Hi all!
I am making a two layer round cake for this coming weekend and her theme is pigs.
I am going to do a traditional cake with the fondant ribbons up the sides to make it looked striped and then make a pig out of fondant for the top.

Is fondant the best thing to use or gumpaste? I always thought fondant but after reading some things on here I'm not quite sure.
If it is fondant what do I use again to shape it? Powdered sugar and something...or crisco?
And what about gumpaste...never used that before.

And for the stripes...do I make those as I'm ready to use them right so they don't dry out and I can go straight from cutting them to the cake?

Thanks

The cake idea sounds cute! Now, for the stripes up the sides, just roll out fondant before you need to use it...no need to mix it with anything in my opinion. After you have smooth iced your cake, mark where you want your stripes to be....or at least a couple of them if you are alternating colors so they are all consistant around the cake.

Now, roll out the fondant, cut whatever width stripe (ribbon) you want and lay it on the cake. You may need to wet it with a small brush and water to stick to the cake, especially if you are icing in fondant rather than buttercream.

The hard thing about stripes on a cake is how they will "end" at the top. Maybe put your handmade pig on a circle of fondant on top or something or stop the stripes on the edge and put a buttercream border there so you can't see.

I would recommend you make your pig out of fondant/gumpaste mix or add tylose to your fondant so it dries faster and harder.

Have I confused you worse? I hope this helps, if not, just pm or email me!
Happy baking!
Stacey

I would use fondant with a little tylose added to it. You can use fondant without the tylose, but the tylose helps to make it a little easier to work with. As far as powder sugar or crisco --- that depends. I usually keep just a little powder sugar on the edge of my board in case my hands get a little sticky. Then I just dip my fingers into the sugar to get rid of the stickiness. If your fondant is too soft, you can knead just a little powder sugar into it to help stiffen it. And just the opposite, if your fondant is too stiff work just a very, very small amount of crisco into it to soften the fondant. HTH.

It is hard to make things keep it's shape with fondant. I suggest a combination of fondant and gumpaste.

I would do the stripes when I am ready to put it on the cake.