Hi everyone,

I'm planning a Harry Potter cake for my son's birthday. What would you recommend I use to make the Hogwarts coat of arms? I'm planning on handpainting it. I'm looking for advice of matericals to mould the crest itself and for painting it. I'm from the UK if that helps :-)

It will stand off from the cake so will need to be solid. This photo is the closest I can get to how it will be used:

I'd really appriciate your help. Many thanks!

You can use gum paste or fondant, or a mixture of both. Gum paste dries faster, but I always use fondant just because I usually have it on hand or can make a quick batch. I would roll out a thin sheet of fondant, cut a pattern of the crest out of paper, place that on top and cut around it with a sharp knife. Then I would place the fondant cutout onto something round that mimics the roundness of the cake it will be placed on. (something like an oatmeal container). That way, once it's dry, it will fit easily onto the round cake. If you decide to use straight fondant, it can take a few days up to a week to dry, so take that into consideration when you're planning.

AThank you for your reply! That's very helpful :)