I made this cake topper using a silicone mold I found on Amazon, some ready-made gum paste, and this edible gold paint. It’s about 10 minutes of actual work plus a few days of drying time, so you’ll want to plan ahead for this one. The best part about this crown cake topper is seeing the look on a kid’s face when you tell them they can eat it. Sure, it might not taste as great as the cake itself, but an edible cake topper is a hot commodity at a kid party. 

Fondant vs. Gum Paste

You might be wondering why I used gum paste instead of fondant for this. Let me start by saying I’ve had a few bad experiences with fondant cake toppers – they just don’t dry as firmly as gum paste. Fondant will work with this tutorial, but know that you might have to let it dry for a full week and even then, it might still be a little fragile. I chose gum paste because it dries super firm in a fairly short amount of time (48 hours), plus it’s extremely easy to work with. This is the gum paste I used. 

Here’s a quick video of the whole process before you read all about it below:

If you want to see more videos like this one, check out my YouTube Channel. I’ve got a growing collection of recipe videos, cake decorating tutorials, and my Cake Basics series in video format. Click subscribe while you’re there so you never miss a new video! 

You Will Need

• 3 inch ball of gum paste 
• 1-2 drops yellow food color gel
• 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening 
• Small rolling pin 
• X-Acto knife
• Paring knife 
• Silicone crown mold
• Wax paper
• Round can or tin that’s about 4 inches in diameter
• Edible Art Paint in Glamorous Gold 
• Food Grade Paint Brush

Step 1: Tint the Gum Paste

Coat your hands (even if they’re gloved) in a little bit of the vegetable shortening, then add 1-2 drops of yellow food color gel to the ball of gumpaste. Knead the food color gel into the gum paste until it’s uniform in color.

The reason I like to tint the gum paste yellow is because it will hide any imperfections in the painting process better than if you were to use white gum paste. It will look uniformly gold and not patchy in any way. 

Step 2: Fill the Crown Mold

Coat your work surface in more vegetable shortening to prevent the gum paste from sticking, then use the small rolling pin to roll out the gum paste until it’s as long and wide as the crown mold. 

When it reaches this size, place the rolled out gum paste on top of the silicone crown mold and press it into the crevices. Feel free to fold the edges of the gum paste over and press them inside to fill the crown mold until it’s just about overflowing with gum paste. 

Hold a paring knife parallel to the crown mold and carefully trim away the excess gum paste. 

Step 3: Release the Crown

Carefully bend the silicone mold to release the gum paste crown, then use an X-Acto knife to trim away any excess gum paste around all the detailed edges.

Step 4: Shape and Dry the Crown

Tape a piece of wax paper around a round can or tin that’s at least 4 inches in diameter (or whatever diameter you want the crown to end up). Wrap the gum paste crown around the wax paper and gently press it down to adhere it. 

Allow the gum paste crown to dry like this for 24 hours, after which you can slide the crown off of the wax paper lined can and allow it to dry for an additional 24 hours. The first 24 hours will dry the outside while the second will dry the inside. 

Step 5: Paint it Gold

Add several drops of the Edible Art Paint to a small dish and use the food grade paint brush to add one coat of paint onto the dry crown. This first coat will look patchy, but don’t worry – the second coat will work some magic! 

Allow the first coat of paint to dry for 30+ minutes, after which you can add the second coat. Let the crown air dry some more, until it’s dry to the touch, then top your cake with it and be amazed! 

This crown cake topper is sure to impress party goers of all ages. There are other styles of crown silicone molds on Amazon, so head there if you want to see other options and feel free to use whatever you find with this tutorial! 

Did you make this crown cake topper? I want to know how it went! Leave me a comment below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me. I love to see what you create!

The post Edible Gold Crown Cake Topper Tutorial appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I recently made another gum paste rainbow arch topper, this time for a Bluey themed cake, and realized it’s such a fun DIY that I needed to share it with you all. The main things you need are gum paste, food color gels to create your rainbow color scheme, toothpicks, and about 48 hours of dry time. Here’s a quick video of the process before you read all about it below:

PS: If you love creative cake decorating tutorials like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! 

