My Plate Cracked...need Help, Please.
Decorating By KarenOR Updated 18 May 2007 , 3:51am by lynda-bob
So, I had the bright idea to use a small plate and mold the Gumpaste on it to make a plate that will go under the bowl of noodles on Hannah's bday cake. It looked really cute, until I tried to take it off and it cracked. I put saran under, but no powdered sugar or cornstarch. I'm thinking that might solve the problem.
Or it might make more sense to a reverse cast and so that it dries on top of something instead of in something.
Here's a picture. I probably was a little impatient, but I don't think that the underneath would have dried at all if I didnt' get it off the plate.
Better to start over.
both sides of the plate will need to dry completely which is hard when it's sitting on the styrofoam. after the exposed side is dry take another styrofoam plate and put over the molded one and flip it onto the new styrofoam plate so the other side is exposed and can dry. Make sense?
Debbie
Take this with a grain of salt because I'm a gumpaste newbie. 
My Wilton instructor told me that gumpaste was brittle when dry. She suggested a mixture of gumpaste and fondant when you needed more strength. Again, I have no *real* idea what I'm talking about. But I want to be a fly on the wall at Hannah's party, so I'm offering any help I can. 
When I have done this I turn the plate over every half an hour. And then when firm enough sat it on styrofoam to finish air drying. I have done bowls and plates that way.
I made a little saucer to go under a small teacup cake out of fondant (but it was Wilton's) mixed w/ gumpaste. Did the reverse cast like you thought about. Before it was dry, I cut a square out in the middle so that when I doweled the cake it wouldn't break the plate. HTH a little 
Could you turn the plate upside down, put the fondant/gumpaste on top of it wit hsome plastic, then you would lift it off of the palte instead of out of it? Does that make sense?
I thought about that but there is a ridge around the bottom of the plate, so I don't think it would work.
Paper plates might work, but I would need pretty small ones, maybe 5-6" in diameter.
Yes, I actually use a mixture of fondant and gumpaste all the time, with more gumpaste than fondant for this, though. So I agree with your teacher
What do you think if I made a reverse mold using polymer clay baked on the plate? Then covered that with saran and did the gumpaste on that (of course, I'd use something to protect my plate from the clay).
Do you think sprinkling cornstarch would help to dry it underneath, so that not as much moisture is contained?
This is harder than I thought it would be.
I would use pastillage for the plate and dry on parchment, not plastic wrap.
I vote for cornstarch.
I just tried molding some fondant seashells in a plastic candy mold. The crisco I tried to use to keep it from sticking just made the fondant greasy.
When I tried dumping cornstarch in the mold (and I mean dumping, not a light dusting which didn't work either), the fondant just popped right out. Worked great for me.
Then when the fondant was dry, I just brushed off the excess cornstarch with a clean artists brush and painted them with gel colors.
Good luck.
I tried to do something similar for my flower pot cake. I wanted the pot to sit in a plate so I molded the terra cotta fondant on a plate. I couldn't get it off either so I put fondant around the rim of the plate. Once I put the cake on top no one knew there was an actual plate underneath!!
I am so sorry that happened. I tried to do something similar for my flower pot cake. I wanted the pot to sit in a plate so I molded the terra cotta fondant on a plate. I couldn't get it off either so I put fondant around the rim of the plate. Once I put the cake on top no one knew there was an actual plate underneath!!
Hmm, now there's an idea!
I'm going to try it with the paper plate and if not, it's fondant city!
Thanks!
Okay, so I did it two difference ways and both worked, so far anyway.
THe one that looks the best was done on a stack of small paper plates, I dumped a bunch of cornstarch on the top and then put the fondant on. I was easily able to put it off the next morning and flip it over another plate to dry.
The other one I covered the whole plate. It's bulkier but also will work if the other cracks.
Post pics when you're done, Please Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%