Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A
Sugarpaste figures
Hello,
I have been asked me make a sports themed cake (skiing and kite surfing). For this I am going to have to make the skier standing up, which so far I have avoided! I have looked through the Q & A section and various tutorials on the website but I wanted to clarify a couple of things.
1) For the model, would you use sugarpaste with some tylose (or equivalent) added?
2) I watched a YouTube video where cake pop sticks were used to reinforce the legs on a standing cake. Do you think this is necessary or would wire be sufficient?
3) Finally, how far in advance would you normally do a standing model/how long does it take to dry fully? A last minute cake that is needed for the weekend so my time as always is short.
Thanks as always.
Hello,
I have been asked me make a sports themed cake (skiing and kite surfing). For this I am going to have to make the skier standing up, which so far I have avoided! I have looked through the Q & A section and various tutorials on the website but I wanted to clarify a couple of things.
1) For the model, would you use sugarpaste with some tylose (or equivalent) added?
2) I watched a YouTube video where cake pop sticks were used to reinforce the legs on a standing cake. Do you think this is necessary or would wire be sufficient?
3) Finally, how far in advance would you normally do a standing model/how long does it take to dry fully? A last minute cake that is needed for the weekend so my time as always is short.
Thanks as always.
Hi rebekah6
Models take a long time to dry but you could get away with building your’s straight on the cake and leaving it untouched ready to go. Paul makes models directly on the cake and they seem fine. Normally I’d give them at least three weeks to set and harden. Tylose or similar can be used to strengthen sugarpaste, or if you’re in a hurry use half flower paste and half sugarpaste. Chocolate modelling paste is also another good alternative as it doesn’t require any drying time. There are lots of chocolate modelling paste recipes online, try the Shawna McGreevy recipe if you’d like to go that route. I think making models on wire armatures is the best and most reliable way to get models to keep their shape and minimise drying time. Using pop sticks is fine for smaller figures but they don’t really give the same ease and versatility of wire for limb positioning. Paul’s latest tutorial, the Canadian Moose cake and Emma Ball’s 4th Anniversary cake models are excellent guides for making models on wire armatures. Emma Ball used Carmas Massa sugarpaste and didn’t add any strengthener. I watched her do the figures last year at Cake International straight onto cake in a 40 minute demonstration. Paul used ready made chocolate modelling paste by Vera in Ireland.
Please let me know if any of this helps or if you’d like more help or information. I appreciate that you are time limited.
Thank you for this. The modelling chocolate sounds like a fab idea due to time. Shawna’s recipe states Merckens candy melts, do you always use this make when making modelling chocolate? Also it says to use corn syrup but that liquid glucose may work as a substitute.. When you use this recipe which do you use? With limited time getting the right ingredients to start with will be vital.
Thanks.
I’ve used Merckens candy melts with liquid glucose and it works well. However, if you are based in the UK and would like to use corn syrup, this is available in most Tesco supermarkets. I have a feeling Waitrose stock it as well. Merckens candy melts are available at Hobbycraft. Shawn’s recipe is like many others online, they all work pretty much the same. Once the ingredients are combined pour out onto some clingfilm and flatten down. If you keep it in a ball it takes ages to set. Leaving it to set at room temperature will give you better end product.
Follow Shawna’s instructions to the letter to save yourself any mistakes and stress.
EDIT: You can use any brand candy melts or even a hard cheap compound chocolate. The only problem with using a compound is that you may need to adjust the amount of glucose or cornsyrup. Candy melts are good because they contain edible waxes which helps reduce oils oozing out of the clay once you begin to knead it. It’s entirely up to you which you use but since you are short on time, perhaps the candy melts would be better this time around and experiment with compounds another day. 🙂
I think you are right, candy melts may be the way forward this time. If I can get it right I think it will save me a lot of time. Does the recipe easily scale up or down? I am only making one figure so I am not sure if the quantity listed make a huge amount or a small amount. Do you have any guidance as to how much it makes.
Once it is set is it ready to go or should I wait over night to then use it or once set is it good to go? I assume you store it the same as sugarpaste? And work with it in the same way?
A bag of candy melts weighs either 500g or 400g depending where you buy. If your figure is large, err on the safe side for quantity and make up a couple or one and half of batches separately. One huge batch will take forever to set. I usually make a batch, flatten it out in the cling and just leave it at room temperature for a couple of hours and it’s ready to work. If it feels very soft leave it to harden off before attempting to use it, or better still make it up the night before, that’s the quickest way!
The clay isn’t exactly the same as working with sugarpaste because it is chocolate and will melt if handled too much or too aggressively. To use, break off the amount you need from the batch and knead it gently, the heat from you hands will soften it so you’ll need to work fairly quickly. I always keep a bag of ice nearby to cool my hands on because my hands are pretty hot. Not every one experiences the same and you may not need to do this.
