Tips

*It helps to use a small dot of shortening on our fingertips while pushing the fondant or gumpaste into the mold.

1.  For small molds that you want to be able to cut through or eat, use only fondant.  For each pound of fondant, knead in about one cup of confectionery sugar or enough so that the fondant no longer sticks to your hands or the surface you are kneading on.  This will make molding easier and you can handle the finished product without it stretching out of shape.  This also works well on side designs, drapes and borders that you are molding with a silicone mold.  Adding a flavoring to the fondant (like orange, lemon, almond, peppermint, etc.) can be a nice surprise touch.  Especially since it is usually the children that try to eat the decorations!  Freezing the molded fondant for five minutes before removing helps keep the detail.

2. For larger figurines, flowers and borders like pearls and ropes, I recommend a mixture of 50% gumpaste and 50% fondant kneaded together.  This makes a mold that can still be cut through with a knife when you serve the cake but you may not want to eat the pieces.  Freezing the molded fondant for 5-8 minutes before removing from the mold helps with removal and keeps the detail.

3.  For large molds or molds that have undercuts, I use 100% gumpaste.  Freeze the filled mold 10 minutes before removing from mold.

4.  For very large or detailed molds, I add 1-2 teaspoons of Tylose to one pound of gumpaste and knead it well. Allow it to rest overnight in the refrigerator in a sealed bag.  The next day, break off a piece and knead it well before using it to make a mold.  It will be very firm. Freeze 10-15 minutes before removing from the mold.

Click on photos to see enlarged photo!

Next, place the mold in the freezer for 5 minutes.  This will make unmolding much easier and will help keep the details of the molded fondant.

Here is the same process repeated using First Impression Pearl Drop Mold. The mold has four different pearl drapes and provides a simple and beautiful accent to any cake.

 









This is the First Impression Sleeping Baby Mold using a 50/50 mix of gumpaste and fondant and freezing for 10 minutes before removing from the mold.  I finished this piece with Flesh Tone petal dust, a little Cosmos on the cheek and Silk White luster dust for the diaper.  The hair was done with a mixture of brown and white petal dusts brushed on very softly.  Perfect for a Christening cake or a baby shower.



Here is a beautiful mold, Baby Girl, item #20344.  I used 100% gumpaste to mold this.  Begin by kneading the paste until very pliable and smooth.  Roll into an egg shape being sure there are no cracks or "seams" in the side of the paste going into the mold.  If there is a "seam" in the paste, it will show on the finished product, especially after you add coloring or petal dust.
Push the paste into the mold very firmly using lightly greased thumbs.  You really need to press very hard to be sure all the small cavities are filled in.  Freeze the filled mold for 15 minutes before carefully removing from mold.

Click on picture to see enlargement.

 








These shells were molded using only fondant with added confectioners sugar.  I placed the filled mold in the freezer for 5 minutes then removed from the mold and dusted with petal dusts and pearl dust.

 

















All the above flowers, roses & bows were molded using only fondant with added confectioners sugar.  I placed the filled molds in the freezer for 5 minutes before unmolding.  The roses & bows were finished with luster dusts and pearl dust.  The assorted flowers were finised with a variety of petal dusts and luster dusts.  The molds used were #