Fall fever is upon us, and that means all things pumpkin! Shaile Socher has created an adorable tutorial for a pumpkin cake topper. The perfect adornment for your pumpkin-flavored holiday treats! Pumpkin cupcakes anyone?
Components:
- White gum paste
- Crisco
- egg white
- Rolling Pin
- Spatula
- Dresden tool
- Celboard
- Softening pad
- 26-gauge wire
- Tan floral tape
- Tiny 5 petal cutter
- Paint brushes – medium and small sizes
- Petal dust: Autumn Gold, chocolate (I.S.A.C), Jasmine yellow, Spice Orange Flame (The Sugar Art) Baby Maize (Edible Art)
- Edible Spray Glaze PME
- Roll a ball of white gum paste into approximately 1 1/4” in diameter.
Shaile notes: If the gum paste isn’t smooth that is fine. It only adds a more realistic look.
2. Press a small ball tool into the center to hollow out.
3. Mark lines at different intervals around the pumpkin with a pallet knife.
Go over the lines made with the pallet knife with the thin end of the Dresden tool. Press firmly so they are defined.
Shaile notes: hold the pumpkin softly so it won’t become misshapen.
4. Add a couple of extra shorter lines in between the sections. Press a few random divets and poke a couple tiny holes in open areas. This adds interest to the pumpkin.
5. To make an easy stem take a short length of 26-gauge wire taping down with half-width cream floral tape. Bend a small hook. Tape around the hook several times to create a tape bud, taping down the length a couple times to add thickness to the stem.
7. Flatten the top of the wire by pressing it down firmly on the celboard. Curve the tip very slightly then push it through the center to create a place where it will be added later.
8. Dust the stem with yellow. Add the Autumn Gold on sections of the stem for a natural look.
9. Dust Jasmine Yellow over the whole pumpkin. Add Citrus Orange in several small sections, add Spice of Orange in a few other small sections, and very lightly add some red in very small sections. Brush the colors on one at a time from light to dark blending them well each time.
Shaile notes: You can always go back and add more color later.
10. Use a small thin brush to add chocolate in the divided lines of the sections, and into the tiny divets.
11. Roll out a small piece of pale yellow gum paste very thinly and cut out the tiny 5 petal flower. Work on a softening pad with a ball tool to thin the edges of the petals. Then cup the centers of each petal.
12. Add egg white in the center indentation and place the flower over it pressing it in with a celpin.
13. Brush egg white on the stem and insert into the pumpkin. Allow it to completely dry.
14. Dust the tiny flower with yellow and Autumn Gold both front and back.
Shaile notes: You can color it before attaching it.
15. Spray with edible glaze and allow it to dry.
