I posted on here a few days ago that I had ordered a 5 and an 0 edible sugar cake decoration.

They arrived today and they are rock solid as I expected. I order a number cutter set but they were too small, thats the reason I bought online.

I know the seller used Renshaw amethyst purple sugarpaste and whatever else to help it set rock hard. I bought some c1000 tylo powder with the intention of doing it myself. I've ended up so far doing butterflies and some shoes and handbag but mine are still softish. I tried putting my finger nail into the back of the 5 i bought and its like a rock. I know the 50 was made on Friday so it has had like 4 days to dry but even after a week, mine is no where near as hard!

Why isn't mine getting as hard? I used 1/2 tsp of c1000 tylo powder in 250g sugarpaste.. Should I try something different than tylo powder? HELP please! x

I use 2 teaspoons tylose on 250g of paste, so yours might be too weak. they should be rock hard within 2 days or so. Also the weather might play a huge factor in your drying process. If its humid, I place the items in a box (not air tight) with some silica crystals. I use the packets that you always get in with medicine.

Try using ready made flower paste i.e. Squires Kitchen for the numbers - as it dries in real quick time! Another option would be to add half teaspoon Sugarflair Gum Tragacanth  250grms to sugarpaste. Mix in well and leave to rest for at least a few hours before use, and knead it again before rolling. Hope this helps!

I don't want to use ready made flower paste cause I've got a colour theme to stick to now and I already have the sugarpaste. The numbers are sorted.

I've put some flowers I already made in the over with fan and light on and left some others out on work top with a fan on. I asked the seller I bought the numbers from how they get it to dry rock solid and they said they have a drying machine? All they sell is edible sugar cake decorations so they obviously need something to dry them quickly so they can ship them out. 

I live in the UK, recently we have had a hot spell but the weather is usually crap, I live on the top floor in a block of flats and its always really hot, so I'm wondering if my kitchen is too hot for them to dry properly. 

Do you think it would be better to have them in a really cool place? My mums kitchen is in the basement, its always quite cool in there, Would they dry better there? This is such a pain in the ass! I just want them to dry hard LOL

Thanks for all your help! x

I've just got out the bit of fondant & tylo mix i had left, there was about 60g, added 1/4tsp of tylo to it, kneaded it etc, it felt much more pliable and when i rolled it out, it didn't stick to the work surface, no need for icing sugar. Made a few more bits with it and now leaving it to dry. Something felt more right about putting more tylo powder in. Thanks for that CakeChick123

You can always add extra tylose, like you did. 

You can also set them under a goose neck lamp for ages--they'll dry--or if in a gas oven with a constant pilot light or in an electric oven set on the lowest setting.

The seller is using a food dehydrator and those can be very cheap or very expensive, but useful if this is an ongoing issue for future projects.

AOoh thats interesting. Thanks. Would this work? http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DRGC08Y/?tag=cakecentral-20+dehydrator