Feathers And Feather Boas....on Cake????

Decorating By KJ62798 Updated 23 Sep 2010 , 12:39pm by SugarFiend

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KJ62798 Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 4:55pm
post #1 of 13

Sooooooo......I've been searching the galleries for inspiration. I'm doing a hot-pink/black/white bridal shower cake with some disco elements. Looking for some "bling"

I've seen lots of cakes in the galleries w/ feathers or maribou used as toppers or boas wrapped around the base for display. They look very cool but I'm baffled by how to keep things food safe.

Do folks put wax paper or something under the feather toppers to keep the cake clean? I don't think I would want to end up w/loose feathers in my frosting?

Is it something that really only works w/fondant? I'm doing a BC cake.

Any tips or ideas?
TIA

Kristy

12 replies
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yummy Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 6:24pm
post #2 of 13

I've been curious about this to; I just didn't get the chance to ask. Thanks.

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Loucinda Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 7:51pm
post #3 of 13

They look cool, but all the ones I have seen leave little tiny bit of feathers, so I haven't used them yet for that reason. I will be interested in seeing what responses there are for this, because I love the look!

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KJ62798 Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 7:57pm
post #4 of 13

I considered using pink cotton candy as the fluffy stuff around the disco ball I'm putting at the top BUT the cake is a morning delivery for an evening event. I'm afraid the cotton candy will shrink/disappear by the start of the party.

Still no tips on using feathers or boas.

Kristy

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nana_marta Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 9:09pm
post #5 of 13

I recently took an idea from another CCer and used hot pink icing through a grass tip, looked just like fur going around a zebra print cake. I thought it turned out cute and did not have to worry about feathers. See the zebra print, comma shaped cake in my pics.

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KJ62798 Posted 22 Aug 2010 , 9:42pm
post #6 of 13
Quote:
Originally Posted by nana_marta

I recently took an idea from another CCer and used hot pink icing through a grass tip, looked just like fur going around a zebra print cake. I thought it turned out cute and did not have to worry about feathers. See the zebra print, comma shaped cake in my pics.




Very cute!

I'm doing a 10in round topped by a 6in square. The bottom layer might be zebra & the top hot pink w/either stars or dots. The friend wants ribbon at the bottom of each tier. My other idea is to use my new interlocking diamond cutter to do a band of black diamonds around the bottom tier and then do diamond & star cut-outs on the top.

It's for a disco-themed bridal shower so I don't want it to look like a birthday cake. I'm going to do a disco ball for a topper and maybe some stars & diamonds on wires. Some of the cut-outs are getting luster dust.


Kristy

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lollyponpon Posted 22 Sep 2010 , 11:57am
post #7 of 13

Yeah I did a search on this topic to find hints, as i have never used it, but want to try this very soon... I'm assuming i will just insert it into a flower pick/posy pick and hope for the best?? Because the cakes with gorgeous feathers on the top are too impressive to go past!!

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nana_marta Posted 22 Sep 2010 , 12:49pm
post #8 of 13

lollyponpon- I guess you are talking about ostrich or similar feathers? I have done two recently, and just inserted them into the cake in trimmed down drinking straws. I would have liked to have used coffee stirreres, but the diameter of the feathers was too big. flower pics would be fine also of course. Good Luck! Those feathers are too beautiful aren't they? Be sure to post a pic. (This website won't let me post right now, so when it fixes itself I guess I will have several to post!)

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Sweetwise Posted 22 Sep 2010 , 10:36pm
post #9 of 13

I would think the entire boa would be tons of work, but I have seen beautiful feathers made out of simple wafer paper. Simply cut the outer shape of the feather with scissors, then make thin diagonal cuts to form each piece towards the center spine. Thinking would probably work on some level with geleatin, too, but that's going to take someone with more patience than me!

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TheBlonde Posted 23 Sep 2010 , 12:39am
post #10 of 13

I did one that's in my pics. It was a fondant cake. I glued the boa to the cake drum. I'm trying to remember the pic and I don't think the boa even touched the cake. I could be wrong though.

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tokazodo Posted 23 Sep 2010 , 1:07am
post #11 of 13

As I was putting the final touches on this cake:
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1736448

Someone handed me a package of white feathers to put on the cake. As I took the feathers out of the package, little white poofy things started floating around the cake. I tried to stick them under the base of the cake but all I could think of was the people eating the cake going, "Pffthb, Pffthb, Pffthb"!!
That's the sound they'd all be making as the spit the feathers out of their mouth while they were eating the cake.

Needless to say, I didn't put the feathers on the cake! icon_lol.gif

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Sweetwise Posted 23 Sep 2010 , 12:06pm
post #12 of 13

@tokazodo: I literallylaughed out loud at your imitation of people spitting feathers out of their mouth. Hilarious!

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SugarFiend Posted 23 Sep 2010 , 12:39pm
post #13 of 13

I've used maribou around the base of a couple of cakes, too. Previous posters are right on - they do leave all kinds of little floaties floating in the air! Weirdly, my hot pink one was worse than the purple one - not sure why. Different brand, maybe. All I know is that I was finding hot pink floaties in the weirdest places in my kitchen for WEEKS after I did that cake.

Anyway, my cakes were fondant, and the boas were removed from the bases before cutting. But they had so many floaties, I couldn't imagine placing them any closer to the cake than around the edge of the board. And a buttercream cake...? Wow. Non-crusting would be a mess, I would think, even if the boa was just around the edge of the board.

Come to think of it, I think the quality of boa was a big factor. My purple one shed less, looked better, and was fluffier. The hot pink one was thinner and didn't look as nice, and I chased floaties for weeks. Food for thought.

Good luck!

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