I have a bible cake to do this weekend for a preacher's birthday and I was just wondering how I could achieve the look of pages on the side without the comb tool that does this. Sorry I don't know the term used in the caking world for that tool lol. I tried making the ruffles myself with my spatula but it didn't look that great. Also for the top page look. I want to use fondant and just bend the edges to make it look realistic. Anything I should know going into that to be aware of? If you have any other suggestions on doing a book cake please pass it along! I need all the help I can get lol I feel like such a pain asking questions all the time.
Maybe soon I will learn all the tricks to this and be able to help others

You can use any **clean & sanitized* comb You really don;t need a special one.
I don't follow what you are trying to say about using fondant on the top......bending it.

I know what you are saying about that top page of fondant, although I don't think I can help you with it.

There are lots of book cakes in the gallery that are covered in either buttercream or fondant, but in addition to combing the sides to look like pages, the decorators have apparently laid on a thin fondant sheet on the top of whatever was used on the whole cake and then curled/folded/"roughed up" a corner or two of this thin top sheet to make it look like the page is frayed or the corner of it has curled up. Again, I'm not sure how it's done, but maybe someone can help if this has clarified anything!

I just recently did one. and it turned out good. I did find that I needed to thin the icing on the sides to run a comb along it for the page look. I first did the book in buttercream. combed the pages. And if you are airbushing gold on pages, do that next. then put a thin layer of fondant on top of buttercream for the top pages. Then curl the edges upward a little and put some paper towels or somthing to hold it until the curl firms up some. You can also do your writing on a computer and the put an edible icing sheet on the fondant page.

Its long, but I hope it helps
nancyg

For the book cake that I made, I just took a new manila file folder so I had a thin but stiff edge and just repeatedly and randomly pushed it into the side of the buttercream and it came out looking like many thin pages. It also worked for the ends of the book because I could curve the file folder and then press it into the icing just like I did on the sides.

I used a sharp knife & stroked the sides of my cake, I then used gold dust. I didn't turn the corners back but I would say that would be very easy with fondant.

I did my bible cake in all fondant. To make the pages, I rolled out the fondant and made impressions with a long metal ruler before attaching it to the cake. I made it for a 90th birthday for a former minister. At the time, her grandaughter and I thought it was a great idea but once it was time to cut the cake, she said she wouldn't have any part in cutting that bible! Even though she was very serious, we thought it was hilarious! Good Luck

This is why I love coming here! You guys help so much. Thanks loads!

I just use a fork and if you don't clean off the tines it gets ribbly like this photo. You can clean off the tines in between each swipe around and the pages come out smoother.

http://acmecakes.com/images/RIMG02802.JPG

great info!