What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!

Decorating By taytay056 Updated 25 Feb 2017 , 1:14am by MBalaska

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taytay056 Posted 19 Feb 2017 , 6:16pm
post #1 of 18

A family friend wants this for her wedding, alternating white with royal blue accents and royal blue with white accents. I'm thinking to replicate the look I will have to cover in fondant...any ideas to simplify the process? Has anyone had luck getting an opaque, matte finish with poured fondant? What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!

17 replies
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kakeladi Posted 19 Feb 2017 , 9:19pm
post #2 of 18

You know, one of the things that helps make you a "pro" decorator is to be able to say NO:)

Royal blue icing will stain tongue, teeth and clothing.  It really is not recommended as an over-all icing.  Accents/decos yes, but not overall - even for 'cupcakes'.   I would try really hard to talk this person out of what they want.  

Others might not agree w/me.....I look forward to see what others have to say on this.  

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 2:01pm
post #3 of 18

doing poured fondant is a skill i admire in others -- just yesterday in fact i covered some cookies in a poured icing and it was ok -- not the best -- idk why i just don't throw down the glove and beat this monster -- i don't even make poured fondant anymore though -- i can dip chocolates fine -- but cake is different for some annoying reason --

because i've worked in many places where they just mix up whatever stuff and pour it on and it works like crazy -- i really should get to the bottom of this but i do have a couple ideas for you --

one place i worked used grocery store bought icing in the tub, melted and poured it on to cover cookies beautifully -- just plain worked -- the other one used room temp icing and covered small cakelettes like yours perfectly --

so should not be too hot nor too cool should be goldilocks just right -- and don't be bashful with it -- i always have a squirt bottle handy to do touch ups real quick -- but if it's done right no touch ups are necessary -- i think this where i fall short -- i try to be too efficient/careful and i don't pour enough icing from high enough up kwim --

it's just a skill i never mastered although i've done it many, many times -- and these are all cut and iced and laid out on a rack over a sheet pan of course -- 

so one of these days i'm gonna make a regular american buttercream, melt it and see if i can get a good covering with it --

i was trying to cover thick sugar cookies cut out like blossoms and i got most but missed a couple of the sides then the blobs that pooled off the bottom were not fun -- and i mean they were on a rack able to drip off but solidified instead of dripping  -- le sigh

hopefully you learned something from that ha!

but it's just like anything else -- do it till you get the hang of it --

these types of cakes are just a huge pia for me -- as far as the royal blue issue -- there are enough elements to switch around without covering the whole thing with blue icing -- but if they want some royal blue iced -- i'd air brush them -- 

what have you gotten yourself into indeed -- best of the best to you --

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 2:08pm
post #4 of 18

just for the record -- after you nail down the icing thing you'll have over 700 strings and 700 dots to pipe stuck_out_tongue

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 2:40pm
post #5 of 18

which the piping is not the big deal really it's touching/handling all those dang cakelettes 57,000 times each -- you should have someone to help you move them around and set them up for the piping -- do the ribbon at the same time and have the delivery packaging ready at the same time to minimize the crazy -- just pipe, ribbon and place in delivery mode -- bam --

the piping is definitely the fun part --

the more i think about it -- i'd definitely ice some blue for the contrast -- otherwise it's gonna be hard to get a pretty contrast going due to only using two colors where the same colored elements will wash out next to the vibrant opposite color -- like the hearts if it's iced white and you have one blue, and one white heart, the white one will wash out by comparison kwim --

http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/60410327@N02/7960229232/

http://www.deerpearlflowers.com/mini-wedding-cakes-too-good-to-eat/

idk -- i'll come help move them around if you need me blush  if i can bring my dog dog

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 8:00pm
post #6 of 18

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 8:15pm
post #7 of 18

so these are cookies baked on an upside down mini muffin pan to make little like boxes or teacups or both -- i haven't cleaned off the edges/bottoms where the little bits are -- i will be joining two together so the seams will easily be covered eventually -- 

but they covered perfectly for several reasons --

one is i used enough mixture to pour out a wide swath of icing & it was hot enough to take a nice few seconds before it set up so all could get poured before lines developed --

then i used half hi ratio shortening half butter -- next time i will up the butter because i do not like to put out hi ratio - but it worked wonderfully --

i heated it so it was nice & melty -- i just started with a regular american buttercream icing  -- i put in a few tablespoons of corn syrup to one pound of confectioner's sugar, a half cup of fat and a quarter cup of liquid, various flavorings --

to part of it i added water to see if i could just use a real loose mixture without heating it and i added so much water it broke -- so i tossed in some cornstarch and some more powdered sugar and voila those worked out fine too but i did go ahead and heat it too -- 

bet it's the high ratio -- i'm going to get some butter flavored oil too -- and these were not iced first either so you see all the flaws -- which can be decorated away -- or i could do a double coating -- no the decor i will use will cover it well --

so there's that :)


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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 8:24pm
post #8 of 18

and of course if you use a small spatula to remove them from the rack you will avoid all the little bits there around the bottom relaxed


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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 8:26pm
post #9 of 18

these are just tests so far for a project -- 

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taytay056 Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 8:31pm
post #10 of 18

Thank you ladies!! As usual, you're awesome. 

kakeladi- I do need to practice saying no...that is my biggest fault in decorating, and life in general! 

memphis- thanks for all the great ideas, and for trying out the poured buttercream! I think that's what I'll do...it is such an unbelievable relief that I won't have to individually cover each stupid tiny cake in fondant!

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 9:24pm
post #11 of 18

you inspired me to test today --

thanks, taytay ~ 

it's gonna be gorgeous -- would love to hear about your process and results and even see some pictures -- be prepared to sweat the details -- like you'll prollly wanna ice them first maybe before pouring -- but the ones we made at one bakery where i worked were just purely poured, no icing -- 

best to you

blush

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taytay056 Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 9:27pm
post #12 of 18

Yes I think I will ice them first to get a nice smooth finish...they aren't due til May but I plan to practice soon to make sure I have the technique down. I will come back & post results once I do!

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fondantslinger Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 10:27pm
post #13 of 18

Couldn't you just fondant them then pour a mirror glaze over it?

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-K8memphis Posted 20 Feb 2017 , 11:26pm
post #14 of 18

don't belabor the first icing -- the poured icing is warm so it helps trim things up automatically

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taytay056 Posted 21 Feb 2017 , 2:26am
post #15 of 18

Fondantslinger- i am trying to avoid covering them in fondant, as it would be ridiculously time consuming for one person with 3 kids interrupting

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-K8memphis Posted 23 Feb 2017 , 1:51pm
post #16 of 18

you might want to add some white food color for opaqueness -- i wanted to put that thought out there since it's a wedding and the stakes are high 

and i would remove all the dark edges of the cake -- it will just roll off -- and i would def use a cake icing tip and ice every one -- think we discussed this -- then just wait a few and if you're using a meringue icing -- chill them and swipe out the imperfections with uber clean fingers or a potato peeler or spatula or something -- if american bc -- just let it set up a bit and pat the seams out with a folded smooth towel -- then the heat from the glaze will smoothy smooth it out the rest of the way -- in a perfect world blush

oh yeah and let them set up before you remove from the rack so can trim off the extra bits when you remove -- just slice them off with little spatula --

lotta lotta lotta lotta lotta lotta lotta work  

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MBalaska Posted 25 Feb 2017 , 1:12am
post #17 of 18

https://www.cakecentral.com/tutorial/query/petit-fours

'petit fours my way' worked great for me.

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MBalaska Posted 25 Feb 2017 , 1:14am
post #18 of 18

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?!

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