Just wanted to say thanks blwilley I had to make some chocolate shells and read this whole thread before I started. I could not find coconut oil so ended up using Costumeczar's gelatine mould recipe but used your technique of setting the shells (yes cleaned thoroughly first) on a bed of fondant in a container. It worked perfectly, one thing I did work out after a couple of tries, was to spray the shells lightly with canola spray and all the ridges popped out of the mould a lot easier. My cake was all chocolate, the shells are chocolate painted with a mixture of candy oil colours and petal dusts.
Thanks for this thread and sharing all your experimenting 
810whitechoc!!
OOOOH, your cake is terrific! Love the shells, glad to have been of some help. I get LouAna pure Coconut Oil in a rather large round can in the grocery store, only way I can find it, with all the other cooking oils. Both Walmart & Food Lion carry it. And like you, I also spray everything I am copying before pouring on the mold mix!! lol Definitely releases a lot easier that way. And thank you for taking the time to add these pictures! Someday I will get brave and try some chocolate! I have had no luck so far with ganache..., won't setup/crust for me, remains tacky??? Oh well, there is always tomorrow. :- )
Just a thought, I tried mineral oil once, in place of coconut oil, and it just beaded up, would not incorporate at all, but if you find something else that will work, please let me know. I really should have tried other oils more, just never really thought of it, because the coconut oil worked so well.
Ding, ding, ding... maybe I will try it without any oil? Yeah, that will be my next project test! Just might work.
ABiwilley, Hello I am a newbie at cake decorating and mold making and was wondering if I could ask a few questions.... First of all the update on 2/23 for the mold recipe is that the final recipe you use and does that include the clarification process that you requested from annabakescakes? I am trying to get the process down and what to use the final to practice with so I don't confuse myself with so many different recipes and methods... Secondly do you have a video on the molding process anywhere???? I see the pics but I am visual learner and I am not sure I am seeing the process in the still photos.... Please tell me if what I see is correct so far... Place object facing upward out of container pouring mold recipe in over it!!!!!!! You keep speaking of cardboard on some I not seeing the cardboard when used.,... Please if any one can help to clear my confusion I would greatly appreciated like I said just starting out and anxious to try! I love all the info in this site and I am great flu that I found it.... Thanks in advance
Hi mydc,
Sorry I did not get back to you sooner, but I just saw this, have been busy opening the pool & such. I am so glad to hear that you want to use the mold recipe. It is so very easy.
I only change it if someone gives me input that will make it a little better. So thanks for reminding me that the clarifying process needed to be added to the recipe! I will post it as soon as I get done here. lol I did not hear back about how to clarify, so looked it up on youtube. If anyone has a better explanation of 'Clarifying', please let me know.
I don't have anyone to tape me, so no videos! But it is really easy, if you mess up, just reheat it and go again.
The cardboard is used to make a thin object thick enough to get a good mold, like attaching a piece of lace to it before pouring. The top pic below shows it glued to the cardboard, then the cardboard is glued to the tray/container, & the 2nd one shows the result, plus cutting it up to make a lot of smaller complementary molds to go with the large one.
Hope this clarified it some for you. I will help any way I can.
I get all my ingredients measured out before I start, then there is no concern about the mix setting up, waiting for me to do it then. lol
The main concern that most people have, seems to be with the consistency they get when you mix the water & gelatin. It does not dissolve like you would expect, no big deal. Just mix it fast enough that all the powder is absorbed before it dries out, and, it will not be a pretty site! All lumpy & bumpy. Again, no big deal, because it will dissolve nicely when put in the microwave. My email is [email protected] if you need to reach me.
Updated Food safe 'Mold' Recipe 6-4-14'
2. Mix the water & the gelatin. Start mixing immediately & keep mixing until all the water & the gelatin is thoroughly mixed together, & all the dry powder is gone. When ready, the mix(mess) should be consistent in (lumpy-bumpy) quality. lol
3. Heat in microwave, for 20 sec. intervals & stir, until the gelatin is melted and free from lumps. Takes 2 times in my microwave.
