Realistic Looking Sugarpaste Fondant Flower (Orchid) Sculpting

These orchids are sculpted from sugar paste fondant clay and hence completely edible, non toxic and children friendly.

They make great decorations on wedding cakes.

Step 1: SUGARPASTE FONDANT

Sugarpaste fondantis a clay like lump made out of various ingredients and used to sculpt motifs to decorate cakes and cookies.

IT'S CLAY LIKE CONSISTENCY ALLOWS ONE TO MOULD IT, SCULPT IT AND KNEAD IT JUST LIKE ANOTHER CLAY. Basically an air drying product and the finished product holds good for 3-4 months when stored properly.

There are various recipes available to make the same at home. It is also available in the baking sections in ready to use packs.

I use the readymade one of the brand ROYAL.

Buy a white pack, take out small lumps and color them with food colors to achieve the desired color.This way you can save buying many colored packs.

Use confectioner's sugar for dusting in case it gets sticky, water to brush if it gets too dry.

store the clay in a cling wrap airtight container after use to prevent drying.

Hardware to have handy:

Parchment paper, sharp scissors, Roller, White paper and marker, a paint brush,

Software: sugarpaste fondant confectioner's sugar food colors water

Step 2: Preparing the Template.

Either draw free hand, like I did or print out the petal template I made on a regular A4 white paper sheet.

Trace the outlines on a parchment paper using a marker.

Cut out the petals.

Template done

Step 3:

Use a parchment sheet as a not stick working surface.

Use some confectionary sugar to dust in case it starts getting sticky....this might happen if the surrounding humidity is too high.

Take a lump of sugar paste dough and roll out in a thin sheet...of medium thickness.

Place the template cutouts on this dough sheet and with the help of a sharp instrument like a scale or scissors cut out the outline of these templates petals.

The cut borders of the dough petals are a bit ragged but it doesn't really matter.

Step 4:

With the tip of your index finger dab along the outer edge of each petal to smoothen out the edge, at the same time thinning it out.as shown in the picture.

Step 5: Working on the Broader Petals

After thinning out the outer edge with your finger you need to add texture- some vertical lines from the center towards the outer edge. I used the blunt end of the paintbrush to achieve this.

Step 6: Coloring the Petals.

Use edible food colors.

In a small palette or container, dilute the colors to required shade.

For spots or lines preferably use powdered colors.Dry brush to get the spots.

With a fine paintbrush shade the petals, generally darker towards the center and lighter outwards. Dab on some spots.

See that the single center petal is the darkest.

Keep beside you a picture of an orchid flower and use color combinations accordingly.

Step 7: Center

Take the center petal-

Slit the triangular part into 2halves.. thin the petals edges with your finger tip.

Slightly roll over the edges like in the picture, towards the center.

Gently roll up the slit ends curling in towards the center..

Attach a small oblong lump(also colored) in the center.

Step 8: Arranging the Petals

place the 3 long petals as shown. A TRIANGLE

Squeeze the centers together to fuse in the center.

With a wet brush slightly dab the center.

Arrange the broad petals side by side on the triangular arrangement.

Press together to fuse them.

Slightly dab with a wet brush in the center.

Arrange the center petal in the middle .

Step 9:

Curl the broad petals to give a natural look.

Gently put the whole flower in a concave vessel- like a shallow bowl and leave it there to dry.

Do not move till completely hard to tough or else it will crumble.

Once hard it can be removed and stored in an air tight container for 3-4 months.

Make such flowers well in advance . They add a very elegant and artistic look to a simple frosted cake, saving time and on a budget.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.....please do write comments, any question,suggestion or post pictures if you happen to make one.

Coming up soon:::::::::: pictorials on making Oriental Lilly and other flowers

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