Cake Boards

Decorating By arwa Updated 2 Apr 2010 , 10:19pm by cathie_shinnick

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arwa Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:20pm
post #1 of 40

I've had many clients complaining that my cakes look great but I need to work on my cake board. As of now I use foam core board covered with foil. It's quick & easy !!

I'd like to get your opinion on how to make the board a little more attractive and ofcourse FOOD SAFE !!!

39 replies
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karateka Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:27pm
post #2 of 40

I often cover mine with fondant or royal icing.

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Rosa2745 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:31pm
post #3 of 40

I personally just use cardboard cake boards that I buy pre cut and cover them with wrapping paper, border them with ribbon if I have any, and then cover again with food safe cellophane paper. It's inexpensive and looks nice. I know you can purchase pretty foil for cake boards too. Oasis cake supply has a variety of colors. They also make ready boards that are already covered in decorative foil.

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saycheese Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:37pm
post #4 of 40

A lot of people attach coordinating ribbon the the outer edge of the cake drum with a little bow...dresses it up a little.

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Rosa2745 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:38pm
post #5 of 40

I personally just use cardboard cake boards that I buy pre cut and cover them with wrapping paper, border them with ribbon if I have any, and then cover again with food safe cellophane paper. It's inexpensive and looks nice. I know you can purchase pretty foil for cake boards too. Oasis cake supply has a variety of colors. They also make ready boards that are already covered in decorative foil.

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melmar02 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:40pm
post #6 of 40

I cover my small cake orders in either white or silver cake board paper (ie Wilton). It's food safe, and they don't wrinkle like foil does. On my bigger orders I'll add ribbon to the edge of the board (like the Zebra cake in my photos - pink ribbon is a little hard to see against that tablecloth), or cover the board in a paper, center scrapbook paper to match the theme of the cake and then cover it in contact paper (like the motorcycle gas tank or tiki cakes in my photos). I like the scrapbook paper because the posibilities are endless.

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thallo Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:44pm
post #7 of 40

Any of the suggestions given will look much better than foil. Just one work of warning, some of the colored foils that are sold by cake supply places is actually florist foil and is not food safe. They don't always tell you this - you have to check the packaging and descriptions yourself.

After all the hard work you put into decorating your cakes, just that little extra effort can really make a big difference. My guess is that after you start dressing your boards that you will wonder why you waited so long to start doing it.

Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see what you come up with!!

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fabray13 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:44pm
post #8 of 40

i would love to improve on this too! i just really dont know how! do you buy heavy duty boards from the hardware store (like, for larger cakes?) or just cover the cardboard boards with fondant? i love the look of ribbon around the board, but the cardboard is never high enough for ribbon. whats the secret?

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saycheese Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:46pm
post #9 of 40
Quote:
Originally Posted by melmar02

or cover the board in a paper, center scrapbook paper to match the theme of the cake and then cover it in contact paper (like the motorcycle gas tank or tiki cakes in my photos). I like the scrapbook paper because the posibilities are endless.




like so:
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1423902

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msulli10 Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:50pm
post #10 of 40

You can also buy the foam board in different colors and then add some fondant details to the board instead of covering the entire board with fondant.

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arwa Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:59pm
post #11 of 40

Now the biggest problem here is that we don't get clear contact paper thats food safe. I really like the idea of using the gift paper and then covering it with the contact paper but I guess I wont be able to do that.

I have used fondant before , but thats like using SOOO much fondant . Im gonna try sourcing the contact paper.

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Price Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 6:59pm
post #12 of 40

I think the cake board is an extremely important part of the presentation. I usually cover my board with fondant, and then often times decorate that. It can be as simple as embossing some flowers in the fondant around the outside edge of the board or it can be as extreme as making the cake board part of the cake like I did with my Old Lady in the Shoe or toybox cake. I usually like to finish off the edge of the board with a coordinating ribbon. I use the 1/2" foam core for my boards, and like the board to be 2" to 3" larger than the cake all way around. I have used wrapping paper and covered that with clear contact paper, but I just like the look of the fondant covered boards. On my penguin cake, I covered the board in blue fondant. I wanted it to look like ice, so I painted the fondant with confectioners glaze. At the edge of the board I used royal icing and let it drip down over the edge of the board to represent snow.

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saycheese Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 7:01pm
post #13 of 40
Quote:
Originally Posted by arwa

Now the biggest problem here is that we don't get clear contact paper thats food safe. I really like the idea of using the gift paper and then covering it with the contact paper but I guess I wont be able to do that.

I have used fondant before , but thats like using SOOO much fondant . Im gonna try sourcing the contact paper.





what if you wrapped plastic wrap over the scrapbook paper and taped in underneath just like you would the foil?

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ChoueiriCakeCo Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 7:05pm
post #14 of 40

If you want to try using royal icing, just thin your icing (to the consistency of syrup), color it to accent the cake, pour onto the board, smooth with a spatula and let it dry for 24 hours. After it's completely dry you can still add ribbons and other decorative things to go around the cake board.

