Sugar flowers Daisies

With Easter just around the corner, I thought I would share with you this simple to make, pretty sugar flower to adorn any Easter cake, whether you are making a big cake for sharing or just a few cup cakes, these sugar flowers will certainly impress your family and friends.

To make the sugar flowers, you will need:

White and yellow petal paste.

Fuchsia pink petal dust (optional)

Egg white (for the glue)

Daisy cutters (different sizes)

Cocktail stick (for rolling)

Ball/softening tool

Sharp knife or craft knife

2” square of tulle netting or similar

Small bath/ kitchen sponge

Start your sugar flowers by working the yellow sugar paste until it is soft and pliable, this is for the centres of the sugar flowers,

Roll a small piece of the sugar paste into a ball, and then gently pull the tulle netting over the paste, thus creating the textured effect at the centre of the sugar flowers.

Make plenty of sugar  flower centres and vary the sizes, they should be no bigger than the centre part of the sugar flower daisy cutters you are using, then put these to one side so they can dry out.

Take some of the white sugar paste, knead and work it until pliable and soft, (a little like chewing gum but not sticky).

Roll the paste out on a flat smooth surface; you need it to be quite thin but not too fine as we need to roll it again later.

Cut out the shape using the daisy cutter, and then cut down the length of each petal with the sharp knife.

Frill both halves of each petal with the cocktail stick, roll the cocktail stick gently across the sugar flowers petal   lengthways, indenting the petal more in the middle.

Place the daisy onto the sponge and cup the centre of the sugar flower with the ball tool.

Using the egg white, stick the yellow centres into the middle of the petals, If you wish you can tinge the ends of the sugar flowers petals with the pink petal dust.

Carefully attach the sugar flowers to your cake using icing, fondant or butter cream to stick them.

These sugar flowers are totally edible, and bring a touch of springtime to any cake.

You can also put these sugar flowers in a bouquet or spray of sugar flowers, simply make them as shown here and attach to a wired calyx instead of directly onto the cake.

To make the calyx

Make a small hook in one end of a 26gm florist’s wire.

Colour some sugar paste green, work it until it is pliant and soft.

Take a small piece(pea sized) and roll into a ball and then shape it into a cone, flatten out the wider end between your finger and thumb to form a flat disc, your calyx should resemble a Mexican hat.

Roll the edges out very thinly using either a pencil or knitting needle.

Using a blossom cutter, place over the rounded end and press down.

Soften the edges of the calyx with a ball tool, dip the hooked wire into the egg white and wipe off the excess, pull the wire through the centre of the calyx, leave to dry.

Attach the sugar flower daisy to the calyx with a little egg white and leave to dry out thoroughly before incorporating into a spray or bouquet of sugar flowers.

Sugar Flowers Carnation

Sugar flowers make a wonderful finish for any celebration cake.

One of the easiest of wired sugar flowers is the carnation; in fact you don’t even need special equipment, as you can create these pretty sugar flowers with a bottle cap and a cocktail stick!

Here are simple instructions on how to make carnation sugar flowers.

1. Wire stem.

To form the stem, cut a 26 gauge florists wire into 3 equal lengths, and then make a small hook in one end of the wire. Bind the hook with a small strip of florists tape, this forms the centre of the sugar flowers and prevents the petals from falling off.

Colour some petal paste, sugar flower carnations look best when worked in pale colours, the pale sugar flowers can be dusted to a darker shade.

2.  First frilled petal.

Roll out some coloured petal paste, not too thinly so that the paste will frill.

Use a sugar flowers carnation cutter, or a metal bottle top to cut out the circle shape.

With a sharp knife, make small cuts all around the edge at regular intervals.

3. To frill.

Roll a cocktail stick around the edge of the paste, move the stick gently back and forth, turning the paste whilst you work.

4. Assembling.

Paint one half of the frilled petal with egg white, thread the wire through the centre and fold in half to create a fan shape.

Brush a little egg white on the right hand third of the sugar flower and fold over.

Turn and repeat this on the other side, forming an”S” shape, gently moulding the paste onto the wire.

5. 2^nd and 3^rd petals.

Cut and frill two more sugar flower petals, paint the centre with a little egg white.

