Hello!

I'm making an oversized cupcake (smash cake) for a 1 year olds birthday. I want to put a red cherry on the top of it with a green stem. I'm thinking gumpaste is the better option over fondant because I don't care about eating that, I just want it to be hard.

Can anyone offer advice on how to make the stem and small leaf stand up? I was considering wrapping the gumpaste around a toothpick and inserting it into the cherry to hold up the stem. Any ideas?

Also, I've had problems with gumpaste cracking when it drys so then I end up with figures that have small cracks on them. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Jen

AHi Jen. Think you would want the stem to be a little curved? Make a stem and curl it around a small fondant roller or around another circular, small diameter object. Dunno if im coming across properly lol. Use the toothpick or florist wire only at the end, so you can attach it to the cherry. Your gumpaste could be cracking because you might be using too much tylose or cmc in the fondant? Hope that helps

i would never use a toothpick or wire in a cake for a one year old--i would use marzipan for the cherry and you can make a nice stem out of any of it, modeling choco, gum paste, fondant, marzipan-

i mean that might be the first thing the kid will grab--the cute little 'handle'

so you just make the stem in advance and let it dry and it will be fine--make several in case of breakage--just roll a 'sausage' and let it dry and you can pick it up and stick it in the cherry 

you could even use royal icing for the stem and the cherry

AWhy don't you use jelly candy (not sure how else to explain it) in the uk we have jelly laces strawberry, green apple or cola which are thin laces that you can bend then leave out for a couple of days to dry perhaps you have similar I wouldn't use wire or sticks either in a child's cake. Hope it goes well for you. Btw trex or white veg fat softens crams if you rub it in gently with you finger.

 made one for my Minions cake... I just used red fondant for the cherry and made a teeny hole for the stem, then made the stem out of brown/black fondant and placed it in the hole with a dab of fondant glue once everything was dry.

I would also not use gumpaste.  Although edible,  it really isn't palatable - especially after it dries hard.  Fondant or even a 50/50 mix should work if you don't have modeling.  I like all the ideas about using other candy for the stem. Whatever you decide just keep the safety of the 1yr up front in your mind and you will be fine.

Have you tried pastillage? If you want something to stand stiff....pastillage will do the job and remain edible. I too would try not to use a cocktail stick if possible...and it would definitely look better if you could curve the stem a touch.