I am doing a two tier black and white cake with red roses for an engagment party this Friday. I typically use the standard silver foil cake bases on the bottom but I am thinking I want to spruce it up some. I am hoping that if the soon to be bride and groom like the cake they will order their wedding cake with me too!

So what are your suggestions for the bottom cake base?

How about black cake drums?
http://cakedeco.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_sresults.html?p_keyword=DRUM&page=6&p_letter=&p_prices=&p_whole=&p_phrase=&p_matchall=

Depends what main color of the bottom tier? If it is white I would do black with some rose petals on it. Then put some ribbon around the edge of the board. If black then you could do the same in white. But I think the black would look cleaner, IMO, HTH!

Cover the board with mylar wrappiing paper. The cake will be on a board the same size as the cake so it will not touch the mylar.
OR use fabric then cover that w/clear ConTac paper.

Definitely cover the board with edible material! Apply a thin layer of fondant or gum paste with whatever edible adhesive you prefer. Let is set a bit and then add a design with an impression mat, impression rolling pin, rubber stamps or even a raised kitchen placemat. Allow to dry and dust for depth or to add shimmer if desired. Cover the drum edge with a coordinating/contrasting ribbon depending on your design. It only takes a few extra minutes but it gives your cakes a very professionally finished look!

Thanks for the ideas! Now I am trying to find a base, lol. The store was out of what I use and only had regular 14" circles. I know I can glue together but I would rather have a base.

This is the design I created...



The scroll/swirl design will go about 3/4 up the side of the cake and then a solid black strip. The flowers will be red roses but couldn't find those in clipart to use, lol.

The background will be white buttercream and the scroll/swirl work will be in black, either royal icing or fondant, haven't decided yet. The strip will be fondant and the roses will be gumpaste/fondant mixture.

So NOW what do you think I should do for the base?

They actually have disposable silver cake stands at winbeckler.

I would cover it in white or black fondant and stamp it with a scroll stamp dusted with spme pearl dust. Perhaps impress a few five petal flowers on it in between the scrolls too. Or you could do a black base and actually remove the five petal flowers from the black fondant base and replace with white fondant for a nice contrast... you could even take a small circle out of the center and make it black too. I only cover my boards in edible materials. Contact paper isn't food safe and neither is mylar wrapping paper or palstic table cloth material. Some of your outer icing is going to touch that paper... better to be safe than sorry and all. I just roll out some fondant and spray my base with some water before placing the fondant on. If you can, let it set up for a few days before your cake on it and you won't mess it up.