Fondant Butterflies with Patchwork Cutters | Effortless Cake Accent

In this tutorial: What You'll Need · Preparing the Mexican Paste · Rolling to the Right Thickness · Cutting the Butterflies · Removing the Butterflies from the Board · Reinforcing the Wings · Drying and Shaping

Patchwork Cutters by Marion Frost are known for their ability to both cut and emboss in a single press — and the butterfly set is one of the most popular in the line. The trick to getting perfect butterflies every time comes down to one thing most decorators get wrong: the paste. In this tutorial, Chef Alan Tetreault walks through the complete process of making delicate sugar butterflies using Patchwork Cutters and Mexican paste, including a clever reinforcement technique that prevents the wings from snapping during dusting and handling.

What You'll Need

• Patchwork Cutters Butterfly Set — includes large swallowtail, medium, and small butterfly cutters, plus ladybugs and bees —
• Mexican paste — the paste Marion Frost recommends for all Patchwork Cutters; rolls thin and holds its shape —
• Gel food coloring — for tinting the paste before rolling —
• Pasta machine (Atlas-style) — for rolling paste to a consistent, precise thickness —
• White cel board — smooth, non-porous work surface —
• White vegetable shortening — for greasing the board and cutters
• Water brush — for attaching reinforcement strips —
• Petal dust, luster dust, or super pearl dust — for coloring dried butterflies —
• Butterfly former or fan-folded paper — for drying butterflies in a natural wing shape —

Preparing the Mexican Paste

↪ Why Mexican Paste — Not Fondant or Gum Paste (0:43)

Chef Alan Tetreault emphasizes that Mexican paste is the only paste that works reliably with Patchwork Cutters. Marion Frost herself advocates for Mexican paste with all of her cutters, and for good reason — it can be rolled extremely thin while still holding its shape. Rolled fondant and gum paste tend to stretch and stick to the cutters, which is one of the most common complaints from customers who call Global Sugar Art for help.

↪ Knead with Shortening (1:27)

Chef Alan begins by taking a piece of Mexican paste that has been pre-colored gold with gel food coloring. He rubs a small amount of white vegetable shortening into his hands and kneads the paste until it is soft, smooth, and pliable. The shortening keeps the paste from drying out during handling.

Rolling to the Right Thickness

↪ Use a Pasta Machine for Consistency (2:25)

Getting the thickness right is critical with Patchwork Cutters because the outside edge of the butterfly cutter cuts through the paste while the interior detail only embosses. If the paste is too thick, the cutter will not cut cleanly through the edges. If it is too thin, the embossing will cut through the interior design and ruin the butterfly.

Chef Alan rolls the paste through an Atlas pasta machine, bringing it down to approximately setting 5. While this can be done by hand with a rolling pin, the pasta machine delivers a consistent result every time.

Cutting the Butterflies

↪ Grease the Board and Lay Down the Paste (2:52)

Before laying the paste on the cel board, Chef Alan wipes a thin layer of vegetable shortening across the board's surface. He then places the rolled paste on the greased board and gently rolls over it one more time so that the paste adheres firmly. The goal is for the grip between the paste and the board to be stronger than the grip between the paste and the cutter — so that when the cutter is lifted, the butterfly stays on the board.

↪ Press the Cutter Straight Down (3:31)

With a light coat of shortening on the cutter, Chef Alan places it on the paste and presses straight down — no twisting or rocking. This is different from how most other cutters are used, where a circular motion helps ensure a clean cut. With Patchwork Cutters, a single firm press both cuts the outline and embosses the interior detail simultaneously.

After pressing, the cutter lifts off cleanly, leaving the butterfly stuck to the board.

Removing the Butterflies from the Board

↪ Pull the Paste Away — Not the Butterfly (4:17)

Once all the butterflies are cut, Chef Alan trims the surrounding paste and carefully pulls it away from the edges of each butterfly. He does not grab the butterflies and pull them out — that risks stretching or tearing the delicate wings. Instead, the excess paste is peeled back, leaving the butterflies undisturbed on the board.

Reinforcing the Wings

↪ The Back-Strap Technique (4:42)

This is Chef Alan Tetreault's signature trick for preventing butterfly breakage. Dried sugar butterflies are fragile, and the center joint — where the two wings meet — is the weakest point. When decorators brush on petal dust or super pearl dust, the butterflies frequently snap at that seam.

To prevent this, Chef Alan cuts the leftover Mexican paste into a very thin strip and then slices it into small segments, each roughly half an inch long. He flips each butterfly over, dabs a tiny amount of water across the center line with a water brush, and presses one of the small paste strips across the back. This "back strap" reinforces the connection between the wings and dramatically reduces breakage.

Drying and Shaping

↪ Use a Former or Fan-Folded Paper (5:59)

There are two ways to dry the butterflies in a natural, angled wing position. Chef Alan demonstrates using a Wilton butterfly former — a V-shaped trough that holds the wings at a lifelike angle while the paste dries. For decorators who do not own a former, a simple piece of paper fan-folded accordion-style works just as well. The butterflies are laid inside the folds and left to dry.

Mexican paste dries quickly — within about two hours, the butterflies are firm, hold their shape, and are ready for finishing.

↪ Dust and Decorate (4:49)

Once dry, the butterflies can be brushed with petal dust, luster dust, or super pearl dust to add color and shimmer. Thanks to the back-strap reinforcement, they hold up well under the pressure of a dusting brush.

This tutorial is part of Global Sugar Art's library of free cake decorating videos by Chef Alan Tetreault. Browse all tutorials →