How to Make a Candle From Fondant

Top a birthday cake with candles you can actually eat.

Make fondant candles to decorate a birthday cake or another celebratory treat. Make a batch of cupcakes for a birthday party, top each cupcake with a fondant candle and arrange the cupcakes on a tray. You can make simple cylindrical candles with licorice stick wicks to top the treat, or decorate the candles with a candy or fondant flame and other edible embellishments.

Things You'll Need

• Fondant
• Food coloring
• Rolling pin
• Tiny star or teardrop-shaped cookie cutters
• Wax paper
• Gold luster dust
• Lemon juice
• Paintbrush
• Cake sparkles (optional)
• Black licorice
• Fondant adhesive
• Plastic dowels, ¼-inch wide

Instructions

1. Divide the fondant into small mixing bowls and add a little food coloring to each bowl to make different-colored candles. Choose the colors you would like for the candles, and then mix a bit of yellow food coloring in one of the bowls for the candles' flames.

2. Roll out the yellow fondant to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use a tiny star-shaped or teardrop-shaped fondant cutter to cut shapes from the fondant. Cut one star or teardrop for each candle you plan to make.

3. Place the stars or teardrops on a piece of wax paper. Mix a teaspoon of gold luster dust with enough lemon juice to make the mixture watery. Paint the cutouts with the mixture using a small paintbrush. Alternatively, you can use water to moisten the shapes and cover them with a sprinkling of edible cake sparkles. Let them dry for three to four hours.

4. Cut small pieces of black licorice. Make each piece about 1 inch long by ¼-inch wide. Cut one piece for each candle. Spread a little fondant adhesive onto the back of each star or teardrop and press the top 1/3-inch of the licorice wick against the adhesive.

5. Roll out each bowl of colored fondant to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Cut strips from the fondant, each 2 ½ inches wide by 5 inches long. Cut one strip for each candle.

6. Wrap the fondant strips around the plastic dowels and adhere the outside edge of the strip to the "candle" by smoothing it into the fondant with your fingers. Cover the top of each dowel by pressing a tiny piece of fondant over it. Let the candles dry for 12 to 24 hours.

7. Press one star-topped or teardrop-topped licorice wick into the top center of each candle.

Tips & Warnings

• Embellish the candles by painting luster dust onto the rolled fondant or wrapping tiny strips of contrasting-colored fondant around the candles.

References

• Wilton: Fondant Candles