Your cakes are wonderful, and adding simple decorations to the cake board gives a lovely final touch icon_smile.gif

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Mug-a-Bug Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 8:19pm
post #15 of 40

I use a piece of wood or MDF (particle board, masonite, whatever), and cover with white contact paper. I like to put my smaller cakes on a marble or ceramic tile. Really pretty. Please stop using foil icon_lol.gificon_wink.gif

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rainyone Posted 26 Mar 2010 , 8:25pm
post #16 of 40

I cover mine with scrapbook paper then contact paper. Ribbon on the sides. The cake is under a board and doesn't come in contact with the contact paper.

I tend to use wood boards that are 12 x 12 or foam core. I use cake drums occasionally as well. I've covered with fondant but these days I like the look of the paper more.

this is one I used striped 12x12 paper to coordinate

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1608892

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arwa Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 3:56am
post #17 of 40

Mug - a - bug : Don't worry very soon I will be out of the world of foil covered boards icon_wink.gif

I have one question when covering the board with fondant. Do you decorate your cake first and then add a band of fondant to the remaining area of the board or cover the entire board first and then ice the cake?

Say Cheese: I will try to use plastic wrap but I doubt it with stick as smooth as contact paper.

Rainyone : So if you think thts not a problem, as in to use contact paper ( non food safe) and then have a cake board under the cake that's the same size of the cake. We do get the non food safe contact paper which is used in stationeries. This seems like the perfect option then in addition to the one with covering the board with fondant.

Thank you everyone for all your feedback. I think to date this is my best answered post icon_biggrin.gifDD and I hope I'll get my boards looking better really really soon !!!

Thanx a ton !

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ChoueiriCakeCo Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 10:49am
post #18 of 40

Lorraine Mckay has a tutorial on covering a cake board with fondant:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/extra-icing/sets/72157594575839118

She uses a band of fondant to cover the exposed board.

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arwa Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 10:51am
post #19 of 40

Flickr is blocked here .......eeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww

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pattycakesnj Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 11:07am
post #20 of 40

You can also cover the board with melted candy melts, cheaper than fondant and there is an array of colors that can be matched to the cake design.

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Mug-a-Bug Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 2:06pm
post #21 of 40

Arwa, she basically rolls out a very long piece of fondant, cuts one side to have a straight edge. Then, she loosely rolls it up and unrolls it around the board, then trims the edge. Here's a youtube as well:


- the author (Aine2) is a CC member, maybe you can PM her with any questions. Good luck.

thumbs_up.gif

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BeanCountingBaker Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 2:22pm
post #22 of 40

A lady who has stopped decorating cakes recently gave me a tip. Freezer paper is grease resistant so it makes a nice clean white suface for a cake board. It's food safe and not too expensive. I did my last cake on freezer paper covered foam core board and it looked simple and clean. I am going to look for ribbon the width of the foam core and start adding that as a finishing touch.

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zdebssweetsj Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 2:23pm
post #23 of 40

I also use a oversize board, I'll cover the extra board with fondant or even icing then what ever decorations I use on the cake I'll extend those to the board. Then I attach ribbon around the edge.

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Price Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 6:06pm
post #24 of 40

arwa - You can cover the whole board and then take a cake cardboard the size of your cake and use that as a guide to cut out the center of the fondant where your cake will sit. That gives you a nice seamless covering of fondant on your board. You can also use the way Lorraine shows in her tutorial. I use both ways. It just depends on the cake I'm doing and my mood! icon_smile.gif

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ChoueiriCakeCo Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 6:25pm
post #25 of 40

For those of you who cover your boards in fondant, do you ever have problems with people trying to cut through the board and mistaking it as part of the cake? I made a cake (when I was first starting out) and the board was the same color as the cake; I had to explain that it wasn't meant to be eaten and got a lot of confused looks, so i'm a bit hesitant about using fondant this time around.

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Price Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 8:58pm
post #26 of 40

No, I've never had them try to eat the board! icon_lol.gif

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ChoueiriCakeCo Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 9:13pm
post #27 of 40
Quote:
Originally Posted by Price

No, I've never had them try to eat the board! icon_lol.gif




It does sound pretty funny when you say it that way icon_lol.gif I'm making a cake for them again this Easter, hopefully things will go better this time icon_razz.gif

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AKS Posted 27 Mar 2010 , 10:52pm
post #28 of 40

Depending on the cake, I've used the scalloped TUFF boards.

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arwa Posted 28 Mar 2010 , 5:39am
post #29 of 40

I tried using the fondant on a cake yesterday and it looked great ! So Im surely using that . I'll try to cover it with wrapping paper and plastic wrap and see how that will look.

Thanx everyone !!

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maw29649 Posted 28 Mar 2010 , 2:31pm
post #30 of 40

In the area I live decorating the board would be a greater expense....I only do this if a alot of the board will be showing.....I usually just use the dull side of the foil on the board....people around here dont want to pay alot for their cakes...

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