Anyone have an idea about making the center of a gumpaste sunflower look realistic--with little dots/holes or whatever?

I don't think piping dots in is the right look.

Am thinking of banding a bunch of toothpicks together and lightly punching.

Suggestions?

I'm planning on making the sunflowers kind of like making the daisys--only spread the petals on a larger base and add a much, much larger center. Sound right?

Hi, I haven't made the sunflowers myself, but I have this link for a tutorial. Hope this will help.

http://www.mccalls-cakes.com/sweetlines/Sun_cake.html

They also have molds available for flower centers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! This website is the greatest!

I'm getting excited about making them now. Off to call the cake supply store for molds!

This is my favorite flower center mold: http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=19046

I recently did a huge sunflower for a friends wedding and this is the way I did it.

The center is just a flattened round of brown gumpaste or fondant. And using a small curved tip scissor work your way out from the center in a circle.

It takes some time to do it this way but the result is really nice.

Check out my photos for the sunflower cake.



Good luck

I have used the Grass tip to make the centers. Just press it into the fondant

The molds are great! Even if I don't get them, I "get it" now on the centersa! I called the cake supply, and the sunflower mold was $19, so back to the drawing board for today.

Stopokegirl: You are the sculptered cake diva! Boy, am I impressed with the photos of your cakes. The beer keg defies cake gravity!

Jawalk, what a great idea! I'm going to be making a bunch of flowers, so this may be exactly what I was looking for.

Thank you all so much!

Now that that's been settled...how about a handle on the basket. Any great ideas there?

Shall I make a gumpasate or royal icing handle?

This cake is gonna be a rather large basket of sunflowers with a handle and bows at the side of each handle.

Now that that's been settled...how about a handle on the basket. Any great ideas there?

Shall I make a gumpasate or royal icing handle?

This cake is gonna be a rather large basket of sunflowers with a handle and bows at the side of each handle.

You could use either gumpaste or a gumpaste fondant mix and put it through the rope die of the clay extruder. Let it dry curved over a cake pan with toothpicks in either end to insert into the cake. That will give you a sturdy handle.

Thanks again for the great advice...I'm off to Google clay extruder!

Get the Green makin's clay extruder -- it's the best.