How to Make a Giant Fondant Sunflower

Recreate a sunflower with yellow and black fondant.

Shaping fondant flowers is a detailed but rewarding process. Though a tiny flower may require up to an hour for a decorator to shape, large flowers are less intensive in many ways. Perfecting each detail is less critical on large flowers because details are less likely to impact the overall appearance of a broad decoration. With the proper tricks, you can construct an enormous, realistic sunflower in as much time as a tiny sunflower requires if not less. Does this Spark an idea?

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Powdered sugar
Rolling pin
Yellow fondant
Leaf-shaped fondant cutter or cookie cutter
Black fondant
Circle-cutting tool or knife
1/2-inch daisy-shaped fondant cutter
Narrow cake-decorating paintbrush
Fondant adhesive

Instructions

- 1
  
  Sprinkle powdered sugar on a clean countertop and a rolling pin. Place a portion of yellow fondant on the surface. You need enough fondant to cover the top surface of the cake or cupcake you are decorating. For example, to cover the top of a 9-inch cake, you need about 8 ounces of fondant.
- 2
  
  Roll the fondant into a disc that is 1/8-inch thick.
- 3
  
  Press a leaf-shaped fondant cutter or cookie cutter into the yellow disc to cut petals. Cut enough petals to create a ring on the surface you are decorating. For example, to cover a 9-inch cake with petals that are 2 inches wide, you need about 12 petals. Cut two to four extra petals in case your estimation is incorrect.
- 4
  
  Place a portion of black fondant on your work surface. Use equal amounts of black fondant to yellow. Roll the fondant into a disc that is 1/8-inch thick.
- 5
  
  Cut a circle out of the fondant with a round cutter or knife. The circle should be about one-half the width of the cake. The shape does not need to be precise.
- 6
  
  Press a 1/2-inch-wide daisy-shaped fondant cutter in the black disc. Punch five daisies for every yellow petal you punched previously. Gather the uncut fondant. Set it aside.
- 7
  
  Place a yellow petal on your work surface. Lay a narrow cake-decorating paintbrush vertically on the center of the petal. Press the paintbrush gently to crease the middle of the petal.
- 8
  
  Trace near the edges of the petal with the unbristled end of the paintbrush. Press the tip of the paintbrush into the fondant hard enough to make an impression without going through the material entirely. Position each line 1/4- to 1/2-inch away from the edge of the petal. Repeat this process to shape each petal.
- 9
  
  Place the black fondant circle on top of the cake or cupcake. Place the fondant circle on a powdered sugar-dusted work surface if you need to assemble the flower without placing it on a cake or cupcake immediately.
- 10
  
  Dip the paintbrush into fondant adhesive. Apply adhesive to 1 inch of the petal's underside on the wide, blunt end of the shape. Lay the petal upside down on your work surface. Apply adhesive to another petal in the same manner.
- 11
  
  Lay the petals on the black circle. Position the petals opposite each other. The blunt ends of the petal should point toward the center of the circle. Move the petals in or out from the center until the span from one petal tip to the other is the width of your desired sunflower.
- 12
  
  Apply adhesive to the underside of another petal. Place it on the flower next to the first petal you affixed. The bottoms of the petals should overlap slightly. Repeat the process to add the rest of the petals to the flower.
- 13
  
  Hold a black fondant daisy in one hand. Lift the petals up and bring them together to make a purse shape with the fondant. Do not mash the petals together. All of the petal tips should remain distinct.
- 14
  
  Apply adhesive to the bottom of the fondant purse. Press the fondant onto the black center of the flower to create sunflower seeds. Repeat the process to fill the center of the flower with seeds.
- 15
  
  Allow the assembled sunflower to dry overnight.