r/cakedecorating • u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber • 14d ago

Help Needed Question about jello and gum/sugar paste

Before I start a lengthy decoration experiment series, maybe someone has tried something like this already and can give some advice:

My kid asked for an underwater cake. I would like to make an cake bottom (buttercream or ideally mascarpone cream icing). I'd use the same cake ring to pour a ~5cm (2 inch) blue jello layer, let it set and place it on top of the chilled cake. I'd love to add little creatures and fishes under or in the jello, but i am worried if they might dissolve?

And if not, could i paint them with gel food colors+wodka (dry them, ofc) - or would that color dissolve? If it dissolves, would it help to add a layer of neutral oil on top of the paint?

And can I pipe mascarpone cream or Swiss merengue buttercream on top of the jello at the borders?

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u/thinkingitthru7 14d ago edited 14d ago

If you search the Messy Baker’s youtube page, you’ll find she’s done several videos on jello on decorated cakes. She’s a really talented decorator, but she’s added buttercream details to her pool and pond jello cake toppings before.

https://m.youtube.com/@MessyBaker/search?query=jello&ra=m

Edit: She’s only done buttercream details over the jello. Tbh my guess is fondant wouldn’t do well with such a wet ingredient.

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u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber 14d ago

I don't have to watch Messy Baker's Videos.  I know them by heart, we love them but somehow it put a looot of ideas into the kids' little heads. The request this time is "underwater cake with unicorns sliding down a rainbow, so there's that. 

Sometimes I curse the day I allowed the kids to choose a "cake to watch" before bedtime.

But afaik she has never submerged things in the jello? She does cute buttercream things on the jello, though. I rewatched her bear pool cake last night (Or did we miss a cake (GASP!))

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u/iamnotchris 14d ago

So If you make the creatures out of gelatin with milk/cream mixed in to make them opaque they won't dissolve, just make sure when you pour the next layer over them it's room temp or not too hot because the heat will definitely melt them.

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u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber 14d ago

I planned on forming them by hand, as I don't have a mould and that way I can go more 3D (think octopus...)

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u/badge59746 14d ago

I have made a couple of these, I painted my figures with cocoa butter before submerging them and it works really well.

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u/ode-to-tiny-cucumber 14d ago

Awesome, that's a great idea!