Hi, I wanted to try making a cowboy hat cake for my son's 1st birthday but I not sure where to start. I've seen some really nice ones here in the cowboy/western theme gallery but I'm not sure which pans to use or how they get the rim of the hat to stay up and curved. I imagine they used fondant, but how long does it take to harden?
If any of you folks can help me out with this one, I would be much obliged.
(practising my cowgirl talk)

I know on the sombrero cakes that I have seen, you put a circle of gumpaste/fondant (I would use either gumpaste or a mixture so that it will harden well) in a cornstarch dusted bowl and let it harden. The rim of the hat is formed from the curve in the bowl. I guess for a cowboy hat you could just prop the sides of the gumpaste/fondant on something until it hardens. Then the hat part on the cake that I saw was the wondermold doll cakepan. Maybe you could somehow carve it to make it look more like a cowboy hat. I know this may not be much help.

Send a pm to thecakemaker. I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving you instructions.

Here is the link of sombrero.
http://www.wilton.com/decorating/basic/sombrero.cfm

I hope it will help you.

Thanks
Nitu