posie pick is just a little plastic tube which is pointy at one end so that you can push it into the cake, and it is used to put flowers on a cake so that the wires for the flowers are not touching the cake.. they come in a few different sizes, but if you don't have them then a straw is just as good,
HTH kazz

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kazzybaby Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 2:19am
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just found this pic to show what i mean..lol
kazz xx
LL

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CelebrationCakery Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 2:27am
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I am so sorry...I wrote flower picks but that is not at all what I meant now that I am thinking of what a flower pick is...I meant one of the little tubes that hold water for flowers....hmmm....floral watering tubes, I just looked it up they are called floral tubes....they have them in white at Micheals and AC Moore

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1234me Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 3:19am
post #25 of 40

Here are my tips to doing it:

use the small straw, like the coffee one. No need to take them from starbucks - you can buy them in the grocery store icon_smile.gif

curve them however you want them to look before you put them in. I put the 50/50 fondant/gumpaste ball or shape on the end and let it dry days before inserting it into the cake - therefore it is dry and won't fall off or the wire won't go through the end.

I use cardboard boards so I insert the wire in and push it all the way into the carboard base and it stays in place.

I do not sandwich the wire between two items - I roll the fondant/gumpaste a little thicker and insert the wire into it. I try to insert the straws and wire in the middle and place the top bow or decore around the places I inserted the straws.

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Karabear1125 Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 5:24am
post #26 of 40

Wow I had no idea that you just can't stick the wires into the cake, I've been doing it all along! Uh oh! .. I'm glad I seen this thread! Thanks for the heads up.

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Briarview Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 6:03am
post #27 of 40

It also depends on the guage of wire you are using should the balls be heavy on the end like the ones Duff does. It is certainly a no no to put wires directly into the cake but I have seen them do it on TV programmes.
I do like the idea of coated chocolate wires on their base but would there be a risk of it coming off as you pushed them into the cake.
Like other posters I use the flower picks and poke fondant into the hole to hold them. Sometimes I use two and usually try and hide the top of the flower pick with tiny pearls or balls whatever matches the cake.

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wgoat5 Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 12:05pm
post #28 of 40

The one time I have done this I had problems covering the holes where I poked the floral pics into. icon_sad.gif and all I wanted was the wires with the stars showing...any good tips on this?

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Briarview Posted 25 Aug 2007 , 7:15pm
post #29 of 40

We had a visiting overseas lady selling her cutters and I bought these little mini tubes with the opening the size of a flower pick and she also supplied a little metal cutter to remove some of the cake and icing (like they do when they are testing cheese) pop the little tube in, fill with fondant icing and cut a circle of icing with the cutter and put in place smoothing it to hide hole. Hope you understand this.

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teamsterbabe Posted 26 Aug 2007 , 2:55am
post #30 of 40

Help!!! icon_cry.gif
I am making the balls with the bendy wires for my daughters wedding cake...well, I am going to try. So, let me understand this because this afternoon I was so mad icon_mad.gif ...the gumballs, gumpaste balls not gumballs, but I might try that if all else fails...fell off the wire (18 guage) and dropped like ripe figs to the counter! icon_eek.gif
The balls that stayed on the wires either cracked or decided to smash into other wires and make indents in themselves. I am going nuts and I haven't even stuck them in the cake yet! I made the balls and they flattened out while on the counter...how in the world do you keep them round??
Please tell me what I am doing wrong and what I can do to fix it or should I pitch it and start again.

I am ready for the nut farm and my hubby is packing my bags

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