Eventually every cake maker wants to dip their toe into the world of sugar-craft. Once you know how to ice a cake successfully, whatever the type of icing, you start wondering to yourself, ‘How can I make this cake look even more beautiful and delicious?’ And a great way to do that is to start making decorations with flower and modelling paste. Whether you want to make delicate roses, cutesy animals or realistic renderings of the Taj Mahal you can create pretty much anything with this incredible material.
Making figures is one of the main projects beginner sugar-crafters want to tackle, and that’s because they have a use on any number of cakes: weddings, Christmas, birthdays and Easter to name a few. The thing is, working with flower and modelling paste definitely has its challenges, but once you understand the process it just comes down to persistence and practice. Here’s how to make the best flower and modelling paste figures.
- Be Prepared. Before you start work make sure you’ve got everything you need to hand. You’ll need your paste of course but also have any modelling and cake craft tools you’ll need for your project on hand.
- Colour Me Good. You’re going to want some colour in your creations, unless you’re going for some plain white flowers, and you’ve got a couple of options. If you want bold, bright colours you can paint onto the paste once it hardens, but if you want softer colours then it’s important to add dye beforehand. Simply dab some food paste onto the flower and modelling paste with a toothpick and then begin kneading and working it through until you achieve an even colour.
- Give Me Some Sugar. Because the paste can become quite sticky while you knead and mould it into shape it’s important to have plenty of icing sugar on hand. Give your work surface a liberal dusting and top it up as needed. You should also put some on your hands to stop the paste sticking to you and ruining your work in progress.
- Work It Baby. If you don’t take time to knead and roll your paste properly before beginning to make figures with it then it will be more prone to splitting and cracking. Take the time to roll and knead it until it’s nice and pliable. For some figures you might need to mix the flower and modelling paste with a fondant icing to achieve the right consistency and workability.
- Keep It Under Wraps. When you’re not working with your flower and modelling paste be sure to keep it wrapped and in an airtight container. If you don’t it will begin to dry out making it hard to mould and then your figures will crack and split.
After that it’s just a case of practice makes perfect. Start with something simple, like a cartoon-like animal, and really focus on working in the little details. Your first attempts won’t be award-winning but follow the above steps and persevere and you’ll be making brilliant flower and modelling paste figures in no time.
