I am making a barrel cake and I want it to look like it is 3/4 filled with water. I am going to attach fondant slats all around the cake, that look like regular barrel siding, then add rings around the barrel. I will have the slats come up approx. 1 inch above the cake so that they are higher than the cake. Do I:
A. Cover the top of the cake with black fondant then add piping gel over that? Will it look like the barrel has depth?
B. Cover the top of the cake with white fondant then add piping gel over that?
C. Cover the top of the cake with white fondant then add blue tinted piping gel?
Ooohhhhh, I am so confused. Please Help!!!
You might have seen this. The Food Network had the Candy Castles Challenge and they used aluminum foil under blue piping gel to create water. They explained that the foil gave the water depth. You may not want to use the foil since this is a cake that will be eaten. Sorry I can't be of more help.
I vote for C but have never done this but it sounds like it would work. Good Luck 
Bump!!!
Do I color the inside (top of cake) the same color as the wood slats? Then fill it with piping gel to get that water in a barrel illusion???
***I Apologize For Being So Bumpy*** 
But.........I've gotta get started on this cake tomorrow evening and I am still concerned with how I can achieve this effect. I am taking all ideas into consideration- including the two of which I have already received!
Help! Fellow CC Members........I need your great advice.
hiya cakeunleashed person....
Just dye some pip ing gel a light blue and put a small amount of that in the indentation (inside part) of the barrell and hopefully it looks like water inside the barrel. (pip ing gel it's sposed to say pip ing gel) arrggghhhhh!!!!
Well, if the foil would give the water depth, maybe you could cover the top in a grey fondant that has been luster dusted? This way it would be edible and maybe achieve the same depth look. Then cover with blue .
Perfect idea! I would try that!!!
Wow! Thanks for all the support! Keep 'um coming....
Here is the look I WANT to achieve. (Kind of hard when it is full of cake up to the water point). Do you see how the inside of the barrel is darker (because it is wet?) Should I also tint the inside of the slats a bit darker too?
The inside of the barrel in the picture the inside slats are black. Doing that I think would help add some depth. I think I would cover the top of the cake in the barrel with black or dark choc BC icing - let that crust over and then add some piping gel.
Please post pictures when this awesome sounding cake is done.
I would agree with black or dark navy sugarpaste on top of cake, with piping gel coloured blue on top. Could then higlight certain parts with white or much lighter blue to get the light reflection, which you get with water.
Will be interested to see this finished cake!!
cheers
Jan
ok, what if you go with light blue fondant... take a wide flat paintbrush and brush navy blue color (mixed with clear extract) in a circular motion on top of the fondant starting from the edges, working your way into the middle.
then a layer of clear or slightly tinted piping gel on top of that. this way you would see the circular brush strokes through the gel, creating the slight movement of water.
i hope that was clear. i can see it in my own head but i'm not sure it translated well. 
also, you might want to check the gallery for some cupcakes that were done similar to this look. they were adorable little cupcakes of apples floating in water filled barrels.
HTH good luck!
Cakerator has the right idea! That's the only way you will get that sense of movement under the piping gel. I say go for that! You could always take a tiny peice of fondant and experiment with the painting and gel if you are unsure of the colors too. Good luck!
Okie dokie, I have actually decided to take a bit of each reply and we shall see the how it turns out. I will be posting the cake on Saturday so that you can check it out and see if all your ideas turned out the way you thought! I hope I make you proud! LOL!! 
Once again...thank you soooooooo very much for all your assistance and for being so thoughtful with your responses.
With Much Appreciation,
Deb
P. S. This is NOT a bump! 
I wish to thank all of you that contributed your ideas as to how I get the water to look in a barrel.
Here is the finished product. I hope you like it.
Thanks again for all your suggestions and assistance.
Deb
WOW! That is absolutely amazing. You are very talented.
Wow! Great job. Looks perfect. How did you do the water coming out of the pump?
It is just great getting all the help from the CC members. They are a great bunch.
Thanks! Glad you like it!
I had a friend of mine (she owns a candy shop) give me some hot pulled sugar. I immediate applied it to the water spout and into the cake. I then just put some clear piping gel onto it after it cooled all the way.
The hand water pump is Rice Krispie Treats shaped around a wooden dowel that was inserted into the cake board (that was a feat, let me tell ya!!) It is covered in MMF.
All items on and around the cake are all handmade with MMF, with the exceptions above mentioned and the water pump handle. It is made of cardboard covered in MMF. 
You did a super job! So tell us how you did it. What did you end up doing to give the water the look you got?
I love this cake. Can you please share how you did it? Not that I would even start to try this as it's way above my level but I'm very interested to hear how you did it.
The wood looks so real and the water is perfect!
You did a really good job on this. Are those little cowboys bathing in the barrel? Please tell us the story behind this cake.
Thanks! 
Here is the story behind the cake:
It was created for a Western/Country Ranch Style Baby Shower. The baby's room is already decorated in Rubber Duckies. So I tied all the themes together. The hostess said, "Go for it. Do whatever you like". Wow! I liked that idea.
The baby shower party was to be for both the wife and the husband. The hostess expected approximately 60 people - a mixed group of: men, women, children, local ranchers, etc.
When I got there to deliver the cake, it was as if I had decorated the grange hall myself! There were tables decorated in denim with red bandana table runners, topped off with a mason jar decorated with cute rubber ducks, filled with fresh daisies. Little rubber ducks setting here and there. Also, which I was happy about, there were two barrels filled with ice and cold drinks.
So, the cake was a success! I got a call from two people that attended (I don't know them, either! Which is cool!) and they wanted to order cakes, too! The hostess called me and said that the cake was such a huge success, the party was 45 minutes late getting started because people were waiting in line to take pictures.
I have never had such a compliment in my life. What a joy to see something enjoyed so much. The only bummer about this business is that you leave after delivering a cake. I wish I could hide a little tape recorder to actually hear the comments, both - good and bad.
Everything is edible, with the acception of the support items and the handle for the water pump. The rubber ducks are hand made, and yes, they are wearing cowboy hats and bandanas around their necks. LOL!!
Thanks again for such a nice response to my cake. I really want to reiterate by saying, "Thanks", to those that assisted me with creating the whole water in a barrel thing.
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