I am doing an allergy-friendly cake for a wedding in 2 weeks. I think I have the recipe down...my question is with the design. They want simple buttercream with a black ribbon around the base. Sounds easy, but I have never used ribbon before. Any tips on using ribbon on buttercream? I am assuming you wash and iron the ribbon ahead of time to "sterilize it". How do you attach it? If you put it on too much in advance will the ribbon soak up the grease from the shortening and look yucky? Any help you can give would be appreciated. I have been stressing for weeks trying to modify recipes, and never gave the design much thought until now.

If you use a crusting buttercream and it is wll crusted you can put the ribbon on the cake and shouldnt have a problem. If you are hesitant, I have backed the ribbon with a piece of tape (like clear box tape) the sticky side of the tape is going to be on the back side of your ribbon and the smooth side is going to be against the cake then the buttercream wont absorb into the ribbon. I attach mine with a little dab of buttercream, it will crust and hold the ribbon on the cake and come off easily for the cutting of the cake. Relax and good luck!

If you pregrease your ribbon with crisco, you will not have any spots and can put it on much earlier. I wash my ribbons, let them dry, and rub them down in crisco. I don't have any problems with spots.

I iron wax paper on the back of the ribbon. This will leave a wax residue on the back of the ribbon that serves as a barrier between the ribbon and the cake, and the grease from the buttercream cannot soak through. Good luck!

I heard here, someone uses "Press and Seal" on the back of the ribbon and doesn't have any problems. I thought it was a great idea

I heard here, someone uses "Press and Seal" on the back of the ribbon and doesn't have any problems. I thought it was a great idea

If you are making an allergy-friendly cake, I suggest you don't use fabric ribbon. It's not a food product, not made in a food safe factory and you have no idea what type of carcinogenic dyes and super disgusting preservatives like formaldehyde were used in the production of that ribbon. Even if you wash it, you are still taking a risk if you are making "allergy-friendly".

My suggestion is Luck's edible shimmer ribbons, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0033BQXC2/?tag=cakecentral-20, you can probably find a smaller pack online, I just pulled this real quick for you.

Or, make a ribbon out of black fondant.

Good luck!

Easier still, buy Wiltons Sugar Sheets. You can easily cut them into ribbons and put them on the cake with no worries. I use them all the time.