Birthday cake icing advice needed - please help all ye master bakers!

[Fillybuster]

I am going to spend this afternoon icing and decorating DD1s 3rd birthday cake - it will be a butterfly, if it doesn't go horribly wrong.

Here's the thing: can I cover the cake with pink fondant icing, then use buttercream to decorate the wings etc? Or will the buttercream not stick to the fondant? I could otherwise use pink buttercream all over as a base, but I think fondant would give a nicer finish to the sides.

I'm about to start making up my icing in coloured batches and am now slightly worried.

Also....will all my sprinkly sparkly bits (as specifically requested by DD) look ridiculous on top of piped buttercream?

This will not be a minimalist cake....

Yes you can cover in fondant and and I would pipe on the buttercream. Sparkly bits will be fine! Go for it!!

Thanks for the reassurance....I think I might love you forever for that

Seriously, I have no idea why this particular cake is causing me stress as its far simpler than the last few I've done, but its the first party/birthday DD1 has been really aware of and excited about and I want it to be great for her.

(oh, and I'm a control freak perfectionist....)

Ha! You're welcome!
She will love it! Why not get some sweets like smarties/jelly tots/buttons or whatever to add to it too? I think a 3yr old girls cake can never be too sparkly or too over the top....

PS lollipops make good antennae...

I've been collecting sparkly/pretty edible stuff to put on top for the past 2 weeks!!!

Thanks again - I've now made up my purple, blue, green and yellow buttercream and will be sorting out pink fondant and the chocolate cream filling as soon as DD2 (7 mo) goes back to bed this afternoon :)

Have a look at the Pink Whisk website. She does this with her puffle cakes.

Will do - love Pink Whisk but had missed this....

ah brill, dont forget to put a pic on your profile so we can see the finished cake!!