When Stenciling On Fondant Tiered Cake..........
Decorating By MissRobin Updated 7 Oct 2009 , 8:26pm by sugarshack
If you look in my pix, the towering inferno cake, was stenciled on the sides with embellishments. We did each tier then stacked it onsite. A trick to stenciling, use a steady hand, breathe deep and take your time. Hope that helps! 
If you look in my pix, the towering inferno cake, was stenciled on the sides with embellishments. We did each tier then stacked it onsite. A trick to stenciling, use a steady hand, breathe deep and take your time. Hope that helps!
What a gorgeous cake!!!! I was practicing yesterday, and on parchment it was a breeze, LOL!!!! Different story when I got to sides of cake, I did ok, but my fingers weren't long enough to hold the stencil, I read on the paper that came with my stencil to use surgical tape. Then I read the thread about the $6 kit, and checked that out, I guess I could go buy those supplies at Wally World (Wal-Mart), or Have my husband hold it while I apply icing!!! That was really my biggest obstacle, and if I might bug you with one more question, what was your consistency of RI? The instruction paper said not to thick or you will get peaks, but when I thinned it I got more peaks, go figure!!! Hope mine turns out as beautiful as yours, I have to apply brown on ivory, URGH!!!
I had two sets of hands, me and my cake partner's - in this case she had more experience stenciling than I did so I held the stencil and she smeared the royal icing on it. We used a slightly thinned medium consistency royal for the sides. If you have issues, get a dummy, cover it with that gawd-awful wilton fondant and practice on that. Remember, practice is key!!
Thanks, MissRobin for asking this question. I'm in the middle of doing the same thing. I practiced on a flat piece of fondant with the piping gel and it actually got under the stencil! It was a mess! Was it too thin? How do you keep the icing/piping gel from getting under the stencil? It wasn't taped down, I was just holding it & "painting it on" not "smearing" it on like icing.
I saw on cake girls that they use painters tape. Is that safe?
Piping gel straight outta the little Wilton tub it comes in, NOT the kind you squeeze from tubes, it's too watery. Mix in a small, seriously, small amount of coloring. I don't why, but piping gel takes about 1/4 of the color that regular or RI icing takes to get the shade you want. It's pretty thick. No painting, use a credit card or something similar to scrape it on.
Thanks, MissRobin for asking this question. I'm in the middle of doing the same thing. I practiced on a flat piece of fondant with the piping gel and it actually got under the stencil! It was a mess! Was it too thin? How do you keep the icing/piping gel from getting under the stencil? It wasn't taped down, I was just holding it & "painting it on" not "smearing" it on like icing.
I don't use piping gel to stencil with because it's like using vaseline -- gross!! 
If you "smear" it on in one direction you won't have that problem -- "painting" it on you are going back and forth forcing the icing (or gel) under the sides of the stencil, thus smearing it. You should also use a fairly thick amount -- but not too thick and not too thin. You shouldn't "tape" it down (with painting or other tape) because tape isn't food safe. 
Your best bet is to get hubby or that cute neighbor down the street to go ahead and give you an extra set of hands to hold it down. 
Thanks, MissRobin for asking this question. I'm in the middle of doing the same thing. I practiced on a flat piece of fondant with the piping gel and it actually got under the stencil! It was a mess! Was it too thin? How do you keep the icing/piping gel from getting under the stencil? It wasn't taped down, I was just holding it & "painting it on" not "smearing" it on like icing.
I don't use piping gel to stencil with because it's like using vaseline -- gross!!
I beg to differ. Nothing like Vaseline. That would be gross.
Thanks, MissRobin for asking this question. I'm in the middle of doing the same thing. I practiced on a flat piece of fondant with the piping gel and it actually got under the stencil! It was a mess! Was it too thin? How do you keep the icing/piping gel from getting under the stencil? It wasn't taped down, I was just holding it & "painting it on" not "smearing" it on like icing.
I don't use piping gel to stencil with because it's like using vaseline -- gross!!
I beg to differ. Nothing like Vaseline. That would be gross.
To each is own. I use it plenty (see my tye dye tee cookies and pearls on Megan's wedding cake.) It's sticky and gooey -- can't argue with that!
Piping gel straight outta the little Wilton tub it comes in, NOT the kind you squeeze from tubes, it's too watery. Mix in a small, seriously, small amount of coloring. I don't why, but piping gel takes about 1/4 of the color that regular or RI icing takes to get the shade you want. It's pretty thick. No painting, use a credit card or something similar to scrape it on.
Does it take long to dry?
Eh....it doesn't ever really dry. It will get "surface dry", and tacky, but not dry. It will still smudge on you. I keep some toothpicks, !-tips and vodka nearby to make fixes as I work. I pop the tier in the fridge after each swipe on the stencil to speed it up a bit. It is a PITA process, but the look is great.
I did the black and white cake in my photos with wilton black BC right out the tube; perfect!
and it dried hard enough overnight that when I went to stack I could lighty hold the tier with other hand and it did not mess up the stenciling.
tee hee thanks!
yes i have many bad cakes. this one bout killed me. the ganache kept tearing thru the top edge cuz it was so sharp. i just gave up and made sure the ruffle covered it! HA!
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