Hi there!

I'm making a small wedding cake for a friend.  They are very outdoorsy and are doing a rustic wedding.  I am planning on putting the cake on a bed, or surrounding the cake, with dried moss (bought at the craft store).  It will then all be placed on a wood plate.  My question is, how do you protect your cake from moss bits?  It's a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, so it'll be sticky and not crusted or covered in fondant.  I was thinking of putting a thin ribbon of acetate to shield the cake from the moss, would that work?  Any suggestions?

THANKS!

my suggestion is to use edible items -- figure out how to make a mossy looking something--

the cake is food of course but it's food -- no one wants to have their mashed potatoes served with acetate to protect it from moss and god only knows what all's in the moss anyhow -- we can't be sure acetate will protect the food from whatever's in there --

let's see for making moss i think i'd pipe some royal icing squiggles -- or better yet look in the asian market for some of their noodles -- i know they have some the right shape -- rice noodles or something -- then color it with flower dust -- matte color green & brown flower dust -- voila safe moss --

and you don't have to worry about someone putting a drop of icing on their baby's tongue or the 90 year old aunt just released from the hospital or the 25 year old with raging crohn's disease you'd never know by looking at him-- they all can have a bite of cake in perfect safety --

and about that cream cheese frosting -- the average recipe is hazardous after being out of the fridge for 4 hours -- the bacteria levels are multiplying faster and faster and at the 4 hour mark the baby, the aunt and the 25 yr old are all in danger again --

there are recipes that are safe at room temp so there's that too -- best to you and be safe

To make edible moss you can take lumps of fondant, dampen with a little water and press into green non-pareils. You could also add petal dusts or airbrush the finished moss to make it look more lifelike. 

Or like this - green cake crumbs, pressed onto fondant: http://peaslovecarrots.blogspot.com.es/2010/04/moss-cupcakes-you-say-i-do.html

I wouldn't want real moss near a cake I would be about to eat. I love nature, but not with a side of cake, and no teeny-tiny critters or bacteria from the moss either!

those are great ideas, dayti

Or having cake with your moss........the world is a diverse place ladies?

Thanks for the suggestions!  The mini cake is really just for the Bride and Groom to cut, as I have cupcakes for everyone to eat (like Grandma with Crohn's disease).  I am aware of the health code and am certified, thanks for the reminder.  The moss I was mentioning is craft moss for decorating, which has been dried, so it doesn't have critters in it.  I guess I'm wondering how people put dried grape vines, raffia, burlap, succulents, and moss on cake for decorations?  For this matter, I think I'll elevate the cake board and have about 4 inches of space between the moss and cake board around.