This cake was for my son's 4th birthday. All buttercream finish with fondant details and gum paste lollipops. The stripes on the bottom tier are licorice and the borders are M&M's, swedish berries and sour candy. The licorice seemed like a good idea until tried to place them on the cake. They aren't as workable as I thought and it ruined the cake. It was too late to turn back since the finish was buttcream and I didn't have time to start over. I will never use it again! Live and learn. Just glad it wasn't for someone else. I wasn't happy with the lollipops either. The gumpaste kept tearing. Next time I think I would try modeling chocolate.