I'm pretty new to the edible sculpting thing and am trying to make aderondak chairs for a boat cake. I'm using fondant, it's not working, they keep collaping. I tried making them out of cardboard and covering them with fondant, but it doesn't really look right. I feel like I need a stronger more stable medium to work with.

Any suggestion for something else I can use to make the chairs out of? Would modeling chocolate be better? I'm not sure where I can purchase it from localy and I don't have time to order. It's a huge essential part of the cake for the couple who ordered it. The cake is due this friday, the 21st.

Please help?!

Thanks!

YOU CAN MAKE MODELING CHOC AT HOME BUT WHEN IT GETS WARM IT IS JUST AS FLIMSY AS FONDANT ACTUALLY MORE. I RECOMMEND PASTILLAGE. POSSIBLY A 50/50 FONDANT/GUMPASTE MIXTURE WOULD WORK AS WELL BUT YOU HAVE TO ALLOW QUITE ABIT OF DRYING TIME. PASTILLAGE DRIES MUCH FASTER BUT ALSO ALLOWS LESS WORKING TIME DUE TO THIS. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR TEMPLATES READY IF YOU USE THIS MEDIUM. IT IS EDIBLE BUT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT PREFER TO EAT IT....KINDA TASTES LIKE GUMPASTE WHICH IS KINDA BLAH. IF I CAN HELP YOU FURTHER LET ME KNOW.HTH

Have you thought about trying royal icing?

I'm a HUGE fan of Sculpey clay for things like this, especially when I don't have time to let gum paste dry. Cut out all the pieces, bake 275 degrees for 15 minutes, let cool, glue and paint. I always provide a note on my Customer Serving Guide that the topper is not edible and I tell them too. (Just in case!) Good luck.

1) make all the separate pieces of the chair just as if building from wood.

2) set aside to become rock hard (and yes, 50/50 mix of fondant and gumpaste best to use) -- be sure in a dry, well ventilated place. can speed process with a small fan.

3) assemble parts using royal icing for glue.

I was going to suggest the same thing Doug! You beat me to it!

So...I'm in the process of making a beach lounge chair and I made the components today out of straight gumpaste. Judging from Doug's suggestion here, should I remake the pieces out of fondant/gumpaste? I was planning on using royal icing as glue. Thanks (and sorry for jumping in on this thread!)

Ditto to what Doug said.

Cherrycakes, the gp pieces will be fine. 50/50 is great because it gives you a little more working time than just gp alone but is stronger/dries faster than fondant alone. If you had no issues with the gp I would just leave it.