Trains are always very popular among boys, my own son included. So I thought it would be time for another tutorial for the boys. I have made a sweet little train cake topper inspired by one of my sons “old” birthday cakes. I have tried to make the train very simple in the design, so that even the beginners in cake decorating can have a go with it. I hope that you will enjoy my tutorial on how to make a train cake topper.

This is what I use:
Gum paste
Rolling pin
A pair of fondant smoothers
Cornstarch duster
Small knife
Tylo glue
Veining tool (Jem) (if you dont have such tool, then just use a knife)
Paint brush
Gel paste colors
Round piping tips in various sizes. (circle cutters can also be used)

Tip! If your gum paste is little too soft, then knead in a little tylo powder. This will help the gum paste to thicken and hold its shape.

Step 1:
Start by coloring in the gum paste for the trains “body” in your chosen color. Take a piece of gum paste and roll it into a smooth ball without any cracks. Then place the ball on your work table and roll it into a thick sausage about 3″ long. This will be the “base” for the train. Take your pair of fondant smoothers and flatten all the sides.

Step 2:
Flatten one of the short ends with the fondant smoother (see photo). Set aside to dry a little.

Step 3:
Take another piece of gum paste, again roll it into a smooth ball. Then roll it into a short sausage on your work table. It should cover about 2″ of the “base”. Flatten the ends with the fondant smoothers. Brush a little tylo glue on the “base” and attach the “sausage” on top of the angled end. This will be the front of the train.

Step 4:
Next, roll another smooth ball of gum paste and form it into a block. It should be slightly taller than the “front” part, and about 1″ wide. Flatten the sides with the fondant smoothers. Attach with a little tylo glue.

Step 5:
Roll out some gum paste thinly and cut out 2 small windows for each side of the train. Glue them on with tylo glue.

Step 6:
Roll out some gum paste (about 4-5mm thick) and roll it out large enough to cut, both wheels and roof for the train. Find 2 different sizes of piping tips or circle cutters and cut out 1 pair of large and 3 pair of small wheels. I have used round piping tips to emboss the center of the wheels. Set the wheels aside to dry. Then cut out a square piece of gum paste for the roof and glue it on with tylo glue.

Step 7:
Now it is time to decorate the front “base” of the train. Roll out some gum paste (4-5mm thick). Cut a strip of fondant and cut the ends slightly slanted. Next make indentations in the gum paste with either a veining tool or a knife. Glue it on the angle front with tylo glue.

Step 8
Glue on the wheels.

Step 9:
Take a small piece of gum paste. If it sticks to your hands, then rub hands with a little cornstarch. First roll a small ball, and glue it on with tylo glue on top of the train (not shown). Make the chimney by rolling some gum paste into a large pea size ball and then roll it into a cone.

Step 10:
Rub some more cornstarch on your fingers. Slowly pinch the “thick” end of the cone all the way around. While you pinch, press down in the middle of the cone with your index finger. So that it get slightly hollow (see photos) Trim a little of the end, so that the chimney can stand upright. Attach it on the train with a little tylo glue. Set aside and let the whole train dry completely.

Step 11:
If you like, you can make small train wagons aswell for your train cake topper. Make them out of a ball of gum paste, that you shape into a block. Flatten all the sides with the fondant smoothers and attach some wheels.

Tip! It looks very sweet placing birthday candles on the train wagons.

Happy Caking!

Louise

I have made a how to make a gum paste bow update for you. It was much needed as the old one was from the early years of CakeJournal. You can find the bow update here. Speaking of bows, see more gum paste bows on some of my (old) cakes in the cake gallery.

Happy Caking!

Louise

When I made the sweet bunny cookie lollies, I made sure to take some photos of the working process so that I could put together a tutorial on how to make a bunny cookie lolly. They can be made in other colors than brown and I think that they would work just as good for a bunny themed baby shower, beside being a sweet Easter treat.
The whiskers on the bunny is optional, so you can make them without if you like. But if you do give the bunny whiskers, then make sure that you inform the receivers to remove the whiskers (flower stamens) before they eat the bunny cookie lolly.

