How to Make Fondant Decorations for Cakes
Creating and using your own hand crafted florals for use in decorating your cakes is an exciting and rewarding pastime. Combining your baking know-how with your artistic flare to prepare a cake that will grace the celebration table of a friend or loved one’s special day is one of the most satisfying experiences any baker can know.
Items Needed:
- White fondant
- Yellow fondant
- Gum Arabic
- Water
- Small container
- Rolling pin
- Pallet knife
- Fondant rolling mat
- 2 paint brushes
- Green pearl luster
- Toothpicks
- Heart shaped cutter
- Yellow sugar crystals
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Wax paper
- Empty egg carton
- Small funnel
- Round cutter
- Sharp knife
Get it together:
- Arrange your fondant rolling mat on your work surface, ensuring that the surface is free of debris that may cause the fondant to pucker or bubble when rolled.
- Tear off a piece of wax paper that is large enough to cover your fondant rolling mat. This will make working with the florals easier when it comes time to lift them from the surface.
- Place one teaspoon of water into your small container followed by one teaspoon of gum Arabic and stir with the handle of your paint brush until mixture is fully incorporated and begins to thicken. This will be your gum glue.
- Sprinkle the wax paper with confectioner’s sugar to help prevent sticking.
- Apply a small amount of confectioner’s sugar to the surface of the funnel, rubbing with your hands to ensure even coating.
- Place your cutter, toothpicks, pallet knife, green pearl luster and sugar crystals along the sides of your mat so they are within easy reach.
- Place your gum glue, rolling pin, empty egg carton funnel, paint brushes, ball tool, and fondant along the top of your rolling mat.
Create a calla:
- Pinch off a small amount of yellow fondant and roll it into a ball.
- Use your rolling pin to flatten the ball out into a circle will accommodate the surface of your round cutter and that is approximately 1/8 thick.
- Apply your round cutter to the fondant and remove the excess by rolling it up and replacing it back into its container.
- Cut your circle exactly in half and roll it into a rod that is approximately a half-inch long.
- Attach this rod to a toothpick by piercing the rod from the bottom with the toothpick.
- Uncap your yellow sugar crystals and roll your yellow rod in the crystals until completely covered.
- Set aside by piercing the toothpick into an empty egg carton.
- Roll out a portion of white fondant until roughly 1/8 inch thick and able to accommodate the size of your heart shaped cut out.
- Press your heart cut out firmly into the fondant, applying steady, even pressure to the edges and twisting slightly to ensure a clean edge.
- Remove the excess fondant by rolling it up and replacing it in its container.
- Slide your pallet knife carefully beneath the calla fondant and lift it from the mat.
- Place the calla fondant onto the funnel, with the small end of the heart shape positioned at the small end of the funnel.
- Apply a very small amount of gum glue to the edge of one side of the petals and gently fold the other petal over near the bottom, covering the gum glue.
- Make certain that the top of the calla is open and is not overlapping. Only the bottom portion, near the middle and below, should overlap.
- Allow calla petal to rest and the gum glue to set for at least a minute before continuing.
- Carefully lift your calla petal from the small end of the funnel, freeing the petal.
- Apply a fair amount of gum glue inside the calla petal at the bottom and around the sides up to the middle of the flower.
- Turn the calla petal over and pierce it through the center with the bottom of the toothpick containing the yellow center piece. You should end up with the toothpick through the calla petal and the yellow center piece resting inside the petal.
- Lay the calla down gently and allow the gum glue to adhere the center piece to the bottom and side of the petal
- Apply green petal luster at the bottom of the flower with your second paint brush. Create a gradient of color with the most intense green at the very bottom of the petal, growing ever lighter as it reaches up to what would be the bottom of the flower’s middle.
- Remove the toothpick from the flower when dry.