Ok, thanks to my niece I am facing yet another cake challenge. I have everything figured out with one exception. The cakeboard is to be covered in fondant and made to look like a ceramic tile floor. Other than the edible spray laquer at $30 a can, I need suggestions on how to get a gloss on that floor. I have thought about using piping gel but I am not even real sure how to go about doing that. Any and all help would be appreciated.

dixiepixie0634

take a paintbrush and wet it and shake off the excess water and then paint over it and let it dry....it will retain the shine! Or you can also rub some shortening onto it. Try it on a scrap piece first.....the water really does work!

You could also try spraying Pam on it lightly. If it looks messy in spots, just use a small brush to smooth it.

I've used the Pearl spray-on luster dust and it worked great for shine, and there's other colors that could possibly go with your "tile" color?

http://www.shopbakersnook.com/310.html

Mix piping gel with vodka. It dries shiny without being gooey!

My confectioners glaze didn't cost 30.00.. if you get it NOT in the spray it's not that expensive.

If you want a real good shine, brush it with beaten egg white. I've done it before and it will look just like glaze on a ceramic tile. Here's a frog I did that was to look like the customer's glazed frog statue.

For some reason my attachment didn't work, I'll try again, and if not I'll add it to my photos (just figured out that re-sizing thing). You can see the dull color on bottom where I didn't egg wash the frog.

Ok here is what I did with confectioners glaze (the cake sucks but look at the cups on top..).. I took a preval sprayer and sprayed the glaze on and they were dry in just a few minutes... really really worth it to get! (food grade glaze that is)

Not sure. My ratio is probably close to about 25vodka/75piping gel and a little goes a very long way...

wgoat5 oh man, I wondered about that cake......I see it turned out fabulously!!! You can't even tell you had ANY trouble with the cups whatsoever! Awesome job!

I bought confectioner's glaze and threw it out.

I used it to cover a grand piano cake and the first thing that threw me off was the smell - like paint thinner!

The second thing was that it is just like laquer - you have to be careful with drips (runs) or they dry on your cake. I did get some on my work table and it won't come off. I can see why they say it should only be used for display pieces...

Since I've tried piping gel with vodka I won't look back! Mixing food color with vodka also gives it shine and dries with no tackiness (that's what I used on the shoe on Stephanie's 40th Birthday cake).

thank you guys

A lady told me that in a seminar she takes a person use 1/2 cup of water(?) and 1/2 cup of piping gel, but i was thinking that water can ruin the work. I prefer use vodka. But is for use with airbrush over fondant (bottles, glasss) . the water is more dificult to dry. I never try this! but using the vodka intead the water give me more confidence.

In defense of confectioner's glaze... it has its good uses, don't throw it out! I decorated a masonite board to go under a wedding cake with Royal Icing, stenciling, etc. and let that dry, then brushed on smelly ol' confectioner's glaze. I did this a week in advance of the wedding, so the odor was gone by the date. The confectioner's glaze waterproofed the board. Also, if you make gum paste decorations, this glaze is handy for shiny berries. Thin it and clean your tools with isopropyl alcohol. If you want something that cuts faster, use acetone (fingernail polish remover.)