Gum Paste Vs. Fondant

Gum paste is a pliable sugar dough that is very similar to fondant in texture and workability. The main difference is that it dries much harder than fondant. And while you’d use fondant to cover a cake and make simple decorations that guests might want to eat, you should only use gum paste for decorations like cake toppers or sugar flowers since it dries rock hard. Gum paste is technically edible, but it’s not really much fun to eat (and might chip a tooth!). 

You can get gum paste on Amazon or at your local craft store that has a cake decorating aisle. If you make a lot of custom cakes, I definitely recommend having some on hand at all times for last minute decorations. It’s so much fun to work with and so durable – a win win! 

You Will Need

• Gum paste
• Food color gels of your choice (I used AmeriColor Deep Pink, Sky Blue, Electric Purple, and Lemon Yellow)
• Rubber gloves
• 1 Tbsp vegetable shortening 
• A Cup or mug
• 1-inch circular cookie cutter or round glass 
• Small paint brush
• 1 Tbsp water
• Sharp knife
• Large spatula
• 2 toothpicks 
• Wax or parchment paper

Step 1: Color the Gum Paste

Measure the gum paste into four 1-inch balls and place the rest back in the package. You may need to knead the gum paste with a little vegetable shortening to make it pliable if it seems too firm to work with at this point. 

Put on your rubber gloves (so you don’t dye your hands!) and knead food color gel into the gum paste balls one by one to create the color palette you’re imagining. I used AmeriColor Deep Pink, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue, and Electric Purple for this color palette (one drop per ball). Be sure to store any gum paste that’s not in use underneath a cup to keep it from drying out. 

Step 2: Roll the Gum Paste

One by one, roll out each gum paste ball with your hands to make them into tube-like shapes. Each gum paste tube should be between ⅛ and ¼ inches in diameter, and about 8 inches long. 

Do this part carefully so that each colored tube for the rainbow arch is the same diameter, and store any finished tubes underneath a glass while you’re rolling the other colors out. 

Step 3: Assemble the Rainbow Arch

Place the round cookie cutter or circular glass onto your work table. This will be used as a centerpiece to build the rainbow arch around. Starting with the color that you want on the inside of the rainbow arch, wrap the middle of one of the gum paste tubes around the centerpiece to make a perfect arch, with the ends of the tube parallel to each other. I went with my Electric Purple tube for the inside color.

Dip the small paint brush into the water and paint the edges of the gum paste arch. This will act as glue for the next color. 

Wrap the next gum paste tube around the arch and gently press it around the first gum paste color to adhere it with the water. 

Repeat adding water to the edges and adding additional gum paste tubes until your rainbow arch is all together, then remove the circular centerpiece. I ended up making the inside of the arch smaller by gently reshaping it with my hands once the centerpiece was removed.

When your arch looks beautiful and even, use a sharp knife to chop off the uneven ends. 

Step 4: Add Toothpicks

Gently flip the rainbow arch over (I used a large spatula to do this) and paint a little bit of water between the arch grooves where you’ll be placing your toothpicks on both sides. Then, gently press toothpicks onto the water. 

I’ve never had any problems with the toothpicks not adhering securely with this method, but if you want to make the arch topper extra sturdy, you can use a little water to glue a thin piece of scrap gumpaste over the toothpicks. This should hold them in place very well.  

Step 5: Allow to Dry for 48 Hours 

Allow the rainbow arch topper to dry in a cool, dark place for at least 48 hours, flipping it over at the 24 hour mark so that both sides dry equally. The color of your gum paste can fade if it dries in the direct sun, which is why it’s important to keep it in a dark place like your pantry or a drawer. 

Once it’s completely dry, top your cake and be amazed! I love the rainbow arch look so much and I know it would look amazing in all sorts of colors. Perfect for a whimsical look or a modern one! 
Did you make this rainbow arch topper? I want to know how it went! Let me know in the comments below or feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram. I love to see your creativity!

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