icing a cake in blue

[what..the?]

I am baking and decorating a cake, something have done before.

I will ice in a pre-made block of roll out icing. But i need the icing to be blue?? am I better adding drip by drip of food colouring to the icing and kneed in before I roll or paint on the blue colouring after? It is supposed to be a large whale so I think the patchy effect sometimes created when painted on might look ok, it sometimes looks water marked as some colour sticks to some places more than others.

Any views please?

[vodkancoke]

Add it drop by drop as it can come out a scary shade of blue if you add too much.

[karenmac60]

or buy blue icing

http://www.craftcompa...lantic-blue-250g.html

[Quassia]

Hi what.. the,
I think if you attempt to 'paint' it on .. it may just 'feather' .. as in just lie on the surface & spread. Probably better to knead in to your desired colour is reached. Why not have a practice run with some spare ready to roll icing?

[what..the?]

I need to make in asap and well they won't sell blue down my local

[what..the?]

good idea to practice

[Quassia]

Alternatively, for detailed work there are pens! ... http://www.cake-stuff...ouring-pens-c-16.html

[what..the?]

the pens are cool...but i am going for a basic cartoon verson on a whale.

I saw a cake the other day that looked really shiney like after the coloured icing was added it was painted? Painted with just a wet brush to make smooth? or something else, I thought it might help with the water coming out the blow hole and the sea around the whale to look shiney?

[Quassia]

Wonder if 'gel' pens were used? Not really sure?

[Quassia]

Sorry .. 'gel tubes' ... I have seen these sold in Tesco ... much thicker consistency than food colouring! http://www.cakedecora...k/ready-to-use-icing/

[Quassia]

p.s ... if you are using the food colouring ... add bit by bit with a cocktail stick that has been dipped in the food colouring .. that way you will control the amount added much easier. Don't add too much it can begin to have a certain taste with it!

[what..the?]

No this shiny effect was the whole cake all over was like varnished or something?

[what..the?]

ok thanks

[vodkancoke]

That is achieved by (believe it or not) using your hairdryer over the cake after decorating....ot it could be something called "pourable fondant" which dries shiny.

[Quassia]

I wonder if the 'shiny' look on the cake you saw was a wash of egg white? Not sure if that's safe?? Might be, not sure.

[vodkancoke]

Sorry, could also be confectioners glaze. You can buy these things in cake decorating shops and also Hobbycraft if you have one near you

[Quassia]

^ sounds more like it!

[what..the?]

ok might just leave that then, thanks for confirming possibilitiies though.

[bimbo123456]

You can paint with liquid food colouring. Most icing will be slightly shiney if you paint it on and leave it to dry...incidentally, I though whales were grey, not blue....

[what..the?]

thanks