I love the topsy turvy cakes with the cute things "bursting" out of them. Is it safe to use wire for these elements or what is something safe that people are using?

People are using wire. It's not safe to stick it directly in the cake, which doesn't stop some people, but to do it the safe way you can stick the wires in coffee stirs or straws that you've trimmed to the height of your cake, so they don't show, or in posy pics like you would for gumpaste flowers, or dip the single wires in chocolate and let it harden before inserting them in the cake.

I have coffee stirrers...makes it more sturdy to place inside the cake and holds the wire more sturdy.

Thanks a lot-those are great ideas!

Never heard of dipping in chocolate. Thanks for the ideas!

Yeah, I like the chocolate dipping idea.

I put 3 or 4 in a regular straw, cut to the height of the cake, that I've filled with melted candy melts. When it hardens, you can adjust the spikes any way you want.

I LOVE the idea of chocolate!! I was wondering how to they manage that stuff!

Yes, that's a wonderful idea, never though of such!