Fondant Cake Decorating Question

by Marla
(Arizona)

QUESTION

Hi, I have a fondant cake decorating question. How do you make fondant grapes cascading down a cake?

I am making a small 3 tier wedding cake with buttercream frosting. The bride wants clusters of grapes cascading over the edges and down the sides. I saw your youtube video of the wine themed cake. The leaf idea is awesome! Can you give more details on the grape clusters such as: Do you attach them directly to the cake or put them on thin wires?

Also, do you have a good recipe for a truly white frosting that does not taste like Crisco and for a truly white cake that has a good flavor?

Thanks so much!

ANSWER



Hi Marla,

The fondant grapes were attached using a small amount of chocolate ganache' as glue and placed individually. I did have a couple that dropped off and I had to re glue. I also gave the birthday girl some extra grapes and ganache' in case she lost some during the party. But I didn't hear any complaints.

In your case you will be using buttercream. Can you try it out ahead of time? The fondant decorations are on the heavy side. You may want to try mounting on wire. I have not tried that with fondant, only royal icing. I would try wiring a few and testing them. Just string them like beads and let them dry on the wire. (Let me know how it goes) I would love to see a photo of the finished cake.

As far as the white buttercream frosting and cake goes. I don't have a pure white frosting recipe except for using white coloring, which I have done in the past. You will have to use a lot of it, and it can be bought at a Michaels craft or Joannes store or online. I wouldn't highly recommend it.

Here is how you can make your frosting whiter. Whip the heck out of the butter before adding the sugar and use clear vanilla for flavoring.

My white wedding cake recipe is pretty white although it does have eggs yolks as well as the whites and butter in the ingredients. The only pure white cake recipe that I know of is an angel food cake and it is not firm enough for a wedding cake. The other alternative is a white cake mix, although tasty, I try to stay away from mixes.

Please send a picture of your finished cake to me via e mail or you can upload it to a submission form with a story to go with it. You can enter it in one of my cake decorating contests (current one is running until June 1st), on this wedding cake photos page or on my wedding cakes unique page.

Here it is Marla's three tiered wedding cake with cascading grapes.