I am to make a cake and I need some help as to how to make autmn leaves for it. I have seen some very cute pictures with leaves on them. I have found that you can make them from gumpaste or fondant, but I don't even know where to start. Is there a template some where? Can someone help??

Kel

I would never have thought to use candy melts to pipe flowers! That sounds really cool, I'll have to try that!
Do you think colored almond bark would work the same as melted candy melts? Just curious.

Ruth,

I would love to look at your pictures. Can you tell me how to get to them? Thanks for your help!

Kel

I think the easiest would be to get a cookie cutter in the size you want and cut them out of fondant. If you didn't want them flat you could get a chocolate mold and do them from candy melts.

I made them using the wilton fall leaves cookie cutters that come ina set... Got it at WalMart. I rolled all the fall colored fondant together to marbelize then cut out and shaped them by setting them in crumpled up aluminum foil. Don't have the picture to post but it turned out really nice! I mixed in a little gum tex to my colored fondant before rolling... That's my fall leaf experience! Have fun!

or like I've seen the chocolatiers do on TV which I've never tried but would like to one day: go outside and get the leaves and wash them and put the melted chocolate on the leaves (pardon me, n ot awake yet, can't remember if they dipped the leaves or spread it on)- let it dry and then carefully peel the leaves off. You can get them a bit more natural looking that way. I have only ever seen them use plain dark chocolate, but I imagine you could use candy melts maybe and colour them greens and or reds and oranges and marble it a bit to look like autumn colours!

OK, mine was no where close to Nati's! Nati, could you send me the instructions for yours please! Mine looked like playdough compared to Nati's! They are so thin!

You can also dip real leaves (washed and left to dry, also do some research to make sure they aren't toxic! I know I have a list somewhere...) into melted chocolate or candy melts. Let them set then peel off the leaves. It looks really effective. I used this technique on my Thanksgiving Turkey cake in my photos - but if you view that cake, please keep in mind it was one of my first cakes.....not my favourite cake by any means!

Hi,
I did mine both ways, using (FOndant) a cookie cutter AND
using real maple leaves brushed with colored chocolate.. like here

Nati,
I would like to see some instructions on how you made the leaves. That is if you have the time! Thanks in advance.
Barbara

hi there...is there anyway that the instructions can be posted...i would really like to learn how as well...if the instructions are posted, can it be done with the candy melts as well? thanks

Another option is to buy the wafer paper leaves; brushed with a thin coat of piping gel. Earlene Moore at www.earlenescakes.com has some beautiful cakes like this. Here is mine:

I have heard of lustre dust, but never chalk for coloring cakes. Can you let me know what that is. I love the effect.

I've been experiementing with making leaves for a cake recently as well . . . . the easiest way (so far) to make beautiful leaves was to use MMF. I bought a ton of different fall leaf cookie cutters at different craft stores, but my favorites are the fall leaf set from Wilton. I color the MMF . .. roll it out . . . cut out the leaves using the cookie cutters . . . use a toothpick or sculpting tool to make the veins . . . . form them so they aren't dead flat . . . lay them out to dry. After they are dry I am painting them (to make them a richer color) with Americolor mixed with vodka or using luster dusts over them. They turn out beautiful and really don't take as much time as you would think they should. Good luck!

You could also use candy clay. Just roll it out and cut with cookie cutters. You could make a wide range of colors includin marblizing.

Thank You everyone for your wonderful advise. Nati Your cakes a very nice.

Thanks again.

Kel

Oh I forgot Nati could I get the instructions from you also. If you need to send them through email you can them to [email protected]

Thank you!

Nati,

Ok, so here is some other questions that I have. Why do you steam the leaves after you chalk them and how do you go about doing that? Do you color the gumpaste at all or leave it white and then color it with the chalk?

Thank you so much! I am so excited to try this and I love to try new things- as long as I have good directions.

Just as some of the other folks suggested I have used real leaves and was very pleased with the way it came out.

I have done a fall cake in my photo album and I used chocolate candy melts and cookie cutter shapes then placed them on my former so some of them would curve. They were also yummy to eat.

Nati,

Just curious on what kind of chalk and where do you get it from. Also, do you paint on the chalk then run it thru the steam?

Barbara

I made a wedding cake that required a "swag" of autumn leaves. I used leaves printed on rice paper. Just cut them out and steam slightly for a "natural" shape and attach to cake with a few dots of buttercream. I bought the perprinted rice paper leaves from sugarcraft.com. I didn't get a picture of the cake, but it turned out good.

Julisa