This is what I use:
Cookie lollies, baked in the shape as a bunny (I have used the nesting bunny cookie cutter set from Wilton)
White rolled fondant
Gel paste colors: pink and brown
Royal icing in soft consistency
Piping bag with a plastic coupler
Piping tip round or a grass/fur
Corn syrup
Paint brush
Rolling pin
Cornstarch duster
Knife
Veining tool (Jem)
Fine Comb and Scallop (½ Moon) tool (No.4 from PME)

Optional (not showing on the photo):
White petal food powder + a little clear alcohol (or lemon extract)
Fine small paint brush
White flower stamens
Ribbon

Step 1:
Take some white rolled fondant and roll a little ball. Flatten it slightly and glue it on the cookie with a little corn syrup.

Step 2:
Make an indentation down the middle with the veining tool. Make sure that you dont go all the way down.

Step 3.
Take the scallop tool and make the rest of the bunny’s mouth.

Step 4:
Then color a small amount of the white rolled fondant pink with the gel paste color. Roll it out thinly and cut two strips of pink rolled fondant for the center of the ears with the knife. Glue them on with a little corn syrup.

Step 5:
Roll a small ball of pink fondant for the nose. Glue it one with corn syrup and flatten the nose a bit.

Step 6:
Start by coloring a small amount of the white rolled fondant brown with the gel paste color and make a pair of eyes. (they can also be made in black if you like that better) Color your royal icing brown with the gel paste color and make sure that it have a soft consistency. Take the piping bag with the plastic coupler and fill it with the brown royal icing. Then use either a round or a grass/fur tip to pipe the fur.

Step 7:
When you are done with the fur the place the eyes in the wet royal icing and leave the cookie to dry.

Step 8:
If you like you can paint a little “white sparkle” in the eyes. Mix a little white petal food powder with a few drops of clear alcohol (or lemon extract) and use a small fine paint brush to paint with.

Step 9:
The bunny cookie lolly is now finished, but if you want to add a few “whiskers” just insert a pair of white flower stamens under the nose (see top photo). Style the cookie with a pretty ribbon.

Happy Caking!

Louise

Just finished one more of the “old” tutorial updates. This time it was for the cupcake flower, that many have asked about the past years. It is my all time favourite and I really like it together with the swirly blue cupcakes.

I have two more tutorial updates on my list that I am working on and you are proberly wondering by now, what’s up with all this tutorial updating? Well I cant tell you yet, but hopefully very very soon. All I can say, is that it will be super sweet and I am sure that you all are going to love it

Happy Caking!

Louise

As a follow up to the questions about the ribbon bow that was on my Valentine’s cake. Have I made a tutorial on how to make a ribbon bow for your cake. Remember to prepair your cake for the ribbon, by getting a nice and straight crumb coat -before the fondant cover. A side scraber is a great tool to use for that.

This is what I use:
Ribbon
Measuring tape
Scissors
Piping gel
Small brush
Double sided tape
And of course a cake.
Step 1:
Measure around the cake and add 1/2″ extra, so that the ribbon can overlap. Cut the lenght of ribbon that you will be needing.

Step 2:
Brush a thin coat of piping gel around the base of the cake. Let the piping gel dry until just slightly tacky.

Step 3:
Add the ribbon around the cake and make sure that it is all smooth. Brush a little piping gel on one of the ribbon ends and “close” by overlapping.
Note: I prefere to have the overlap at the “back” of the cake.

Step 4:
Find out how big you want the bow loops to be and cut a piece of ribbon in the desired lenght. Place a small piece of double sided tape in the center and fold in the ribbons.

Step 5:
Add another piece of double sided tape in the center of the bow. Cut a small piece of ribbon just long enough to go around the middle of the bow. Fold in the ends nicely.

Step 6:
Fasten the ribbon bow at the front of the cake with a small piece of double sided tape and you’re done.

Step 7:
If you want to make a double bow. Just cut an extra piece of ribbon at step 4 Make sure that it is a little longer than the first piece of ribbon.

Happy Caking!

Louise

I just wanted to let you all know that I am working on updating the tutorials. So far I have updated two of my tutorials with new photos and a little text editing:

How to decorate cookies with rolled fondant
How to make a turtle cake topper

Whenever Im not making new cakes or work on new tutorials, I will be updating the “old” as I go. For those of you who are new to my site, please do make sure that you visit my tutorial page. There are a lot of great things to learn.

Happy Caking!

Louise

I have received many requests on the race car cake toppers that was on my sons birthday cake last year. So here is my tutorial on how to make a race car cake topper.
It is made out of gum paste, but I have used store bought black rolled fondant for the wheels and the helmet.

