I use indydebi's buttercream. It crusts REALLY nicely.

My sister want a sparkly cake for her wedding. She doesn't want fondant, which means I have to figure out how to do sparkly sugar on buttercream.

I see a couple of options. 1) Put the sparkling sugar on it as soon as its frosted, not waiting for it to crust (I see two potential problems - smoothing the frosting and the sugar melting into the frosting) OR 2) Frost it, smooth it, let it crust, brush on a thin layer of piping gel thinned with water and then put the sparkling sugar on (The only potential problem I see with this one is the piping gel somehow reacting with the frosting and making it . . . run . . . or something??)

I've seen 2 buttercream cakes with sparkling sugar here in the galleries but it looks like one used piping gel and the other didn't. There aren't specifics as to how they managed it. Another person used luster dust spray but that's not sparly enough for my sister. She wants REALLY sparkly.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated!

Here's a closeup, and excuse my typing, it's almost dark on the porch here. I did this cake when I still used a crusting BC. Got it smooth, but not crazy perfect, as I was going to coat it with sugar. Poured a big huge ring of it at the bottom of each base. Took a small spatula, an put it into the pile of sugar. Gently ulled straight up the side of the cake, slightly off of the surface so there was room for the sugar to grab into the icing, but not squish in and look flat. Took while, and in some places, I helped it along with my fingers, but the overall look was great, as it looked like it was just floating.

Then for more effect, generously sprinkled it all over with prismatic opal flakes. I think you can find it on the CK website. That ads shine, sarkle and raibow effect!

I wish you could see the prism flakes in the pic...They really catch the light, like a diamond ring in the sunshine!

I used sparkling sugar on buttercream for my most recent cake.....in my pix. I didn't put it on the sides, but I put sugar tiles there and did nothing to make them stick either. Just iced the cakes and attached the tiles and sugar. I used a non-crusting buttercream, but you wouldn't wait for it to crust anyway, I don't think. Just ice the cake and stick them on.

Duplicate post

Duplicate post.

Wow! That's beautiful! Did you stack it after you did the sugar or before? I've done exactly two stacked cakes so far. I'm really concerned I'm going to mess it up stacking it so I'd like to be able to do the sugar after I stack it.

Completely assembled first, that also eliminated any borders and spaces from on tier to the next.

_Jaime_ that cake is gorgeous!! I will have to remember your how to on that one.

_Jaime_ that cake is gorgeous!! I will have to remember your how to on that one.

Thanks Loucinda! It's messy, but it works!