When it comes to adding decorative flair to a cake there are few products as versatile and easy to work with as fondant icing. Even the novice baker can create some interesting and effective decorations, and for the more adept sugar crafter, the only limit is the imagination as a quick look online will confirm. The things some people make with fondant border on fine art.
If you’ve decided to make a spring-themed cake then fondant icing can let you transform your cake from every day to the exceptional without any hassle by using simple cut-outs. Here’s how you do it.
Firstly you need to decide what you want to create, so we’ll talk you through a few different options to help you make up your mind.
- Flowers. What says ‘spring’ more than flowers? They’re in bloom everywhere bringing much-needed splashes of colour to the landscape after a long, wet winter, and fondant icing flowers can have the same effect on your cakes. All you need to do is use a variety of flower cutters to press out the basic shape. You can then layer a couple of cuts, sticking them together with cooled boiled water to give the flower a more lifelike depth. If you press the petals forward slightly and leave them to dry in an egg carton they will look more realistic. Once dry you can then fix a centre in the petals.
- Butterflies. Again these are a classic image of spring, and so easy to make if you use appropriate cutters. Simply roll out your fondant icing to about 3mm and press out the shapes. You can leave them flat and attach as simple decoration, but to add some life why not press their wings backwards and allow them to set. You can then position these over the top and edges of your cake so that it looks like they are about to land and settle on top.
- Rabbit Cupcake Toppers. These will be a little more difficult, but can still be easily created. You’ll need some different coloured fondant icing. What colours you choose is up to you but brown or grey for the fur, pink for the nose, white for the teeth and black for the eyes is a good choice. Place a disc of fondant icing (http://www.renshawbaking.com/fondant-icing.html ) on top of each cupcake to fix the rabbit topper to and then cut out a smaller round disc for the rabbit’s face. Roll two small balls of black icing for the eyes and fix them to the face with cooled boiled water. Then cut out a small oval of pink icing for the nose and fix it in place. Cut two rectangles for teeth and maybe add some whiskers and the face is done. For the ears, you can use a leaf-shaped cutter and then fix a smaller pink cut out onto them. Take the rabbit face and ears and fix them onto the top of the cake with some water.
These ideas show just how easy it is to decorate a spring cake with fondant icing using simple cutters and a bit of imagination. Don’t leave decoration to the sugar crafting experts, roll your sleeves up and get decorating.
DISCLAIMER: I have not been compensated for this post.