Thread one of the petals onto the wire; turn the sugar flower upside down so the petal falls in a natural shape. Repeat with the other petal, mould it onto the wire, hang the completed sugar flowers upside down to dry.

6. Calyx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the calyx, make a small cone from bluish green sugar paste.

Cut the 5 petal shape for the calyx using a blossom cutter, or shape using a pair of fine scissors.

Soften the cut edges, hollow out the cone of the calyx, paint inside with egg white.

Thread the wire through the cone and gently mould the cone around the base of the sugar flowers petals, then wind green florists tape down the wire stem.

7. Dusting.

It isn’t necessary to “dust” sugar flowers, but it helps to enhance the appearance of the sugar flowers, giving them depth, and a more realistic appearance.

Don’t be heavy handed, work the dust in layers gradually building the tones and colours.

Ensure your sugar flowers have dried completely before you dust them.

8. Brushes.

Don’t buy expensive brushes for dusting; they will be ruined over time with use.

You only need three kinds of brush for the dusting.

1. A fine pointed brush, No 1 or 2, to dust the centre of the flowers.

2. A soft rounded brush, No 4, for general dusting and larger areas.

3. A flat edged brush, No ¼, for the edges of the sugar flowers.

Clean and remove any excess colour powders from the brushes by working the bristles into a little corn flour.

Petal dust the completed sugar flowers with a darker shade of the same colour or a complementary darker colour. To intensify the appearance of your sugar flowers, dust the edges from the outside edge to the inside, for a subtle, softer look to your sugar flowers, dust from the inside to the outside.

9. Leaves.

Roll out a piece of the bluish green sugar paste, very thinly.

Cut a strip 1” long by 1/8^th” wide, cut pointed but rounded ends, using a scribe tool or back of a knife mark a crease down the middle, paint the centre with egg white, thread the leaves onto the wire and pinch them into position.

There we have it! Easy, carnation sugar flowers to adorn any cake or display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sugar flowers carnation-finished

Sugar Flowers Rose

Sugar flowers are the most stunning top for a celebration cake be it a birthday or wedding. The most popular flower to use is a traditional rose, whether it’s a colourful bouquet, or a single bloom, they will always add a touch of class to your cake.

Here are easy step by step instructions to make rose sugar flowers from petal paste.

Firstly you will need: -

Rose petal cutters, rose leaf cutters, calyx cutter.

Florists wire and tape, petal paste, fine artists paint brush, small scissors.

Ball tool, veiner or scriber, colour paste and, dusting powders, confectioners glaze or gum Arabic.

A small rolling pin, (I use a length of wooden dowel rod) and a smooth board to roll the petal paste out on.

All of these are available from sugar craft and cake decorating supply shops. You will also need a small pot of fresh egg white (to use as glue), cling wrap. It is also helpful if you have a polystyrene block to hold the roses whilst they dry.

To make rose sugar flowers

Centre cone

1. Make the centre cone slightly smaller than the petal cutter.

2. Gently roll a small ball of petal paste.

3.  Make a small hook at the end of a 24g florist’s wire.

4. Dip the hook into the egg white and wipe off the excess.

5. Feed the end of the wire through the ball of paste so the hook is hidden inside, and then mould the paste into an egg shape.

6. Stick the wire into the polystyrene block and leave to dry.

Colour

If you’re making a light coloured rose, it is best to work with 3 shades of the colour, use the darkest shade for the centre petals and the lighter shade for the outer petals. If you are making a deep coloured rose, then colour all the paste the same.

Constructing the  rose

1. Begin by working the darker paste to the consistency of chewing gum, (if it gets too sticky or dry, add a smudge of solid vegetable fat) lightly dust the board surface with corn flour, roll out the paste (very thinly)  and cut out 2 of the smaller petal shapes, cover one with cling wrap to prevent it drying out.

2. Take one of the dried centre cones and brush it all over with the egg white, wrap the first petal round the cone with the point to the side, make sure the top of the cone is covered by the petal.

3. Paint the second petal with egg white and wrap around the cone, overlapping the first petal.

4. Cut out 2 more of the same sized petals and gently frill the outer edges by using the ball tool, (gently place the petal in the palm of your hand and run the ball tool along the edge of the petal).