4. Add the warmed glycerin, and glucose if using, and stir until blended.
5. Add the coconut oil, and stir until thoroughly blended.
6. Back into microwave for 15-20 seconds, if clarifying, do not stir, let it set up, and proceed with clarifying process. Let cool enough to allow bubbles to come to the top, then remove bubbles using a toothpick, skewer, spoon, etc...,& repeat as needed till all visible bubbles are gone. Can take several heatings to do this. Reheat as needed. Clarifying recommended for fine detail molds.
7. If not clarifying, It is now ready to use, & should be used immediately. Will start to set quickly! I use a small silicone spoon, or wooden skewer, to first stir, then scrape, the mixture out of the bowl. Peels of the silicone easily after it cools.
8. Cooling the new mold can be accelerated by placing in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. To remove, place finger near edge, pull toward center to detach from side, & lift out. Store the molds in a baggy, or other container, in the fridge, to extend the life of, and retain the flexibility of, the molds. Simply remelt in the microwave, in 20 sec. intervals as above, to reuse for pouring new molds. Cleanup is easy. Leave skewer in bowl, let cool, then pull stick up & out, twisting as needed, & all of the leftover mix will come out attached to the stick. Bag it, or return it to bowl with lid till next time, that's what I do. Skewer can be rinsed off & reused also. Just peel it off the silicone spoon.
Tips:
1. The life expectancy of a mold is yet unknown, it is too early to tell. It is going into the 9th month and counting at this time. With no visible signs of any deterioration, or molding(as in green & black stuff-lol),... as might be expected, since this recipe is totally made from edible products.
2. Just a reminder: Water will dissolve these, so don't plan on rinsing them off, and heat will melt them. Don't expect anything that looks as detailed as SugarVeil, they are not firm enough. I have not tried SugarVeil in them, don't have any. I've also noticed that they get a little firmer each time they are melted in the microwave, because it dries them out a little more each time, but they are still very flexible & usable, just not as soft, which is good for some applications, like leaves. I have added more warm glycerin, or warm water, when reheating the mix for reuse, & it seemed to help restore the consistency. If you find a different solution, please let me know.
Updates, & any further changes, will be posted as needed. Questions &/or comments welcome. This is an ongoing process, & learning experience, that just happens to also be fun! My little grandkids love making things with it (with my help, of course).
Know that God is shining down on your day... {:o)
AThank you very much biwilley I understand everyone is busy preparing for the summer I am actually away from home myself.... I will be sure to give this process a try and thank you for providing your email and info in the case that I need some help.... Waiting for my first Grand to be born :) so I do not have a return date yet but as soon as I get back I will contact you if I need assistance and I will post my results THANKS AGAIN
Hi mydc,
I just realized that I did not answer all of your questions...
For this one:
'Please tell me if what I see is correct so far... Place object facing upward out of container pouring mold recipe in over it!!!!!!!'
That is correct! Be sure to spray, or wipe, the object & container with oil first, so the mold will release easier from the container, and object, once set.
And as for clarifying, all I do is heat it up for 20 seconds, DO NOT STIR, and the bubbles will rise to the top, then just let it cool enough to form a skim of bubbles, then gently remove them. Sometimes I only have to do this one time. But when doing gems, I may need a second heating/cooling cycle to get ALL the bubbles out. Hope this helps.
There are several more ways to use this mold mix to make molds. Will get back to you with them.
AI made 2 batches yesterday. The first one, I did according to the recipe, except for it only having 1 1/2 oz of gelatin because it was so thick already, I didn't think it could right! Haha I do recommend measuring it all out first, then adding it to the water all at once, since it is much easier to stir this way.
The mold was pretty floppy, so I actually added the last 1/2 oz and a little more gelatin in, by using about 2 tsp of water and quickly stirring, the microwaving and stirring, then adding it to the warm mixture.
