does ready rolled icing set hard?

Grimbal

Does anyone know if the ready-rolled icing sets completely hard? I've used it on Xmas cakes before, but as far as I remember, it never sets as much as royal icing would.

I'd like to be able to cut out shapes in the icing to dry to decorate cakes with & was wondering if this ready-rolled stuff sets as rock hard as I would need it to?

TIA
Liz

kippers

I used it on my xmas cake and it hasn't set hard yet and i put it on the cake the week before xmas....so i don't think it ever will

custardy

small pieces of fondant icing should dry out enough for what you need/want
however for a hard setting then you want to make some Pastilage

Grimbal

thing is, I'd like to make butterflies (niece will be 6) as cupcake toppers, so I need the icing to be able to set pretty hard as they'll be fairly big. I've nver seen it, but I'm assuming that it's possible to get ready made royal icing (which I'll have to roll myself) as I've only ever seen fondant icing in the supermarkets?

Liz

custardy

Grimbal wrote: »

thing is, I'd like to make butterflies (niece will be 6) as cupcake toppers, so I need the icing to be able to set pretty hard as they'll be fairly big. I've nver seen it, but I'm assuming that it's possible to get ready made royal icing (which I'll have to roll myself) as I've only ever seen fondant icing in the supermarkets?

Liz

royal icing isnt rolled
its spread on a bit like whipped cream.
thats what makes the skill in getting a nice straight side (like plastering walls!)
Pastillage is rollable/mouldable like fondant but sets hard like royal icing

edit: seems you can even buy pastillage now!

http://www.cakecraftshop.co.uk/shop/8/108/index.htm

freyasmum

What size will they be?

Fondant certainly won't dry rock hard, but if you roll them nice and thin they should dry out enough to use. Just don't be too rough with them.

Grimbal

custardy wrote: »

royal icing isnt rolled
its spread on a bit like whipped cream.
thats what makes the skill in getting a nice straight side (like plastering walls!)
Pastillage is rollable/mouldable like fondant but sets hard like royal icing

edit: seems you can even buy pastillage now!

http://www.cakecraftshop.co.uk/shop/8/108/index.htm

yup, sorry, realised that I'd need florists paste a bit after writing this.thanks for the confirmation- always reassuring to get advice from people who know!

freyasmum wrote: »

What size will they be?

Fondant certainly won't dry rock hard, but if you roll them nice and thin they should dry out enough to use. Just don't be too rough with them.

I thought about 4cm across, so 2cm for each wing. I'd like to decorate them after, so I'm not sure that i could be that gentle with them if I were to use fondant.



Thank you all so much for the advice, it really is appreciated. I've made many a cake in my time, but this will be the first time I've ventured into decorating. I've got my dad knocking up a support for drying off the butterflies as we speak I've got to make 40 pretty pink and lilac butterflies and am a bit overwhelmed, so any hints or tips are very welcome!

greenbee

Grimbal wrote: »

thing is, I'd like to make butterflies (niece will be 6) as cupcake toppers, so I need the icing to be able to set pretty hard as they'll be fairly big. I've nver seen it, but I'm assuming that it's possible to get ready made royal icing (which I'll have to roll myself) as I've only ever seen fondant icing in the supermarkets?

Liz

It won't set hard, although small pieces do harden up over time. I suggest you make them well in advance

Depends on how you're going to use them - are you going to place them flat onto poured fondant, or place them straight on the sponge? If you're putting them onto a poured fondant surface, you need to make sure it is completely set first.






If you want the wings to be at an angle and stand up, then ideally you need to get flower paste for them. It can be rolled much thinner and dries harder. Remember that if you're placing them on buttercream, it makes them soggy after a while, so make the butterflies and dry them out first, and add them at the last minute.

freyasmum

Grimbal wrote: »

yup, sorry, realised that I'd need florists paste a bit after writing this.thanks for the confirmation- always reassuring to get advice from people who know!



I thought about 4cm across, so 2cm for each wing. I'd like to decorate them after, so I'm not sure that i could be that gentle with them if I were to use fondant.

Probably best with florists paste then, though I have successfully used ready to roll fondant with a cutter that size and decorated with lustre dust made into a paint.

Grimbal

greenbee: those photos of the poured fondant are almost exactly how I'd imagined I'd wanted mine to look! Sorry to be a pain, but do you have a recipe for the fondant that I could use? Will it set rock hard?

I had imagined decorating with those icing pens, but seeing how pretty the lustre paint looks, I think I'll be going with that!

Her birthday is not for another month yet, but I'm getting all excited about it already

Grimbal

sorry sorry sorry sorry: one more question if I may? the florists paste comes in 200g pack sizes: is that alot? will that make me 45 or so 5 cm butterflies do you reckon, or should I play safe and get two packs?