I'm making a cake for a friend's 50th. She has shown me some cakes that she likes but is happy for me to come up with a design myself.
She like these designs and also watercolour type cakes but with strong colours:
She likes the colours on this cake:
I'm thinking of a abstract painted bottom tier using the colours above and some gold and a top tier with marbled or painted discs in the same colours stuck on and jutting out of the cake.
Something like my very rough sketch below:
Do you think this is in keeping with her ideas?
Would the sticking out discs work on a fondant covered cake? I'm not sure how to keep them in place. Do they need to be on skewers or could I just push them into the cake?
And how to paint strong colours on fondant? When I have painted in the past using edible paint, the cake ended up very wet. Would gel paste and vodka work?
Thanks
i think so -- your drawing is in keeping with her design likes -- she seems to go for linear squared off and you are going with rounded things though -- there's that distinction -- i would make the discs jaggedy myself but i like the smaller pieces -- it's all subjective --
when you paint with alcohol -- you need to have it a thicker consistency so if you pour too much alcohol let some of it evaporate so you have a better consistency and it's not so wet going on -- sure you can use gel color and alcohol --
you can adhere them with melted white chocolate too or piping gel
You design looks good and I agree with -K8memphis that more angular pieces would be more striking and in line with your friend's choices.
I prefer to paint with edible dusts mixed with alcohol to gel colors, just because it seems to dry faster. If you are going to use gel colors, be sure you do dilute them with alcohol because they take forever to dry if used straight from the pot.
I tend to over-kill everything, but I do use skewers on all pieces that stand out from the cake, although I know it is not strictly necessary.
It would look very similiar to your drawing, just a little more loose and free.
Aaah, loose and free are terms I struggle with a little. I like geometry and precision. I’m enjoying the challenge of this abstract cake but it doesn’t come naturally.
I’ve seen lots of lovely cakes with shards of multicoloured chocolate. Would the same thing work with fondant/gumpaste?
let's rewind a minute -- i haven't painted anything in a few years -- gel paste and vodka don't dry well do they -- yes i was thinking of dust + vodka -- then if you get it too loose add more powder or just wait till some of it evaporates -- like sandra said --
that post bothered me the whole while i was writing it --
I do paint with gel colors mixed with vodka, but only sparingly and only in places that will not be distrubed for a good while. Another difference is that gel colors, in a pretty strong concentration, will dry shiny where dust dry with a mat finish.
I can totally relate to the struggle with looseness! Have you ever noticed my uptight and prissy (that's what I've always called it) style, lol. I love loose, abstract designs, but they are like pulling teeth for me.
Gum paste and/or fondant could replicate the look of the chocolate shards, but the shards are really easy to do. Why not get a couple of colors of candy melts and make a few. Just melt the candy melts and paint or pour them onto a non stick surface to dry.
she'll love it -- tons of hard work -- gorgeous colors, design -- love the gold edging
LOL! ....looks like bacon! Ain't a thing wrong with BACON! It is awesome and she will love it. I really like the top tier.
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