Hi Everyone
Never really decorated anything I've baked before. But I can make buttercream, and I have a recipe here showing me how to decorate a cupcake.
BUT, it says I make the butterfly decorations from flowerpaste/gumpaste. After being rolled and cut they're left to dry overnight on a folded piece of card to make them look as if they're flapping their wings.
Would this work with royal icing?
If I were doing a butterfly out of royal, I would do each side (wing) flat on wax or parchment paper. Then after those parts dry thoroughly, put them together in a folded card like you mentioned (again with some wax or parchment under it so it won't stick) and pipe the "body" and let it dry.
I don't use royal a lot, but hope this helps.
Susan
When I use flower paste I mix it 50:50 with fondant icing. They dry hard like the flower paste but don't taste bad.
Another suggestion is candy melts or modeling chocolate. That would be the tastiest choice and very colorful. 
Here is an easy way to do them using spoons:
http://www.bakerella.com/butterfly-cupcakes-and-some-fun-news/
And here are more realistic looking ones:
http://annies-eats.com/2009/05/26/butterfly-cupcakes/
You can also use the butterfly plungers if you want something fast yet beautiful.
Most of my decorations are done using fondant only, they dry but are still edible and yummy. You can also use modelling chocolate.
HTH
Hi Everyone
Never really decorated anything I've baked before. But I can make buttercream, and I have a recipe here showing me how to decorate a cupcake.
BUT, it says I make the butterfly decorations from flowerpaste/gumpaste. After being rolled and cut they're left to dry overnight on a folded piece of card to make them look as if they're flapping their wings.
Would this work with royal icing?
Long ago, royal icing butterfly were piped onto wax paper and slide into a opened book in a "V" position to dry. Usually the book was braced opened with shortening cans or towels. Once dried (12 to 24hr period), slowly removed the wax paper and viola butterfly. This can be done with gum-paste or gum-paste/ fondant combination. I have done this and it does work rather well.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1276952/retro-wedding-cake-1989
Best wishes.
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