AHi everyone, I've just joined today but have been browsing a while, I'm very new to cake making and this is only the 5th decorated cake I'm attempting so I'd be really grateful for some advice. For my dad's birthday cake I have made a cake with a path cut into it, two tier and I've crumb coated it and frozen it as I work full time and just wouldn't have time to do all in one go weekend after next. My questions are (a) should i use buttercream or fondant grass - I was gonna do crumbled Oreos/digestive biscuits for the path with small black/grey fondant rocks to border it and the rest of the cake grassed, with a seat and a pond at the top and a fondant figure of my dad (he's a walker); (b) do u have any tips for defrosting this and stopping it drying out? It's already assembled with dowels, I know I should have fondanted each tier before assembling but couldn't decide how to do it; and finally (c) should i use tylo and fondant for the figure or modelling paste, have only used the former before?? Any tips very much appreciated thanks
Well, I have some ideas for grass... the cake only has a crumb coat. make grass green butter cream and use a grass icing tip all over the cake, that is really easy or make fondant cut into strips snip the tops to look like grass and layer I think I would start and the top of the cake and make the grass bend somewhat to help hide the strip then add another layer and so on. I think the best will be the butter cream grass.
For defrosting I have heard of people making a cardboard box for the whole cake to set in so that condensation will not mess the cake up when leaving it out to defrost. Maybe the box just might help to not dry out the cake...
I have only used fondant with tylo for my figures.. but I want to try to use modeling chocolate if you make mistakes you can fix it very easy... it's just chocolate the lines you get with fondant won't rub out but with modeling chocolate they do. here are some picture with the grass tip. I hope this helps
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Original message sent by rebekahs
Hi everyone, I've just joined today but have been browsing a while, I'm very new to cake making and this is only the 5th decorated cake I'm attempting so I'd be really grateful for some advice. For my dad's birthday cake I have made a cake with a path cut into it, two tier and I've crumb coated it and frozen it as I work full time and just wouldn't have time to do all in one go weekend after next. My questions are (a) should i use buttercream or fondant grass[B]. I'd go with buttercream unless you have an extruder. I'd cover in green fondant then put tufts of buttercream grass along the path and near the bench and possibly around the borders of the tiers.[/B] - I was gonna do crumbled Oreos/digestive biscuits for the path with small black/grey fondant rocks to border it and the rest of the cake grassed, with a seat and a pond at the top and a fondant figure of my dad (he's a walker); (b) do u have any tips for defrosting this and stopping it drying out? It's already assembled with dowels, I know I should have fondanted each tier before assembling but couldn't decide how to do it; [B]are you saying the cake is crumb coated and stacked? I would unstack it. I don't think you're going to get a good finish on the bottom tier trying to cover it in fondant already stacked. As far as it drying out, that's what your crumb coat is for--to seal the cake and prevent it from drying out. Just leave the whole cake at room temperature for an hour or so and it should be fine. This actually is a benefit that it's frozen because as it thaws, the small amount of condensation on the icing will help the fondant stick.[/B]and finally (c) should i use tylo and fondant for the figure [B]that should work fine. [/B]or modelling paste, have only used the former before?? Any tips very much appreciated thanks
Good luck and post pics! Sounds like it'll be a really cute cake!
AWow I love this site; poshcakes those pics are amazing, I will get a grass tip then, I'm assuming the buttercream has to be very stiff to hold the grass shape?? Sassyzan thank you very much for the answers also, I will unstack if I can, fingers crossed. It's for a party on 25th so will post pics then:)
I'm actually doing grass tonight and have done it a few times in the past. Normal consistency BC works just fine. If it is too stiff it kind of breaks off before you want it to. Watch a tutorial on how to use the tip...
A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3085979/width/200/height/400[/IMG]
Here it is, shame about the supersize not to scale animals!!
Fondant grass
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