I saw many lovely sandcastle cakes in the gallery. I have a request for such a cake yet I do not understand how you get the sand (cookie crumbs) to stick to the sides of the cake without disturbing the buttercream underneath. I would appreciate anyone's experience or advice. I also am wondering how overall technically challenging such a cake can be?

Here's a link to a thread from a while back, with the same question but re: nuts - I'd guess cookie crumbs would work the same http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-561751-.html

Thank you ceshell!!

If the cake is bc, it will stick.(graham cracker and sugar mix) If it's a fondant cake. I have a spray
bottle of sugar/h20 mix, I spray the spot and apply
the sand and it sticks. The sugar spray is like hair
spray.