Just looking for some expert advice on the attached "lace" cake design. Of course, the couple doesn't want to pay much for this technique!!!!! They think it's easy.
I was thinking gumpaste and frill cutters, then cutting out by hand with template????? Someone else in town suggested Sugarveil, but I don't want to invest if it's not the right medium. And Sugarveil seems too thin???
I am usually up for trying anything, but I know this could be an epic fail if not done correctly!
Thank you in advance for your advice.
To me, it looks like a lace doily design. I haven't done this, bue here are my thoughts:
Step 1 - Buy doily. Try a dollar store. Here is one, but you may need more than one (see step 2 second idea):
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71742405/retro-plastic-lace-doily-blue-flowers-no?ref=sr_gallery_5&ga_includes[]=tags&ga_search_query=plastic+lace+doily&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery (without the blue flowers which are probably just glued on).
On a quick web search, that is the closest I could find to the one in the picture you posted.
Step 2 (first idea) - Use a rubber stamp, or paint on a paint roller, or colored marker (but something that doesn't dry too fast) and paint the back of the doily (flat side). Immediately put it paint side down on a piece of wafer paper. Protect your surface if the doily won't all fit on the paper).Cut around the doily imprint and apply pieces of that to the cake. Pipe details. The fondant should be the same color as the wafer paper (or you could cut out all the holes with an X-acto knife before you apply it to the cake).
Step 2 (second idea) - If you can get a few doilies the same, cut them into the shapes you need. "Paint" the back of the doily with food coloring, and use that as a stamp to apply to the fondant. Pipe over that.
Step 3 - admire your work.
You could use paper doilies if you think they would stand up to the coloring.
Here is how I would tackle it.
It looks like the pointed tips extend above the top of the bottom 3 layers so I would make them out of gumpaste in advance so they could dry and then attach them to the cakes when needed.
I would decide on the size of the circle i want my "doilie" to be then make myself a template out of bristol board with the pointed tips only, then cut 4 circles out (it looks like they were all cut from the same size in the picture) then cut the straight edges for the shape you need. Or just cut out the size starting circle you want then use the pointed end of an appropriate sized diamond cutter to cut out the pointed design, then cut the straight edges for the shape you need.
I would then use the tops and bottoms of various sized plain piping tips to cut out and imprint the design on the inside as in the picture (it looks like the design is all circles). I would then overpipe the design in royal icing, (again in the picture it looks like it has been overpiped).
Hope this is clear, in my head i can see how i would tackle it but sometimes do not convey it well to others, hope it helps.
Perhaps you could find a cake top stencil that would work, such as
http://www.designerstencils.com/Cake-Tops-C27.aspx
That wouldn't give you the lacy bits standing above the top of each layer, but you could do that with piped royal icing.
I think it might be a lace mold by Caljavaonline as I have been looking into that effect for a while and this is what I have found that appears closest.
http://www.caljavaonline.com/lacemold500s-3-525.htm
the other place that has them is
http://www.elegantlacemolds.com/molds.php?type=5&set=3
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