Okay, I am making a gift box cake for a co-workers 18th birthday, and I want to have the top off the cake a bit with some tissue coming out - I've seen a number of pics on here with this look. My question is how do you get the top tier (the lid of the gift box) to stay on an angle and STAY on the cake? I would post a pic to show as an example, but it is not my cake, so I don't think I'm allowed to do it...
so I hope you know what I mean.
I've sent a PM to the creator of one cake I saw, but I Have yet to hear back from her.
HELP! I know there's some beyond amazing decorators in here that would more than likely know how.

I did a cake like this. I don't think I've posted the photo here yet. I used gumpaste on a piece of cake board to make the lid. I set the lid at an angle on the cake on top of the gumpaste tissue paper with wooden dowel rods cut to different heights to hold the lid at a crooked angle. I kept taking it off and adding gumpaste tissue where there were holes. My gumpaste tissue paper was not completely dry so it sort of formed to the lid and made indentations where the lid was sitting.

It was my first time making one of these cakes but the weight of the lid itself, the wooden dowels and letting the gumpaste tissue dry with the lid sitting on it seemed to work for me. The lid stayed on.

Here is a photo of a cake made by Godiva. Is it something like this that you want to do?

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=14465

I have one in my photos that I did what I think you're asking about.
http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1397586


I rolled out gumpaste thin and then formed it over a square cake board. Let it dry for a few days (at least) and then did like the previous poster and used different height dowels for the lid to sit on. I put the lid on both cakes and then put in the "tissue paper" to fill in wherever I needed too. (some I had made and let dry in advance and others were still pliable so I could get them up under the lid without breakage and make it look a little more real)

Hope this helps


p.s. if you post a link to the photo you're talking about that is ok, you're not trying to take credit for the photo/cake.

KathysCC, yes the cake I am wanting to do is like that one, except that it will be round, not square. I'm debating on whether to have a "gift bag" beside it also...
I can figure out how to do most things when looking at the pics, but that open lid was throwing me for a loop. Should I use real cake for this, a dummy? I just didn't know. I was hoping to use real cake, as I like to keep the cakes as edible as possible.
If I use real cake, is there any other technique I should use? When using a dummy, how do I secure it in there?? You mentioned using dowels... how do you make sure it doesn't slip, and likewise for real cake?

I too like my cakes to be all edible but for the box, I just didn't see any way to make the lid out of cake. I made a shoe box cake (again, I haven't loaded it into my photos yet) and the lids of boxes are usually quite thin. I was afraid that it would be too heavy and sag if I used cake. You would have to use a heavy cake board under the cake itself to hold the weight anyway so I figured I would go with just cardboard covered with gumpaste...a true sacrifice for us cake purists who want everything to be edible but sometimes you have to do it.

I used a square piece of cake board, covered one side of it with gumpaste and made gumpaste edges for the lid.

Take a look at my tackle box cake. I was determined to make the lid for the tackle box out of cake and cover it with buttercream at that AND have the lid partially open. My stubborness paid off but the cake isn't very professional looking.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1321916

I have seen cake box lids made of cake. They tend to be thicker and you could give it a try but you will need some pretty heavy support to stop it from sagging.

Whether it slips depends on the angle of the lid. If you let it rest on the "tissue paper" is should stay in place. If you have a dowel rod just under the lip of the higher end of the box, that should keep it from slipping. The trick is to keep that dowel rod invisible. You will have to hide it with tissue paper.

I love that box! So cute!!

The lid I was thinking would be about 1-1 1/2 inches high, and covered in fondant... sitting on a cake board. Should I put any buttercream or anything under it to try to make it "stick"?
I can see this is goign to be a trial and error kinda thing... Going to start makign cakes tonight, and covering tomorrow night, then decorating the next night (or perhaps tomorrow) Its not due till Saturday, so I have time.

somewhat like this... http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1603159

Oh! I see what you are going for now! That IS a thick lid. I think I would definitely glue the cake to the board with some buttercream. Let us know when you post a picture. Can't wait to see it.

I love all the post but I would like to know is there any way of making the gift box just with fondant or gumpast but not using any cake?  Thank you in advance for all your help.

Josette

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