Hi,

I love cake! I love eating them, baking and decorating. Although due to the scale I am learning how not to eat my cake scrapes. (A whole other story, but cake decorating gave me 20lbs). I love taking cake classes, watching demos on YouTube etc. Now I am into watching everything cake on TV.

So I was watching Fabulous Cakes on TLC. The episode with the Pillow sweet 16 cake. The cake was very grand and cute. But watching this episode raise two questions for me.

1. I was taught gum paste will harden so its not to be used on the cake
other than items that will be removed the topper, roses, etc. .things
that will not be eaten. Are you using gumpaste in decorating the
cake? (the rope border of the pillow was made out of gumpaste not
fondant or 50/50)
2. The bakery owner was asking for the color and party theme and asked for liberty to design the cake. This was the first show I have seen where the client wasnt approving the design. Is this a normal practice?
What happens if you get there and the client doesn't like the cake?

Personally I would not use gumpaste on any piece that was not being removed. I would have added a bit of Tylose to help the fondant keep its shape instead. But that is me......then on those TV shows I see all kinds of issues that bother the heck out of me and the primary infraction being hygiene!

I was watching this very same show last night and through the same thing about the hygiene.

In one scene the girl had the fondant draped all over her hairy arm. No one wears gloves or has their hair up. Its really crazy.

I always wonder too why we go to such lengths to make everything edible when none of the gumpaste or fondant roses are ever really eaten.

lmao..lol...hairy arms under the fondant...i was thinking ill...too. But that is the way its taught in classes too. I brought the mat and only make small cakes. But yes you both are so right about the hygiene. Do you think its only for the camera but when their gone they do better. How does the health department let them get away with that?

When your cakes are made by mammals, there will be hairy arms involved. I do it too. As for the gumpaste issue, fondant + tylose DOES = gumpaste for me. If you're putting it directly on the cake (as shown) then it won't be so dry in a day that you cant eat it.