I had seen a sketch pattern of flames made with RI for a Harley Davidson cake on the forum, (I think erin 31), which is what I'm doing. The flames were yellow and the person outlined the flames with a reddish orange color.

Well I thought I would be clever cause I've never done a pattern in RI before so I used yellow fondant and outline it in reddish orange RI. Obviously that doesn't work because today the RI is cracking and falling off the fondant.

I am so new to cake decorating and this is only my second cake (for money), and I could get so many customers just from this one cake if it turns out looking good. Please tell me what should I do?

I was thinking that I could take some red and orange food color paste, or jell and water it down a bit and take a paint brush and brush it onto the fondant. Would that work or would it just ruin it more?

Please somebody help me I have to have this cake done by Sunday plus I have to work 7 hours Friday and 7 Saturday. I will be up all night. It took me 4 hours just to cut out those flames. Er Is there another border that might look good if the fondant flames can't be saved?

Sometimes it seems that cake decorating isn't worth it when I get paid. The only other cake I did for money looked like crap, but the free ones (for family and friends) turn out great. Why?

Tammy

Painting will definitely work.....but don't use water. That will make your fondant start to get gummy. Instead, thin the food color gel with vodka or another clear liquor. I have also heard you can use clear vanilla extract, but I have not tried it.

Also, before painting, give your fondant a little time to dry. If mine feels moist or greasy at all, I dust it with a little cornstarch or powdered sugar before painting.

Hope this helps

You can paint the edges with gel color. If you have any extract or vodka/everclear, mix some of that in the gel color and it will dry much faster. I use vodka when I paint with gel colors. Doesn't take much.

You can also make different colored flames with fondant. I did a Ironman cake before and made yellow, orange and red flames out of fondant.

Thanks tmgarcia and debbief. I really really appreciate your feedback. I'm so worried about this, that I'm afraid to touch those flames until I know everything I need to know about it, otherwise I will have another screw up.

I'm going to peel all the RI off the fondant, but what should I do about the edges? Should I try to go around the edges and cut the part of the fondant off where the RI was? Or can I leave it, and paint real heavy around the edges with the food color, and then lightly on the whole flame?

This place is great, and it's so nice to have people to help out that have experience with decorating.

ok, i looked at the pic you are talking about (erin31) . I personally would use the pattern, cut out yellow fondant, then use clay extruder and push out thin strings and glue these orangy-red strings around the pattern. That would be faster for me and stonger. I then would not have to worry if the r/i would break, etc. Make them, set a fan in front of them to dry faster, etc. hth You could mix 50-50 fondant and g/p. good luck

That sounds like a good idea too. It would cover up the edges that look like crap now.

It seems time consuming though. I don't know if cake decorating is my thing because I don't deal with stress well.

Thanks for all the replies
Tammy