A new way to decorate a cake

I am not a very good cake decorator. What I mean by that is, sure I can frost a cake, but using the different tips or fondant is not one of my talents. But I hate buying cakes for birthdays, and other occasions, because they never taste very good, and well I am kind of cheap. So, since my girls have been small, I have been trying to teach myself to be better at decorating (this year especially).

I have been experimenting with fondant. It is not as hard as it might seem. There really is nothing to it, and there are many tutorials about it online. So, on to my next problem, the decorating. You either use cookie cutters to cut it or you have to buy some molds.

I started experimenting with my Cricut Expressions, and my Cuttlebug to see what I could do with that. Can I just say, tons of fun and tons of possibilities.

So here are some tips I learned for using the Cricut.

First, get a small amount of gum paste, and use a pasta machine to roll it out. Make sure you flatten it gradually or your gumpaste will lay flat. On my machine, I rolled it to a 5 and 6, but the 6 worked better.

If it starts to stick put a little bit of flour on it.

Second- Cut it so your edges are straight, and allow the gum paste to dry a bit (about 10-15 minutes worked for me).

While you are waiting, use a pastry brush to apply some shortening on your cricut cutting mat. Use your finger to apply the flattened gum paste onto your mat. Make sure it adheres well, and get all the bubbles out.

Finally, cut with your cricut like you normally would. It took a bit of practice, but it really was fun. In this shot, I didn't get adhere it well enough to the mat. Also if you are having trouble, your blade may be dirty, but it is very easy to clean. I hope all this is clear if you have questions, email me.

Or if you want to use your Cuttlebug...

Roll the gumpaste out using your pasta machine the same as you did for the cricut.

At this point you can let it dry some or go on to the next step. It is very forgiving. When you are ready, rub a bit of flour on the gumpaste, slide into a plastic bag. Then just run it through your Cuttlebug the same as you would with paper.

You can use a cookie cutter or your Cricut to cut out shapes before you texture it or you can do it after.

I love the texture it gives to your shapes. Lots of fun! If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

If your gumpaste starts to dry out too much, work in a very small amount of shortening.