To clarify, Each time I microwaved it, I let it set about 15 minutes, without stirring, then peeled the top bubbly white layer off. I did this 4 times, and the first mold was clear and without so many holes on it. I did not stir it at all while clarifying, since the microwaving and setting brings the marshmallowy layer to the top.
I had a rather large mold to make, and didn't want it too thin, so I made a made a mold by pouring the mixture on it, then peeling it up, mounting it to a piece of oiled foam core board, and then placed that into a container and poured over it, to make the back smooth and thicker.
I did have a hard time pouring it and getting it smooth, because the first time I tried it that way, the mixture was too hot, and I melted the mold layer in a few spots, haha. But I had to do it that way because the piece I was molding was round, it was the side of an elaborate cake separator. It had to way to have it sit flat.
I made a second batch, using 1/4 cup of ]glycerine and 2 more tablespoons of gelatin, and it made it a lot firmer, but almost impossible to pour. I did not clarify this batch, and it had lots of bubbles in it, and it wasn't clear, like the first batch. I poured it over the first, and had to quickly use a spatula to move it around. It was a lot firmer, i was pleased! [IMG]http://cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3191847/width/200/height/400[/IMG].
Did I send this? It was just sitting here in my phone. I have about 16 windows open, but I haven't been here in months.
Hi Annabakescakes, you did send me this, quite a while back, and I was so glad that you were able to get it to work. Then a little while later, I found a cake with the same design on it, and showed it to you. This you might remember. And thanks for sending it this time, just in case!! That was so thoughtful!
Hi MYDC
On 6-29, I told you 'There are several more ways to use this mold mix to make molds. Will get back to you with them.' Then I forgot to do it. Sorry about that, and you will find them listed here, 7 ways, with 7 different techniques, to use my mold mix.
http://www.cakecentral.com/b/tutorial/homemade-mold-princess-3d-cake-topper
I think I will post them, in case anyone else can use this info.
’7′ different ways to use this mold mix, using 7 different techniques
To begin: here are the materials I work with to do these molds, plus the plastic bowl. I use a clear RubberMaid one with a lid, so I can just close it up, then remelt it next time if I want. Or just pull the leftovers out of the bowl, all in one piece, once it cools, & throw them back in, to store for later use. A little neater this way.
I put reg. leftover gumpaste in the bottom of the glass, to size the glass to the doll, less wasted space this way. Left about 1/2″ between the paste & the top of the (upside down) head. Since the glass narrowed a wee little bit at the top, I had a hard time getting the doll out of the mold, so I could get the mold out of the glass! If it had been larger at the top, I could have pulled doll, in mold, out easily. I let it set up good overnight in the fridge, then I just twisted on the doll as I pulled it out. Then the empty mold itself came out easily. Be sure to put your doll’s torso in as straight as possible to center it in the mold mix.
I made a cut up the BACK of the mold, so any seam, in the finished fondant/gumpaste/chocolate doll, would not be an issue. This will allow easy removal of the finished product.
One doll topper is finished, and another one is in the mold. The excess is left on the bottom to form the top of a skirt, any shape you need, once the ‘doll’ is removed from the mold. Fill the mold fully, to fill all the little nock & crannies. Squeeze just enough to close the slit in the back, forcing excess material back into the mold, or remove it as needed. Then remove from mold to dry. It will not dry well in the mold. I did not spray, or powder, before putting the fondant into the mold, and they came out well, but will try them next time, just to see what works best. As you can see, the doll ‘s head got a little too close to the edge while in the mold, but it has not been an issue, still holds the full pattern of the hair when removed. Just keep your doll straighter! lol
I was able to get pretty good definition on this one, from the mold. Now, if I could only paint…
You can move the head around while still soft, for desired effect, one is looking up, the other down. We also have 2 different skirt top shapes. And 1 is holding a scarf effect, the other is not! Both from the same mold, play with it! Now you can have a totally edible Princess, or Barbie, cake. Just put one of these on top, instead of a real doll, and it looks just as good! (Assuming you can paint! lol)) Push a few strands of nice thick spaghetti part way up from the bottom, and stick the rest into the cake, before adding the icing skirt. For a first attempt, I was quite pleased with them. Clarifying the mix before pouring will probably come in handy here, for an even smoother finish.
