Help! First Time Gum Paste User & Color Is Not Staying O

Decorating By xTiffanyx Updated 22 Mar 2012 , 11:08pm by xTiffanyx

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xTiffanyx Posted 21 Mar 2012 , 1:53am
post #1 of 8

Hi!

I got some molds and decided to use gum paste for some decorations for my second cake that I will be making. The flowers cake out beautiful and then I chilled it in the freezer for a while to pop out and the started to dust with a paint brush with petal dust. I decided to make some more and pop out and leave in the freezer because I figure no one will be eating them anyway--it's just to say that the decorations are edible.

When I went to dust the others now--the gum paste shapes are a little sticky even though they were left in the freezer overnight and then I tried to dust with the petal dust and it's barely even staying--then I went to move the others that I dusted that were in the freezer and jstu touching them with my fingers some color is coming off! I'm not sure what to do---do I leave them out overnight instead of the freezer and air out to get hard and maybe the stickiness will stop??

I'm so nervous it's for a relative's cake on Friday and I also didn't gett enough dust--now I'm also worried I'll have to remake the daisies & then not have enough of the petal dust left as they don't have the hot pink and orange I don't think at Michael's and I got these online.

Also --any idea how to make the number "16" out of the gum paste the ones you see on cakes where the numbers are kind of swirled a little? Never did that either & I'm trying to figure out how to do it, still make the cake, and finish the decorations all by friday still with my full time job on top of it lol

any help will be appreciated !

Thanks,
Tiffany

7 replies
DeniseNH Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
DeniseNH Posted 21 Mar 2012 , 3:16am
post #2 of 8

The beauty of gumpaste is that the dryer you keep them, the better they act. Keep them out over night and they should dry off enough for you to dust them. Then place them in a cake box on a cushion of paper towels.

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TexasSugar Posted 21 Mar 2012 , 3:28pm
post #3 of 8

I agree. Don't store them in the freezer. I'm not sure where you are located but we are having bad humidity here latey, so anything that comes out of the freezer or fridge are sweating. The condensation is what it sounds like you are having problems with.

Let them sit out and dry. As far as darker colors, the more you dust over it the darker the color will be.

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carmijok Posted 21 Mar 2012 , 5:04pm
post #4 of 8

To make your '16' topper, if you have a clay extruder, just use one of the larger round plates to make your ropes and shape your numbers...make sure to let dry thoroughly. You can insert a skewer at the base of each number (make sure it's long enough so the number won't fall over)...and just stick it in the cake upright.

If you don't have a clay extruder, just roll your gum paste into 'snakes' or ropes and shape accordingly.

Gum paste dries pretty quickly so you've got plenty of time.

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xTiffanyx Posted 22 Mar 2012 , 10:54pm
post #5 of 8

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I let whatever I did air dry and went over it & tonight I'll make some more and have it air dry overnight.

Question--they are flowers and butterflies--how do I attach it to the cake? Do I make royal icing or just stick it in since the fondant sweats a little? Not sure if the flowers will be too heavy--I don't want them to fall off. THey are regular size.


My next problem is the numbers---I took your advice with rolling it by hand and it came cute and swirly, but it doesn't really get totally smooth since I'm doing it by hand there are some lines on it & also---I air dried it & it's falling apart....I stuck dowel rods in from michael's---1 on each one and I guess the weight of the numbers has it falling through...also the "1" number I attached the vertical middle piece to the bottom line one with water and it didn't stay. Not sure what else I can do now that that is ruined---The party is late tomorrow night. Any advice?

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xTiffanyx Posted 22 Mar 2012 , 10:57pm
post #6 of 8

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I let whatever I did air dry and went over it & tonight I'll make some more and have it air dry overnight.

Question--they are flowers and butterflies--how do I attach it to the cake? Do I make royal icing or just stick it in since the fondant sweats a little? Not sure if the flowers will be too heavy--I don't want them to fall off. THey are regular size.


My next problem is the numbers---I took your advice with rolling it by hand and it came cute and swirly, but it doesn't really get totally smooth since I'm doing it by hand there are some lines on it & also---I air dried it & it's falling apart....I stuck dowel rods in from michael's---1 on each one and I guess the weight of the numbers has it falling through...also the "1" number I attached the vertical middle piece to the bottom line one with water and it didn't stay. Not sure what else I can do now that that is ruined---The party is late tomorrow night. Any advice?

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xTiffanyx Posted 22 Mar 2012 , 11:06pm
post #7 of 8

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I let whatever I did air dry and went over it & tonight I'll make some more and have it air dry overnight.

Question--they are flowers and butterflies--how do I attach it to the cake? Do I make royal icing or just stick it in since the fondant sweats a little? Not sure if the flowers will be too heavy--I don't want them to fall off. THey are regular size.


My next problem is the numbers---I took your advice with rolling it by hand and it came cute and swirly, but it doesn't really get totally smooth since I'm doing it by hand there are some lines on it & also---I air dried it & it's falling apart....I stuck dowel rods in from michael's---1 on each one and I guess the weight of the numbers has it falling through...also the "1" number I attached the vertical middle piece to the bottom line one with water and it didn't stay. Not sure what else I can do now that that is ruined---The party is late tomorrow night. Any advice?

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xTiffanyx Posted 22 Mar 2012 , 11:08pm
post #8 of 8

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I let whatever I did air dry and went over it & tonight I'll make some more and have it air dry overnight.

Question--they are flowers and butterflies--how do I attach it to the cake? Do I make royal icing or just stick it in since the fondant sweats a little? Not sure if the flowers will be too heavy--I don't want them to fall off. THey are regular size.


My next problem is the numbers---I took your advice with rolling it by hand and it came cute and swirly, but it doesn't really get totally smooth since I'm doing it by hand there are some lines on it & also---I air dried it & it's falling apart....I stuck dowel rods in from michael's---1 on each one and I guess the weight of the numbers has it falling through...also the "1" number I attached the vertical middle piece to the bottom line one with water and it didn't stay. Not sure what else I can do now that that is ruined---The party is late tomorrow night. Any advice?

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