Hi all you wonderful bakers. I have a question
I am baking a large cake foy my neice and I thought I would get a head start on all of the figures(3 weeks in advance). I used a 50/50 mixture of gum paste and fondant. Once all of my figures dired, they look chalky and dull. I tried to dry paint on some Pearl Dust, while it did five a slight shimmer, they still look dry and boring.
Can someone offer up some advice and tips

pass them over some steam....once dried they will be shiney

What type of figures are they? I usually make mine out of fondant with tylose added, but recently tried the Satin Ice Gumpaste and it was great. I haven't had a problem with the figures looking chalky. What are you using while making your figures? If your using too much corn starch or powder sugar, that could be your problem. They tend to make your fondant/gumpaste dry.

Thanks..I am making butterflies, bees, snails, and lady bugs.
Will the steam method keep them shiny for will they dull once more.

Steam, as already mentioned, or applying confectioners glaze works great too.

Thanks for the answers! I tried the steam method and didnt seem to help much.
How do you use the confectioners glaze and is there a good recipe?

Brush them down with a light layer of shortening. Voila!

confectioners glaze is a liquid that you brush onto the fondant. It will make your piece shiney. I use it on shoes, eyes, hardwood floor. I used it on the cake board of my penquin cake to make the blue fondant look more like ice and it really worked well for that. I buy mine, but I know there is a recipe for making it. Sorry I don't have the recipe for you, but if you do a search, it has been discussed here before.

Jean

Thanks everyone for your help

You can use the "edible varnish" recipe you can find on CC.