2-2-14′ Molds using flat objects: Perfect for lace, buttons, gems, certain toys, purses, etc…, any thing flat on one side.
Making a delicate lace applique mold. This is thinner, & more delicate, than the other one using this piece of applique from 1-26-14.Here are the ‘left & tight sides only’ of the original lace applique, shown in the 1-26-14′ picture below. The roasting pan was the only one I had large enough to hold both of them. I stuck them to the bottom of the pan with corn syrup, just to see if it would work, and it did. And washed out so much easier. I forgot to spray them, will do it next time though. The corn syrup was sticky on the mold, had to wipe it off with paper towels! lol I used no cardboard to build them out this time, and as you can see, they were thick enough to give good detail this way. I put the lace back in the pan for the pic.
For this lace: Can be applied by hand, adding small portions & pressing them in, as I did here, or roll out a thin piece, lay it over, and press it in well, then trim off excess paste.
1-26-14′ Mols for built-up flat objects: For a thicker effect in your finished product.
I finally had a chance to use the nice big piece of lace applique that I bought online. I cut one, of the two that I have, into 4 major pieces, and will be working with the bottom section today.
This is a full size turntable like you would use on a pantry shelf for cans & such. I used cardboard strips, taped down with scotch tape, to contain the mold mix so the mold would not be larger than was necessary. And , as you can see, it filled the whole thing! You can see the cardboard stuck to the turntable, with the piece of lace/applique stuck to it. I sprayed it all with oil, turntable included. Then the mix was poured thinly over it all. Allowed to dry for 20 minutes in the fridge, and out it came.
AND, we have very good detail as a result! This thing turned out to be 6″ wide & 9″ high! You can see my hand spread out behind it.
I cut the applique/lace itself into smaller pieces, made molds, then fondant pieces, to be used to adorn a cake. This will be something I might be able to use. lol
But this is a pretty piece of lace applique! I am very pleased with how it turned out. It has been treated with pearl luster dust to bring out the detail a little better. So to answer an earlier question…yes, this mold recipe can be used to make a form for lace. I did not use cornstarch or spray on the mold, I just pressed the gumpaste, had no fondant available just now, into the mold, removing the excess around the edges for better definition, let it set about 5 minutes, then placed it gumpaste side down & removed the mold by peeling it up & back.
1-10-14′ Making a mold from a non-flat object: Perfect for pins & broaches. For any object that is not flat on the back. Or if you want to hide part, and show part of any object, like half of an apple, dolphin half out of the water, or the top half of the head of a rabbit peaking out of a hole. Use your imagination here!
I filled the bottom center of the broach itself with gumpaste, so the mold mix would not get too deep into it. Then I filled the bottom of the container, on the right, with gumpaste to push the broach protrusions down into, that gave it a flat surface to pour the mix on. As you can see, this worked fine, the bottom of the broach did not get any mold mix under it. I just love these disposable food containers, this one came with gravy in it from KFC. The sq. one had potato salad from the grocery store. lol But I do use them over & over again.
This broach above had a lot of definition that was picked up by the mold quite nicely, well defined.
Here are 2 gumpaste/fondant broaches with pearl dust, & silver luster dust in alcohol, on them(…in the back/top). When I poured this second mold, at the bottom, I sprayed the pin, gumpaste, & container lightly first. You can see a difference in the appearance of the 2 molds. I believe the detail is a little better also, so this is something to keep in mind. I filled them both in layers so I could push the gumpaste into the crevices defining the underside of the top petals, then another layer to finish off the bottom layer of petals/pearls. I let them set for a few minutes only before releasing carefully from the mold. Next time I will let them harden some to see if they will keep definition better, without breaking when being removed from the mold. Go back & clean up between the bottom petals as needed. I also used the original recipe, with the glucose/corn syrup this time.
