Tips for Decorating a Mickey Mouse Birthday Cake: Frosting and Techniques

[catlwilles]

I've decided I'm going to decorate a Mickey Mouse birthday cake for my son's birthday tomorrow. I was going to bake the cakes in our round cake pans and then cut two of them down a little for the ears. My question is about the frosting. What should I use for the black frosting and the bright red frosting. I can never get a really bright red when I use regular food coloring. For those of you that have done it before, should I frost it with smooth frosting or use the star tip on the EAD? Any help and suggestions are welcome! Since this is my first time, I'm a little nervous about it working out good. Thanks

 

[chefann]

Go to Michael's or a cake decorating supply store and get some of the paste food colors. They'll have black (which is easier to use if you add it to chocolate frosting - you'll use less coloring to get it really dark), and a couple of different reds. They'll also end up brighter if you color the frosting and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

 

[lkprescott]

Definitely invest in some Wilton color pastes. You'll get much better 'true' colors that way. I did a 'road sign' cake for my mom's 55th (it looked like a speed limit sign LOL) and the black was a life saver. Food coloring tends to water down both the icing and the color. The color pastes you can get are a lot better at tinting, especially for strong colors. The only thing I use food coloring for now is egg dying. LOL

 

[elizabethfox]

You can also find "color spray" at your grocery store in the baking aisle. I used this when I made my son's Thomas the tank engine cake. You just would frost your cake with white frosting, and then you can get these "sprays" in all different colors, and you just spray it over your cake. Gives it an airbrushed look.

 

[c00p]

The sprays can be really tricky if you've never used them before. However, if there is a local cake decorating place or cake supply place nearby, they typically sell little amounts of red and black icing pre-made. I do cake decorating, but I buy my red and black because it takes sooooooooooo much of the paste to get it the deep color you need. So for my time and money, I go buy it!!! Oh, and if you don't know of a cake decorating/supply place nearby, check out your local grocery where they do cake decorating!