How do you make those number/letter cake toppers? Kinda of like the one in the photo below...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tc27jkw/3169018544/

I got an order for a 2 tier fondant cake with zebra stripes & she wants her initial "C" on the top of the cake. It is due Friday & this will be my first fondant cake... kinda nervous!

1. What do I make it out of? Gum paste? & let it dry overnight?

2. How do you get it to stand up like that? Do you use wire or some sort of wooden stick?

3. Also, any tips (or links to tutorials & videos) on making the zebra stripes would be greatly appreciated!

Easy to do! Mix gumpaste and fondant, or fondant with gumtex, tylose, etc. Color it, and roll out a snake the diameter you want the letter to be. Then shape it to the desired shape. After I shape it, I use toothpicks inserted into the bottom of the letter or number and lay it on foam to dry. Laying it on foam will allow it to stay round. One it's dry, you can use a little melted chocolate or royal icing, or even some buttercream on the bottom of the letter/number and place it on the cake. Viola! It's so easy. I've done several of them, you can see them in my photos.

Good luck

Thanks so much! That doesn't sound hard at all. I checked out your cakes, you do great work!

How tall do you think I should make the "C"? I'd like to make an 8" cake with a 6" on top, both cakes white with zebra print & she wants a turquoise C & border.

Also, do you use gum glue adhesive, water, or something like that to "glue" the tooth picks into the gum paste? Or will it be fine just like that?

I would also like to know if any sort of glue is used. Also, isn't the finished product heavy? I'm afraid it would topple over and tear the cake.

To the OP, how did the cake turn out? It sounds like a fun cake!

It was a very fun cake! I ended up using the gum glue adhesive to attach the tooth picks into the initial. It was not too heavy for the cake, it stood up & did not fall over.

Here's how it turned out! (this was my first fondant cake)...


I was so worried the topper would break because I had trouble with it drying out, but luckily it came out okay.

Looks great! For next time, I like to insert the toothpick at an angle (those curved letters are so tricky!) so that it doesn't show

Throw a rose, or flower or fondant decoration over the toothpick if all else fails