I think I would make a query about the use of floral wire. I have never heard of floral wire not being allowed in these competitions.
Otherwise, spaghetti can be used but it breaks easily. Some flowers can be made without wire but it is more limiting.
Wow Jenna, that makes it a bit limiting. Oh, what about candy cigarettes or hard candy sticks, the kind that look like candy canes minus the hook? I make roses without wires.
Thinking about it more, I would suggest a trip to a bulk candy store to take a look around. Chocolate sticks, chocolate covered ladyfinger cookies, pretzels...
You could always make the flowers on wires, then remove the wires before placing on the cake?
okay, if you use pretzels or spaghetti there is something that you NEED to do. i strongly suggest that you dip the spaghetti or pretzel in parafin wax which is edible and used in cooking. pretzels and spaghetti gets soft when inserted into the cake and plop there goes the flower. the wax will seal the stick or pasta and prevent it from turning to moosh or going limp.. remember to do both ends because the flower icing couldalso be to much moisture for your edible wire. good luck.
tesso, the spaghetti or pretzel is really used to allow you to make the flower and stick it in styrofoam to dry, not so much as a means of attaching to the cake although you do stick them into the cake. But on a fondant covered cake, you would additionally use an edible glue to anchor them. On a buttercream cake you would anchor them on additional fondant or edible wafer or a cookie or something that would prevent the buttercream from breaking down a fondant or royal icing flower. A well dried gumpaste flower would be less inclined to breakdown but I would still use a barrier.
The chocolate on a chocolate covered pretzel would be enough of a barrier if you used it also as a means of sticking flowers as a cascade along the side of a cake where they would need anchoring. The other kinds of hard candy would be fine.
But you are right, if you used only an uncovered pretzel or uncooked spaghetti as an anchor to attach along the side of a cake, it could break down from the moisture of a cake or from buttercream or ganache or such.
thanks for the extra info squirrelycakes, i havent made them like you described, i have just make royal icing flowers on spag and pretzels, never cookies or candies. i always just put a small dab of royal icing on the cake and insert the pretzel stick flower into it to make a royal icing support base. never had one fall off thank god, but having a new way to secure them is always welcome, i will have to give that a practice. thanks.
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