Made a 3 tierd xams cake just for the practise. Fruit cake (made in the summer, 1 bottle of brandy) marzipan royal icing. Tried stringwork for the first time- did some practise on the practise board- went ok
problem is the side of my cake arent that straight and sometimes the loop didnt touch the side of the cake and stretched right off. anyone have any tips- ended up doing it over and over again (good thing wet royal icing wiped right off the dry flat layer)

Hello,

I have not done string work yet becuase it is a nightmare but here is what some people do. They use a clay gun put your fondant in a you get perfect strings. Cut and put on cake with a dab of frosting. The cakes I have seen look great.

I hope this help. You can buy a clay for about $10 at a craft store, and you can use the disc for other fondant projects. If this really helps then invest in the clay with a red handle it goes for about $30.00 alot easier to use then the $10 one.

Good luck

anyone else

I love doing string work. But I have never used royal icing yet.

Generally my string loops don't touch the cake either but buttercream isn't too heavy so it doesn't stretch it off of the cake.

Maybe you could do your string work on the outside of your pan and once it is dry take it off and add it to the fruit cake.

just a thought.

Maybe someone else with experience in royal frosting can help you better.

Hope this helps : use stiff consistency mark with a toothpick touch tip to first mark squeeze while squeezing, pull the bag toward you. Continue squeeezing to allow the icing to drape naturally into an arc. Icing will drop by itself. Stop presure before you touch tip to second mark.

I thin my icing with piping gel.

After getting your markings, touch tip to icing and allow icing to come out, dropping some to the length you need and then touch the next marking.

Remember, don't pull the icing.

thanks- will try those tips next time

sorry to high jack this subject but does anyone else have trouble with thier strings just breaking off when they are dry?

I use buttercream icing and for some reason the strings just fall live autumn leaves when I move the cake. Why are they so fragile??

mommachris

I had the same problem until someone told me to add piping gel or corn syrup to the icing.

Good luck.

thank you stephanie!
I'll give that a try next time.
I knew someone here would have an answer.
such a wealth of experience.

mommachris

mommachris,

Glad that I could help.