How To Make Fondant Stars
Emily’s Cakes Top Tip Tuesday
‘Do you offer lessons?’ we’ve been asked and, ‘Please, Please teach me how to do what you guys do!’ we’ve been begged.
These two scenarios have become a regular occurrence since we started. So The Emily’s Cakes team mulled over it and for a while now we’ve been toying with the idea of offering comprehensive tutelage on our own YouTube channel to accommodate everyone, bringing all the knowledge we’ve gained over the many years to you.
But we’ve decided to start gently with a precursor to our upcoming videos.
Here is a picture instructional on how to make very popular, funky, fantastic gumpaste stars. They might look complicated but once you’ve acquired all the necessary tools they become quite simple and with so many finishing options you can add your own personal style to make them really stand out as your own.
Step 1: This is what you are going to need.
TO MAKE
Silicon Mat: Or if you don’t have one. Heavily dust, a very clean, surface with Icing Sugar.
Rolling Pin
Fondant: White and black (or just white and black gel colouring).
CMC (cellulose gum) Powder: A thickener for the Fondant, making it easier to work with and dry quicker. For stars this is necessary, especially if you are in a rush.
Star Cutters: You usually find them in packs of four or Pop Star Cutters: These will make life so much easier for you, if you can find the right sizes buy them quick.
Gauge Wire: They come either wrapped in florist tape or not. We’ve use wires wrapped in white florist tape, you can use whichever you prefer. They also come in different thicknesses. For these stars you will need size #18 to hold the stars’ weight.
Small set of Wire cutters: Or any you can find they don’t necessarily have to be the same as in picture.
TO DECORATE
A small glass of water
Paint brushes: Two or three different sizes, these must be food safe, in other words not used to paint anything else.
Silver Lustre Dust: We prefer to use Rolkem super silver.
Apple Cider Vinegar or Vodka
Steamer: Either from a kettle, tea pot or steamer machine, even a pot of simmering water on the stove, whatever you have available.
Silver Glitter, edible: Just ask at your local cake decorating suppliers.
Piping syringe: Or a piping bag filled with buttercream or royal icing and a number one or two nozzle, to pipe letters on the stars. You can also colour your icing or use several coloured icings
Let’s Get Started.
Getting The Right Colour Fondant
Take a small amount of the black fondant and place it into white fondant. Use about an eighth of the black to the white. Knead the two together until they are fully mixed and you have your light greyish/silver fondant.
If you are using the Gel, flatten out your white fondant and squeeze the gel into the middle. Fold the fondant over the gel and knead until the colour is achieved and there is no steaking.
NB: Be careful to only squeeze out a small drop as the gel is concentrated and you do not want a dark grey. If your colour is too light, you can always add more.
Thickening
Take your mixed fondant lay it flat and make a well in the middle. Take the CMC powder and add a little, then fold the sides in, ensuring the CMC stays in the fondant. Use 5ml per 250g of fondant. If you are using less fondant, knead in small amounts of CMC till you feel the fondant thicken considerably.
Cutting The Gauge Wire:
The length of the wire does depend of the size of the cake you are using. Just note that the wire has to be long enough to make sure the stars stand upright. If they are placed behind a cake topper, the wires should be long enough for the stars to be visible. Pictured, I’ve measured the wire with a ruler and cut it in half. I then use the cut half to measure the rest of the wires. But you can have different lengths, which will create a different effect with smaller stars as well.
Rolling Your Fondant
Take your ball of fondant and pat it flat. Take your rolling pin and start roll out your fondant evenly. If you rub your hand over it, you can usually feel if one side is larger than the other. It is important to make sure it is level otherwise the stars will not come lob sided and will look shoddy. The fondant should be approximately 4-5mm thick
Cutting Out Your Stars
Place your star cutter on the fondant and push down firmly. You must push firmly to ensure it cuts a true shape. This is far easier with popper cutters. Remove the cutter and you star will be cut and stuck in your cutter.
Using a toothpick, slowly slide it down the inside star point of you cutter and gently push down on the fondant. Make sure the point of the toothpick is pressed against the side of the cutter so as not to prick the fondant. Do this to each point and the star will pop out. At this point you can decorate the stars as is if you intend to put them flat on your cake, or proceed to placing them on the wires.
Inserting Gauge Wire:
Place the star flat on the surface and, holding it down, insert the gauge wire between two star points, about half way through the star. Make sure the wire is as close to and parallel to your surface so it goes into the star as straight as possible. Place Completed stars on a tray or board and let them dry, usually overnight but no less than 3 hours.
Decorating:
Silver:
Using a brush or teaspoon, place some silver dust place in a small container(I used an empty silver dust container) and add either Vodka or Apple Cider vinegar.
The consistency is something you’ll have to feel yourself and should be slightly runnier than a paste, pretty much like paint. It must be thick enough so the star is not seen through the paint but not to thick that the mixture clumps together and doesn’t spread. Use a smaller paintbrush to paint. Make sure you’ve covered everything, these stars can be sneaky.
Glossy:
You can either:
Stand by the kettle and whilst its boiling, rotate the star in the steam for a very short period.
For more than one star it is best to boil the kettle and pour the water into a Tea Pot.
Lift the lid off and with the resulting steam you can steam your stars. And again, rotate the star to get all sides shined.
And most importantly once that is done, get the cups, milk,sugar and add teabags to the pot! Can’t let the water go to waste can we.
Glittered:
Use large brush dip in water and brush the star. The water will mix with the sugar in the fondant and create a sticky top layer. The brush should be lightly wet or the water will disolve the star.
Using the silver glitter shaker, tap on the side to evenly spread glitter over star, making sure all surfaces are covered.
Finishing Off:
Painted and glittered stars can be placed in a glass to dry for about an hour.
Once dried, you have the option of adding the personal touch of a name spelled out on the stars, or a special message. Use the syringe or piping bag and slowly and carefully pipe each letter as pictured. My advice is to practice a couple of times on a plate or board before you write on the star itself.
I hope this has helped you and we’d love to see your star creations. So post and share photos on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and Tag or #emilyscakessa. Thank you and we’ll see you next week for our first video:
Simple cupcake icing techniques.
*For all your cake decorating requirements visit the following stores in and around central Johannesburg.*
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