I will make cake with BC and fondant accents. I would like to make gold rope around the cake and I am not sure which method should I use :
A) paint it before twist (paint the strips and then twist)
B) twist, paint, and then put it on the cake
C) twist, put it on the cake and then paint
Please advice. I don't want to mess up my BC cake when painting.
Also I bought Gold Pearl Dust - is this the right product for painting on fondant?
Thank you All.

I would airbrush it in stages so it doesn't get gooey..If you airbrush too close it kinds gets wet..Spray lightly in several coats and then put it on..You have to work fairly quickly so the fondant doesn't dry out.

Gold pearl dust is great for dry dusting but not wet painting..You need lustre dust to paint with and mix with a clear alcohol.

Thank you, I will need to make one more trip to Michaels, and hope I find the other product. If they will not have it, the Gold Pearl Dust I have will not work when wet? What could happen?

.....and sorry : if I will use hand painting which method listed above is correct? Thank you!!

If you try and paint Pearl dust it clumps..or that has been my experience..Others may have better luck or advice.I have only ever painted with lustre dusts....Also the Wilton dusts also recommend for decoration only and not food consumption.I have eaten fondant/gumpaste with lustre dust.

You won't find lustre dust at Micheal's they don't sell it..Only cake decorating online store or shops.

Kiddie, Wilton's Pearl dusts are FDA approved and are edible.

Their gold pearl is pretty much like luster dust just named different. I have used their pearl dusts many times mixed with alcohol and have never had a problem at all.

Now Wilton's Shimmer dust, which come in the package of 3 and are shorter wider jars are not made to be mixed with liquids. They do clump and do not dissolve.

OK thank you, I will try the Pearl Dust and test it. But I am still not sure when to paint it, before I put it on cake or when the rope is on the cake..please read above.

I'd probably do it before because I wouldn't want to get the gold on the buttercream.

I know decorators who paint it before then attach and others who attach the rope and paint it on the cake (which takes a REALLY steady hand!) I'd say do whatever you are most comfortable with.

Thanks Texas!! I wasn't aware of that..I thought I read here somewhere before that they weren't edible etc...Good to know!! In that case....Dust or paint away!!

Ahhhh now I just read and it was the shimmer dusts that you mentioned...


Laurel

I like to paint after it's on the cake. If you make the rope with gold colored fondant, any spots you miss won't be noticeable.

Thank you, I did some practice, just in case, and I painted with Wilton Gold Pearl Dust diluted with Vanilla (just a drop!), I did 2 coats and the color is very light gold, almost like sparkle yellow. I would like to achieve the dark gold should I add a little brown color to it? Please tell me what to use - but not spray. Thank you

When I used the Wilton dust, I used an egg-yellow fondant as a base to paint. The Wilton gold sucks though. There are much better products out there.

I would recommend getting some gold lustre dust.That is what I used on the gold rope on my latest cake(see pics) and I painted it after I attached it to the cake.I tried to paint it and then attach it,but it ended up with fingermarks where I had touched.

Yes one bottle will be plenty,you can even use Americolor gold sheen airbrush color too,that way you wont have to mix.