Once you’ve softened it to a working stage, it can be used on the armature for moulding to the shape you want. To store the clay, wrap it in cling film, pop it in a zip lock bag and store it in a cool place. I keep mine in a cake decorating storage draw along with other edibles. It can be coloured with oil based candy colours although Paul has successfully used ProGel colours from Rainbow Dust or any gel colours. I use petal dust made into a paste with melted cocoa butter. Candy melts are also available ready coloured if you prefer.
If you haven’t made or used modelling chocolate before, I would recommend making as soon as possible in order to become accustomed to making it and handling it before going ‘live’ on your client’s cake.
Thanks for this, I am going to attempt making it tonight. One last (hopefully!) question is when making a figure with modelling chocolate do you have to use an armature (wire structure) to put the modelling chocolate on to or can you go ahead and make it without, with some simple supports inside such as cocktails stick/wire. I have never made an armature before and although I realise it means you are able to make more dynamic structures, I wondered with my limited time whether I can do it that way instead. I have done a little research and have not found the answer so have come back to you, I hope that is ok.
Thanks.
Sorry, reading my post back I should have asked that, even though I have not done a wire structure before, would you recommend that using the wire structure would actually make the process easier?
Typically with the figures I have previously made, I have inserted the support once the shape has been made, for example a cocktail stick into the torso to attach the arm. My understanding with the wire structure is that you mould the material onto the wire. Have you got any tips for making sure joins are hidden? Is it just a case of smoothing out the modelling chocolate to make the line disappear? Will the heat from my hands be sufficient to melt the chocolate and thus melt the lines? I think this is the case since you mentioned you keep ice on hand to cool your hands down so they don’t melt the chocolate too easily but wanted to clarify.
Thanks again.
Using wired armatures is like anything else, it takes practice. It’s difficult to say whether or not it would be easier for you if you’ve not had any experience of making models in this way. The modelling paste shouldn’t be a problem because the seams meld away better than they would on gumpaste. However, again, if you’re unaccustomed to working with a new medium it could prove challenging to begin with. The best tutorial to watch for models made on wired armatures is with Emma Ball. Emma is using Carmas Massa and not chocolate paste but it will still be a very useful guide. See the tutorial here:
This will definitely give you a good idea as to whether you feel it is for you. As I’ve mentioned before, it would really benefit you to try experimenting with the armature and the modelling paste sooner rather than later if you intend using both for your order for the weekend and to avoid any unnecessary stress.
ps Yes you can use pop sticks or cocktail sticks in the same way as with gumpaste figures. If you’re used to using them it may be best to do that.
Thank you for the link to Emma’s demonstration, from what I have managed to watch so far, this looks just the ticket!
I tried the modelling chocolate this morning (early start). I quarterd the recipe as I wanted to have a go without wasting a lot of ingredients. The modelling chocolate turned out really crumbly! As I mixed the liquid glucose into the chocolate it firmed up really quickly, much quicker than the video suggests. I suspect this is partly due to the decreased quantities I have used. Do you have any other suggestions as to why this may be the case? I have wrapped it back up and will try it again when I get in from work just in case it is not quite ready to use yet but if I am honest I think may just have gone a little wrong. Can this be rescued or will this lot need to go in the bin?
If I cannot get the modelling chocolate to work next time, I will use fondant so all will not be lost, the chocolate just looks like a good material to use if you can get it right.
Thanks for all of your help, you are a life saver!
The crumbly modelling chocolate can be save by adding a tiny bit more gluscose but it will experimental for you. Decreasing the recipe shouldn’t really affect the outcome unless of course you did go wrong. If you’d like to try a rescue, pop what you have into a plastic bowl and heat it on the lowest temp of your microwave until it softens. This is literally a second at a time to prevent it burning. Then add a tiny amount of warmed up glucose to it. If your glucose is in a tube, drop it in a jug of warm water and bring it to the same temp as the chocolate. You mustn’t add cold syrup to warm chocolate, they ought to be more or less the same temp. Incorporate as per Shawn’s tutorial. If it doesn’t work, don’t dump it, use it to experiment with so you can get it right next time. This is my favouirte medium, I use my own recipe which one day I might share, not ready to do that yet. Anyways, good luck with which ever medium you use, and let us know how you’ve got on. Good luck! 🙂
Hello,
Thanks again. This attempt looked like cottage cheese! It stiffened up really quickly again and did not look smooth like the image on Shawna’s video so I thought I would add a little more glucose to loosen it up. I warmed this up so it and the mix were similar temperatures but I must have added too much glucose because now it is just a cottage cheese looking oily mess. I probably should have just bought some. It’s not often I cannot get the hang of things but this is not working for me. I have to get on with the actual cake else that won’t be done either. Fingers crossed with no drying time (well one day) the model will stay together using suparpaste! I will try to rescue the original batch, but as always time is against me.
I reckon your recipe would be a winner, your help and advice is so useful I am sure everyone would love your modelling chocolate recipe!
modelling chocolate recipe will come evenutally. So sorry your attempt at Shawna’s recipe failed you. Add tylose powder to your sugarpaste to help it stiffen up. Gooooood Luuuck!! 🙂