How to Put Fondant Decorations on a Wedding Cake

Tiered Cake with Fondant Roses and Leaves

After baking many layers for a wedding cake and mixing gallons of butter cream icing, decorators are usually anxious to get on with the creative part of their work--decorating the cake to turn it into a showpiece. Any baker wants it to be something that the bride and groom will remember forever. A professional cake decorator can deftly turn clay-like fondant into pieces that rival real roses, carnations, lilies, pearls, bows, and even cameos, among other items. It takes training, special tools, practice, and patience to create fondant decorations.

Things You'll Need

• Cake Gum paste Paint brush Vodka Completed and dried fondant flowers and leaves Butter cream icing Gel icing colors Small covered container Measuring spoons Toothpicks Decorating bags, tips, and couplers

Instructions

1. Fill a decorating bag halfway with leaf green butter cream icing and a leaf tip, such as a #352. Make a sketch of your cake. Roughly draw the pattern for the placement of the flowers and other items. View photos of similar cakes to get ideas.

2. On a cake with smoothed butter cream icing, choose a position for a fondant flower from the design in Step 1. Pipe a bit of fresh icing on that spot. Gently place the fondant flower on the icing. Add more flowers. Pipe butter cream leaves around the flowers to add color as well as stability.

3. Remove a half teaspoon of gum paste from the package; crumble it into a small container. Add two teaspoons of water, cover and allow the gum paste about ten minutes to dissolve.

4. Use a paint brush dipped into the gum paste solution to paint the bottom of a fondant flower. Gently press the damp side of the flower to the surface of a cake that has been covered in rolled fondant. Hold the flower in place for 20 seconds while the gum paste "glue" sets.

5. Adhere flat fondant ribbons or leaves to a rolled-fondant-covered cake by brushing a very thin layer of vodka on the underside of the ribbon or leaf and then pressing it gently to the fondant-covered cake. Hold in place a few seconds while the alcohol vaporizes.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are transporting a wedding cake, wait until you have delivered it and set it up on the serving table before adding the fondant flowers and other embellishments. You may use butter cream icing leaves or fondant leaves on a fondant-covered cake or on a cake iced with butter cream icing.

• Gum paste "glue" will leave a shiny place on rolled fondant. Do not use any more than necessary so that it stays under the flower or leaf. Be aware that fondant decorations are for looks only. While they are edible, they are also extremely hard, and you could break a tooth on some of the more robust pieces.