Piping Stars On A Character Cake
Decorating By sarahkate80 Updated 1 Aug 2007 , 12:15am by marthajo1
I have to do a Mickey Mouse cake this weekend that is covered in the star tip pattern.
Does anyone have suggestion on the best icing/consistancy to use or any other tips before I do this?
I would say a medium consistency buttercream will be fine, and get that wrist ready for some action!!!! Have fun 
I'm sure you'll probably get better tips then mine but if you have the original pan instructions follow those. If not, it works best to fill in all your flat smooth places first (like the insides of ears, eyes, mouth whatever) and the outlines. Then fill in with the stars last. Use a stiffer icing consistency it makes the stars look better.
Have Fun!
I've done a few character pans covered in stars before and I have a few tips that may help you.
If you notice in my photos, my very last photo (first uploaded all the way at bottom) it's Barbie and 3 Flowers... Barbie I iced with white as the base then piped the stars. The flowers I didn't do a base ice and just did stars. Dora I did a base ice as well. When you base ice them it covers and hides the cake completely you don't need much on top just a light crumb coat type covering, but the sides will need a decent amount because you won't star the sides, unless of course you want to star the sides.
I suggest either buying a FEW #16 star tips or whatever tip you're going to use because you can have all the different colors preloaded and ready to go no needing to stop and clean the tip to do another color 
I have about 10-12 star tips lol... Also if you're covering a large area with stars I would recommend getting the triple star tip, if you have time to find one, it uses no coupler or the large coupler. It covers large areas alot quicker but you have to remember with each pipe out you have to turn the bag a bit so the stars lock together. That's one thing I didn't do was get my stars to lock together so you saw the cake underneath.
When piping do one row at a time all the way across and start your next row in the middle of those stars... so you'll want to do the next row inbetween the stars above it so that it covers the whole area... hope that makes sense lol. That's the joy of the triple star tip because if done correctly it'll cover 2-3 lines at one time
Good luck!
2 lbs. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter, softened.
1-1/2 cups solid vegetable shortening
2 tbsp. clear vanilla extract
1/3 cup water for icing cake -OR- 1/4 cup for stiff consistency.
1/4 tsp. almond extract
I use this recipe on all of my cakes. Everyone loves it.
**Cream butter, shortening and extracts until smotth. Add powdered sugar and water.
Sweet, you guys!! Thanks for all of the tips. I tried doing this method once a few years ago but they all started melting near the middle, it was wierd. I have stayed away ever since!
I think your comments have given me a new found confidence
p.s. I want to try this recipe, too!
It's soooooo funny that this topic came up...I was just gonna post about the same thing 
. I hate the character pans because it takes soooooo much "Wrist Action" and there is noooooo short-cut (not even the 3 star-tip) and very very very time consuming. But I do have another question regarding the character pans....Is there any particular way to keep the impressions/imprints of the lines that are used as a guide to pipe from disappearing b-4 you get he chance to pipe. I've had this happen a couple times (after the cake cools the impressions/imprints disappear) 
.
MissJ
I've never had that problem MissJ. It may be because when the pan comes out of the oven I lay a cake board or clean towel over top of it and smoosh the dome down if there is one but I doubt that would leave more of an impression... I think it may have to do with the pans that you are selecting.. I've noticed some have a deeper/higher indent of the impression then others...
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