TIP:
The “body” of the race car, starts with a smooth round ball!

This is what I use:
White gum paste
Black rolled fondant
Small amount of white rolled fondant
Gel paste color
Rolling pin
Cake smoothers
Tylo glue
Cornstarch (to prevent the fondant from sticking to your work board)
Small knife
Piping tips or small circle cutters in various sizes
Small paint brush
Ball tool (JEM)
Strip cutter (JEM) If you dont have a strip cutter, then you can use a ruler.
1 small plastic bag (not showing on the photo)

Step 1:
Start coloring the gum paste in your chosen color. Roll the “ball” into a cone, making sure that you keep one of the ends a little thicker (and the other end a little thinner). I try to keep the lenght of the race car to about 3″ (8cm).

Step 2:
Flatten the sides of the race car, using a pair of cake smoothers. Place the car inside a plastic bag and set aside. This will preventing it from drying out.

Step 3:
Roll out some gum paste about 2mm in the same color as the race car. Cut out the spoiler with the small knife. I cut out mine by hand, but you can of course use a ruler if you like. Make sure that the spoiler is a little wider than the race car. Set aside to dry completely.
TIP! Make extra spoilers. If the first one should break.

Step 4:
Roll out some of the black rolled fondant about 5mm thick. Find 2 different sizes of piping tips or circle cutters and cut out 1 large pair and 1 small pair of wheels. I have used round piping tips to emboss the center of the wheels. Set aside to dry.

Step 5:
Take some white rolled fondant and roll it out thinly. Use the strip cutter or a ruler to cut out 1 fondant strip.
Note: Do not cut out the fondant circle before step 9

Step 6:
Take out the race car from the plastic bag. Brush a very thin coat of tylo glue on the back of the white strip and attach it down the middle of the race car. Trimming of any excess of the fondant strip with the knife. Use the ball tool and make an indentation in the middle of the car, where the “driver” will be sitting.

Step 7:
Take a little black rolled fondant and roll it into a little ball/helmet. Make sure that it fits into the indentation of the race car. Brush a little glue and place the ball/helmet in the indentation. Cut a small strip of white fondant for the face shield and glue it on the ball/helmet. Set a side to dry.

Step 8:
When the wheels are almost dry, glue them on the race car with tylo glue. Small wheels at the front and large wheels at the back.

Step 9:
Roll two small oblong balls and glue them on each side on the white fondant stripe on the back of the race car. Brush again a very thin coat of glue and carefully attach the spoiler. Finish off by cutting out a small circle out of white rolled fondant and glue it on the front of the car.
TIP! It is easier to write the number of the race car, when the white fondant is all dry!

You now have a race car cake topper!

Happy Caking!

Louise

In this tutorial I want to show you how to make a five petal fantasy flower. The flower is inspired by a pink flower broche that I have. You are welcome to change the color for the flower, so that it match your color scheme.
Remember that the flower stamens are inedible, so you need to remove the flower before cutting the cake.

This is what I use:
Drinking glass
Foil
Foam pad
Ball tool
Rolling pin
Cornstarch
Five petal cutters in following sizes: 35mm, 80mm, 110mm
(Easy rose cutters 80mm + 110mm from JEM) (35mm/1 1/4″ any five petal cutter can be used)
Gum paste
Pink food gel color (optional)
Pearl & pink luster dust (optional)
15-20 white flower stamens (small round headed)
White non-parelis
Tylo glue
Small firm brush for the tylo glue
Small soft brush for the luster dust
Pair of tweezers
pair of scissors
Small pieces of foam
Paper towel
Flower former:
Start by covering the glass with double layers of foil, like shown on the photo. Dust it with a little cornstarch, so that the flower wont stick to the foil.

Step 1:
Color some of the gum paste pink with the food gel color and roll out the gum paste thinly. Cut out the first layer of the flower, using the large five petal cutter (110mm). Place the flower on the foam pad and thin the edges of the flower with the ball tool. Dust the tin foil with a littel cornstarch before placing the large flower on the tin foil “cup”. Shape the petals with your fingers and place small pieces of foam to keep them in place.

