Gum-Paste Parrot Tulip Tutorial

In late spring, tulips are in full bloom, and fields are awash with gorgeous jewel tones and rich colors. It’s no surprise then that parrot tulips can serve as the centerpiece of a floral couture cake creation. These frilly flowers are incredibly easy to make as Ashley Barbey demonstrates in this step-by-step gum-paste parrot tulip tutorial for fashion-forward flowers.

Edibles:

• Gum paste
• Edible glue
• Petal dust: golden yellow, eggplant, fuchsia, plum, garnet, wine
• Clear alcohol

Equipment:

• Floral wire: 22, 24, and 28 gauge
• Rolling pin
• Groove board
• Paintbrushes
• Dresden tool
• Foam pad
• Parrot tulip petal cutter
• Parrot tulip veiner
• Ball tool
• Flower former
• Steamer
• Green floral tape

Make the Center of the Gum-Paste Parrot Tulip

1. For the pistil, roll a ball of gum paste into a teardrop shape and affix it to a 22-gauge wire with edible glue. Pinch and roll to taper off the bottom onto the wire. Using your fingers, pinch the tip into 3 sections, pinching and pulling gently to shape, then flatten the top. You can also use the back of craft tweezers to divide the stamen into 3 equal parts, then finish forming with your fingers. 
2. Dust the pistil with golden yellow petal dust and set aside. 
3. Make 6 stamens. Roll a small bead-sized ball of gum paste to make a cone shape. Attach to a 28-gauge wire with edible glue. Using the thin side of a Dresden tool, make a line from bottom to top on one side. Squeeze slightly to thin it out. Pinch the point and bend slightly forward. Let dry completely on a foam pad. 
4. Make a thick paint with eggplant petal dust and alcohol and paint the stamen. Paint heavier in some areas, lighter in others. This gives the stamen more realism. Set aside to dry completely.

Make the Petals of the Gum-Paste Parrot Tulip

1. Roll out gum paste as thinly as possible on the groove board. Cut out petals using a parrot tulip cutter. Dip 24-gauge wire into edible glue, wiping off the excess, and insert into the petal one-third of the way in.
2. Place the petal into a parrot tulip veiner and press firmly. Move the petal to the foam pad and lightly thin the edges with a ball tool. With a Dresden tool, fray and continue thinning the edges, and ruffle the petals.  
3. Curve the petal inward by taking a ball tool and running over the veining down the center of the petal, and from the sides down the center. Curl some of the edges inward to give it more realism. Place a petal in a half-sphere flower former. Make 5 more petals following the same steps. Dry overnight. 
4. Dust the center vein on both sides of the petal with the fuchsia and plum petal dusts. Lighten the top tips of the petal with the plum petal dust. Using the garnet dust, thoroughly dust both sides of the petal. Dust the tips of the petals and accentuate the petal veins with the wine petal dust. Steam the completed petals to set the color and place them on a foam pad to dry overnight. 

Assemble the Gum-Paste Parrot Tulip

1. Evenly space 6 stamens around the pistil, placing them just a little bit higher than the pistil. Tape them together using green ¼-inch floral tape. Bend the stamen out slightly from the pistil. 
2. Tape 3 of the petals around the stamen and pistil, 1 at a time, evenly spaced. Tape the petals right under the length of the pistil. Manipulate the petals so that they cup around the stamen and pistil. 
3. Tape the remaining 3 petals in between the first 3 petals, taping all the way down the stem. Lightly manipulate the petals so they fan out a bit from the first 3 petals. 

This tutorial originally appeared in the May/June 2017 of American Cake Decorating.

Ashley Barbey

Ashley Barbey is an award-winning cake designer, sugar-flower artist, and food blogger located in St. Louis, MO. Her cake tutorials can be found on Sugar Geek Show, Sugar Street Studios, and on her blog. Ashley is the food stylist, photographer, and baker behind littlevintagebaking.com, where she shares recipes, cake, cookie, sugar-flower tutorials, and lots more.