What icing do I buy? DD needs to make little figures to decorate an xmas cake!!

[sunshinealltheway]

I'm posting here hoping someone can advise me?

I know absolutely nothing about cake decoration and DD would like to enter her school xmas cake "Bake Off".

We have looked at some pictures online and have some ideas but I can only make butter icing so it's a bit limited compared to the ideas she has...

What icing do you have to buy that you can use like plasticine to model little figures please? I would like her to decorate the cake herself so this seems like the best way to go?

All advice gratefully received...

You could either buy some proper modelling paste or and ready to roll fondant and add a bit of tylo or cmc to harden it up.

Do you have a cake decorating shop nearby?

Sorry I have only just got my computer back!

Thanks Mike - that's helpful. Off to google tylo and cmc now....

I can get to a cake decorating shop, but I just wondered what you can get to do this kind of thing... Looks like the supermarket is no good. Might have to be a lot less ambitious

I made various bits of Thomas with a big slab of ready to roll icing and some food colouring (face, funnels, wheels etc) and it worked fine. It's just like plasticine really, and then you leave it out to dry. It's a wee bit fragile though, so if the figures are complicated and involve lots of bits being attached, I'd use a thick icing sugar paste, rather than relying on the icing just sticking.

If your daughter knows what figures she wants to make, chances are someone will have already done it and posted a tutorial or YouTube vid with good tips.

In terms of colouring, I used gel colours which you can buy from cake decorating shops and are great - you just drop a bit on, knead through and then add more if you need it darker or add more icing and knead in if you get carried away.

Forgot to add that the advantage of using icing and edible gel colours is that they're definitely edible if bits get in the cake for eating. I was a bit wary of using modelling paste and hardening sprays for that reason, though I may be wrong and they're fine to eat too.

I think I've read on a thread that larger sainsburys sell flower paste which may work though I avoid modelling like the plague so have no experience. I'm sure some of the decorating experts will know if this is suitable or not.

Yes the sainsbo stuff is ok.

Modelling/flower paste is edible so I wouldn't worry about that aspect. If I make a model I leave it out to dry for a few days at least so dont normally advise eating them anyway.

I would suggest either florist paste, or ready roll icing with some gum tragacanth added. You need something more flexible than just sugar paste. You will also need some sugar glue to stick the different body parts together. Also, y could try using sticks of spaghetti or thin doweling rods to hold the figures together (head to body).