Ok, here is my dilema...I am making a 3 tier cake for my little 100 year old friend. The design comes out of a Colette book. In order to do the design I must hand paint the fondant. Fondant? It will most likely be something new to her and I worry that I should stick with BC but....the design really needs to be in fondant. She doesn't see well but I want her to get the gratification from others saying to her "your cake is beautiful" and with BC the design just won't be as AWWWW some. As I am writing this and as I have said over and over again in my head....just do the fondant, it can be peeled off! So what do you all think.....JUST DO IT???

Joanne

. . . don't really know how to respond to your question . . . I do know I have seen several BC cakes that I would have sworn were fondant . . . so I'm not sure you have to do it in fondant if you don't want to . . . do you have a photo you can share . . .

Ok, here is the cake design, with the following changes.

Not topsy turvy, only three layers (10,12,14), no berries. The board will be pink foil covered.

I will have bows, pearls, ribbon roses, a large 100 on top and her name also made out of gumpaste standing on the side of the middle tier. Same basic colors. I plan to do the middle three designs.

This should make my question easier.

Thank you.

. . . ah yes, I see your dilemma . . . (do you have an airbrush?? you could probably still do buttercream if you do) . . . looks like fondant would definitely be the easiest . . . but perhaps you might consider candy clay instead of fondant if you're really looking for an alternative . . . this may give you some idea of what's possible if you wish to tackle it (probably not much more work than fondant . . . but probably tastier if you don't think fondant would be popular) . . . http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1175215 . . . I will look forward to seeing your finished cake . . . not many of us get to do one for such an occasion . . .

I do have an airbrush but haven't used it much yet so I don't think I could do a very neat job of it. I had thought of it though.

Joanne

Definitely use fondant, as for the taste, they can peel it off if they don't like it. I really think that people just don't like the idea of chewing their icing. I have never really had anyone complain about it, they just don't eat it, and it really does keep your cake moist.

Thanks for the replies. I am gong to do the fondant.

Joanne