Step 2:
Take some white gum paste, again roll it out thinly and this time use the medium five petal cutter (80mm). Cut out the second layer for the flower, and place it on the foam pad. Thin the edges of the flower with the ball tool. Place the cut out flower on a piece of paper towel and brush the white flower, with white luster dust.

Step 3:
Brush a thin layer of tylo glue in the middle of the pink flower.

Step 4:
Place the white flower on top of the pink flower. Again shape the petals with your fingers and place small pieces of foam, to keep the petals in place while drying.

Step 5:
Roll out some pink gum paste thinly, and cut out the last petal for the fantasy flower with the small petal cutter (35mm). Thin the edges with the ball tool and glue it in the middle of the white flower with tylo glue. You can use the end of a paint brush to lift up the small petals. I dont use any foam pieces to keep the small petals in place here.

Step 6:
Take some white gum paste, make a small ball, that match the center of the flower and flatten it slightly. Brush the top of the ball with tylo glue and dip it into the white non-parelis. Secure the ball with tylo glue in the middle of the pink flower. Let the flower dry for 1 hour before you continue.

Step 7:
Take some small round headed white flower stamens and cut them a little shorter. Push in the flower stamens all the way around the edge of center with a pair of tweezers. Finish the flower by adding a little pink luster dust in the the center. Let the flower dry until firm, about 1-3 days. Remember to remove the small pieces of foam, when the flower is dry.

Tip!
You can also make smaller or larger flowers by using various sizes of five petal cutters, than the ones used for this tutorial.

Happy Caking!

Louise

This is the last part of my little “cupcake decorating school”. The final part is about how I pipe my swirls on my cupcakes. Not saying that this is the “right” way, but it is the way that works the best for me. There are many different types of swirls to pipe on cupcakes. Often does the final result, depend on what type of decorating tip that you are using.
Please see Cupcake decorating part 1 where I write about the decorating tips.

If you are new on how to pipe swirls on cupcakes or simply just want to perfecting your swirl techniques. Practice is the only way to do it. With some cupcakes and a batch of buttercream you can pipe swirls, scrape off the buttercream and start over again (of course re-using the buttercream)

I have built up the swirl in three parts, to make it more easy to see and hopefully understand So here goes:

Step 1:
I have used a star tip with a 11mm opening and filled the pipingbag with Italian Meringue Buttercream. I always start at the center of the cupcake (holding the bag at a 90 degree angle). Move the pipingbag to the right and go anticlockwise. While piping its important that you make sure to lift the tip slightly or it will ruin the star pattern while you pipe. Pipe close to the cupcake paper edge.

Tip: You can make a more flat swirl by finishing at the center again. Going only 1 round.

Step 2:
After a whole round, pipe a new round on top of the first.

Step 3:
Pipe the final round and finish in the center again. Gently pull back the piping tip.

The next photo shows the “built up” swirl to the left and the “real” swirl to the right, that is piped in one go.

Use the same technique for the mini cupcakes, only piping two rounds. I have used a smaller star tip (9mm)

Remember that practice makes perfect. I can sometimes pipe 10 bad swirls, before I am happy with the results

For those who love the “Wilton roses”. Try this special cupcake flowernail as a helper to pipe the flowers on the cupcake.

If you like to read the other parts about my cupcake decorating, you can find them here:
Cupcake decorating part 1
Cupcake decorating part 2
Cupcake decorating part 3

Happy Caking

Louise!

I got a few request on how to make a quick mini rose like the ones on the photo. They are super easy to do and even kids can make them.
The equipment is only:
Colored rolled fondant or gum paste
Small knife
Small leaf cutter
You make the quick mini roses in the palm of your hand, so remember to use some cornstarch on your hands, to prevent the roses from sticking.
Step 1:
Take a small amount of fondant and roll it into a ball and then roll it into a little sausage.
The amount of fondant determine the size of your mini rose. I like to go with a hazelnut or pea size when I make them.

Step 2:
Flatten the sausage with your fingers. Dont make it to flat and thinly. Use your forefinger and roll it into a little rose.
At this point you could use a rolling pin, but I find that this can change the look of the mini rose. Thats why I just flatten it with my fingers.

Step 3:
Cut any excess fondant of the mini rose with a knife, if needed.

To make the small leafs: Take some green rolled fondant. Cut out a small circle with the wide end of a piping tip. Now with the tip cut off small bits of the green circle. Pinch one of the ends and you have a small leaf.

Happy Caking!

Louise