Hi all... have been asked to do a basketball themed cake with a basketball hoop.. want it to look something like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilach_cakes/2272255292/
Does anyone know how this was likely made? TIA! 
I am guessing it is made out of gumpaste and dried. The net part is perhaps sugar veil?
I haven't tried this idea but it might be worth to consider it.
Have you seen the lattice pastry cutters? (http://recipegal.com/shopping/pie.htm) they make alternate cuts and the final efect is like a net. Maybe you could try to cut a square of fondant (or maybe 50/50 fondant/gumpaste) and make small alternate cuts, as the pastry cutter. Then stretch it and see what happens.
Just an idea...
[quote="ngfcake"]I think the cutter is too big anyway. My original idea was to use a knife to imitate the cuts.
This might actually be the best idea
That net and hoop look like gumpaste and/or fondant.
Could you try making the net be made from Royal Icing - like string work on fancy lacey wedding cakes? The hoop might be Royal Icing too - make the circle on wax paper and let it dry overnight. Peel it off and add the net. Just guessing here, but it seems possible.
I made swans and flowers from Royal Icing and used them on panoramic sugar eggs 2 years ago - they're still rock-hard.
Funny, last night when I first posted I did think about the pastry lattice cutter but then discarded that idea as the lattice would be too big. Was thinking of how to replicate that in a small scale but was too tired to think. Glad to see other people's brains work better than mine.
Seeing the suggestion on RI made me think that perhaps it easier for you to pipe the net once the other parts are dry and assembled upright. Then you can pipe the net directly on using drop string work. It might be easier than trying to do individual strings and dry them first. Strings are so hard to move once they are dry.
I did see a thread about home made sugar veil here on CC. Let me see if I can find it.
Here we go, the CC sugarveil recipe. From what I read it is a big recipe so you can probably scale it down quite a bit if you only need that little net.
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-7283-2-Gummy-Spider-Webs-with-marshmallows.html
Oh wow!! Thanks so much BakingGirl!!!
As for RI, I've worked with RI before but only to do simple writing on the cake board direct... as for drop string work, i've never tried that and am actually not really sure how to go about doing it as well If anyone has any tips on how to go about doing this it would be much appreciated Want to have some back up just in case and i'll try all the methods and see which turns out the best Thanks so much you guys!!! Saved me once again
Here is the explanation from Wilton:
http://www.wilton.com/technique/Drop-Strings
You can use this technique and keep overlapping until you have the desired grid size.
I would think you could use a piece of gumpaste wrapped around a small tube covered in wax paper, extend the gumpaste so that it goes past the end of the tube a bit then roll that down to make a ring/hoop, cut out the net with a pairing knife.
Just a small disclaimer, I have not tried it myself, I just remember reading about it. If any of you try it let me know how it is, I have been wanting to give it a go myself for a while but never get around to it.
I would think you could use a piece of gumpaste wrapped around a small tube covered in wax paper, extend the gumpaste so that it goes past the end of the tube a bit then roll that down to make a ring/hoop, cut out the net with a pairing knife.
That might work with RI too . . . pipe the net and a rim onto wax paper that's wrapped around a small tube . . . wait for it to dry and peel off the wax paper.
Hi Jocmom... hmm.. oh wow... didn't realise the royal icing would last so long! Hmm.. will definitely try the royal icing idea if the fondant doesn't work.. thanks!!
I didn't think it would last that long either. I made panoramic sugar eggs for my grand children two years ago, and my grand daughter asked if she could keep hers "forever." When I helped them move into their new home last summer, I was unpacking boxes for her bedroom and found her Easter egg - wrapped in tissue paper and packed in the original box that I'd given her. It's in perfect shape. Maybe it WILL last her forever! 
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