5. Paint egg white down the centre and each edge; position them onto the cone with the pointed end downwards, fold the petals so they interleave, wrap them around quite tightly and tweak the top edges into shape.

6. Cut out 2 more petals using the next size cutter, frill these a little more than the last two petals, place them on the cone, opposite to the previous petals, shape them around and bend the edge back slightly, (like a shirt opening).

7. Cut out 3 petals in a lighter shade paste, frill out the edges more than the previous ones, slightly cup the petals with the ball tool, paint with egg white about a third of the way up from the point. Position the first petal at the back (opposite the shirt like opening), place the other two petals onto the flower and interleave all 3 petals, tweak and shape them for a more natural appearance.

8. Using the next sized cutter and the lightest coloured paste, cut 5 petals, using he ball tool, really frill out the top edges and cup each petal, attach to the flower, interleaving each petal with the last, shape the petals and leave to dry before dusting with petal dust.

You can complete a rose at any of the stages by adding a calyx, (if you stop at the first 2 petals, you will have a rose bud).
If you are doing a solitary rose, thicken the stem by taping in extra wires when the flower is complete.

Rose calyx

When you are making roses for a bouquet or spray of sugar flowers, avoid breakages by fixing the calyx snugly to the flower head.
If you are making a single bloom, affix the calyx to the bottom of the flower and curl the ends of the calyx outwards for a more natural appearance.

Calyx

1. Roll out a very small piece of the coloured petal paste that you used for the actual flower, roll it as thinly as possible.

2. Roll out a small piece of green coloured petal paste, on top of this place the previously rolled petal paste; gently roll over these, until you can see the green showing through.

3. Using a calyx cutter; cut out the calyx and soften the edges with the ball tool.

4. Using the small scissors, cut 3-4 times into the sides of each frond, the cuts should be at a steep angle.

5. Paint a little of the egg white down the bottom half of each frond, thread the wire stem of the flower through the centre of the calyx, and press the calyx onto the flower.

6. Thicken the stem if needed.

7.  To make the hip, take a small piece of the green petal paste, roll it into a ball, and then gently pull into an upside-down pear shape.

8. Using the ball tool, make an indent in the top, paint the hollow with egg white and thread the wire stem through the hip, and fix to the bottom of the flower.

Rose leaf

1. Using 28g or 30g wire, roll out some green paste, leave a raised ridge down the centre, (roll inwards from each side to create this).

2. Place a rose leaf cutter on the paste, making sure the ridge runs central from top to bottom, and cut out.

3. Vein the leaf, either by using a Veiner or scriber tool.

4. Soften the edges of the leaf with the ball tool.

5. Dip the wire (no hook) into the egg white, wipe off excess, and then gently push it into the ridge and leave to dry before dusting.

Petal dusting sugar flowers

It’s not necessary to “dust” petal paste sugar flowers, but it does enhance the overall appearance of the flower by giving them variance and depth.
Don’t be too heavy handed, gradually build the tones and colours a little at a time.
Ensure your sugar flowers are completely dry before you dust them.

Brushes

Don’t buy the most expensive brushes for dusting, over time they will be ruined.
You only need 3 types of brush for dusting.

1. A fine pointed brush, e.g. number 1 or 2, to dust the centre of the sugar flowers.

2. A soft rounded brush, e.g. number 4, for general dusting and larger areas.

3. A flat edged brush, e.g. number ¼, for the edges of the sugar flowers.

To clean and remove the colour powders from the brushes, work the bristles into a little corn flour.

Dusting the rose

Give the centre of the rose depth, by brushing with a darker colour that compliments the rose.
Experiment with different powders for different effects.
To dust the edges of the petals, draw the flat brush across the petal edge at a right angle, just to highlight them.
Some sugar flowers can be given a shimmering sheen, by using a silver sparkle dusting powder.
Dust the calyx with a soft green powder.

Dusting the leaves

Dust the rose leaves with a variety of coloured powders, don’t be scared, blues, browns yellow even pink will blend into each other, creating unique natural looking leaves.
To get a lovely glossy finish, paint with the confectioners glaze, or gum Arabic, leave to dry thoroughly before wiring them onto the rose stem, or into a spray or bouquet of sugar flowers.