A[IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3087935/width/200/height/400[/IMG].

Attached is a picture of a fiddlehead fern I need to make for a cake. I have a bunch to make. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to get the curl to look perfect and smooth. For example, should I curve 20g or thinner wire and then try to get gumpaste over it or should I place gumpaste on a straight wire and then curve the wire? Or should I use a different material? Thank you.

why not make a gumpaste rope. Shape it the way you want it, dust it with CS and let it dry for a few days?

ABatterUp, have you made one?

I've found that they break easily if you make them solely from gumpaste. And I get that deep color, you'd be dusting all day.

I recommend a combo of fondant/gumpaste. Depending on brand you use, you'll need 50/50 - 30/70. Fondarific never really dries hard so I use 30%/70% gumpaste. I would color it. Then, use an extruder or (like batter said) make a rope. I then use a small skewer to wrap it around. Smooth it in place as you go.

Once you have it the length you want, insert a floral wire or skewer in the end. If its going on not in the cake, you don't need one.

Hth

Have not

ADo I insert any wire into the culrly end or just the skewer / wire into the straight portion?

AAlso, Thank you both for responding. A great help.

You shouldn't need it in the curly part.

If they are going to stick off the cake, and they are going to be thick & heavy, I would stick wire in the whole thing even curl

Any time I have tried make a wired curly type shape - like whimsical numbers to stand vertically on a cake - I have not been able to successfully bend the wire to the shape I want without squishing the GP. I have tried bending the wire to the correct shape, then adding the sausage of GP, and I can't every get it to work either. I have tried inserting the wire up the end of a clay gun and extruding onto it - no joy. I can only get it to be straight, or a very slight curve. So I would agree with Delicious on this and say just insert the wire into the straight part of that fern. Let it set up laying down so your curly bit doesn't flop over to one side - you can do this on a bed of flour or cornstarch (with saran wrap on it) to stop one side flattening, and just turn it occasionally so it dries on both sides.