I found a fairly decent piece of ribbon type applique, it has a nice depth & design. This piece is 6 1/2 inches long without stretching or distorting it any, showing 3 complete & equal sections of the design. Three 6 1/2″ sections fitted together. It worked! This would look nice on a cake. I stuck this lace to a cardboard backing to give it more depth, & thickness, before pouring on the mold mix. 12-3-13′ Molds using suspended objects: Can’t let go, or it will sink to the bottom.
I decided to try pouring the mold first, then setting the object on it to see if it would work. I am the impatient type, so to speed things up, I poured ice water in a bowl. Melted some of the leftover mold material, & poured it into a small plastic container, which I set in the ice water to help it to setup faster. I immediately pushed the bauble to be molded onto the top of the mixture, as far in as I wanted, then held it there for about 5 minutes so It wouldn’t sink in further, then put it in the fridge to finish cooling.
20 minutes later, it came out of the fridge, and out of the plastic container with ease, once I broke the suction around the edges.
I pulled the mold away from the edges of the beads, instead of just trying to pull them out of the mold. It released easily that way. Then the gumpaste went in.
Here you have the end result. This was using the mold material that has been re-melted for the third time. Still feels very flexible, like the original. Hope this helped to answer a few more questions.
Happy playtime in the kitchen everyone!
Wow this looks amazing, how long do the mould last to be reused or can they only be use a couple of times? Thanks for sharing I will be trying this very soon.
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Hi Roxylee123, I have some of my original molds, from 10-31-13', still in use. I have also melted down for reuse the ones I did not need to keep. I kept several of the original ones for this very purpose, to see if & when they would start to deteriorate. So far, they are doing well. I used to leave them out all the time. Then I started bagging them, and now I am keeping them bagged & in the fridge. I do have 2 that I have left out the entire time. They are still quite flexible, and feel like silicone ones, just not as soft, or shiny, as they used to be. They are not silicone, so heat will melt them, good for reuse, and water will dissolve them, not good at all. lol
The same goes for the 'GummyGel' recipe, it looks, feels, and tastes terrific. They also tend to last a very long time. I still have some of the original ones, that the kids missed, when they were eating them. And they are from March of this year, and so are 9 months old. They are still very flexible also, do not dry out, and they HAVE been left out on the table this entire time, no fridge used. That recipe is here: http://www.cakecentral.com/t/769021/homemade-gel-for-decorating-cakes-recipe/45#post_7568340 The same ingredients are used for both, just in varying amounts, so they are both edible, and food safe, but the mold mix is not tasty at all! Guess you could add flavoring in place of some of the water, and even coloring, just to make them smell & look better! lol
I have several sites that I use, so if you need to contact me, here is my email: [email protected].
I have several sites that I use & only check them every few weeks, busy with the grands, lol , so if anyone needs to contact me, here is my email: [email protected].
Thanks for getting back to me and for sharing your recipe can't wait until I get a chance to try it.
Hi! i was doing the same as you, and trying to find a food safe mold for some of the things i am doing. i could not find anything until i found this. my question to you (any of you lol) is this, would it be easier and more professional looking to add something to the mixture and make it a dough/putty rather than a liquid? i do believe it would give slightly more working time, and could possibly speed setting time if left to air dry. my thought was to add either some All Purpose Flower, or Cornstarch. so, in the words of Aragorn from Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King: "What Say You?!?"
Morning UPWCustomBelts ! Try it, & let me know please.
Another person suggested using Crisco, instead of the coconut oil, so I tried it. The consistency of the mix was a lot thinner acting than what I was used to, did not act like it would dry/set up, so I put it aside. Came back several times to stir it, and it was still not solidifying. Left it overnight, and, VOILA!, it had finally set up, and looked & acted like the original recipe. I would not recommend it, unless you had plenty of time on your hands, and could not find coconut oil,but it does work, eventually! I did not try it in the fridge, which probably would have sped up the curing process quite a bit, which works so with the original recipe. Mine sets up very quickly, which I much prefer, even without the fridge.
Good day, Can the mold be cut up and melted again to be reused?
Thank you
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