Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi, I am going to be making a stacked cake as a fund raiser for our local Hospice, the hospice logo is a sunflower, so I am hoping to put the Hospice’s personal logo into the sunflower somehow! Any tips on how to make sunflower and what paste to use etc – I want it to look really stunning – thank you

Hi annescakes1

I use the gerbera plunge cutter to make sunflowers. I’m not good at wiring flowers so I make stick on ones and they look stunning. If you google ‘how to make gumpaste sunflowers’ you’ll see lots of images on ‘how to’ and some youtube tutorials too. I use gumpaste, it works just fine. Is the logo actually in the sunflower?

Hi madeitwithlove, Thanks again for your great advice. Not quite sure how I am going to do the logo, think I’ll scan it and then try and replicate it somehow on the cake – no idea at the moment though!!

Does the charity have a website? Wouldn’t mind having a look at the logo. If your cake had been butter cream I would have suggested frozen butter cream transfer. I did the RAF logo with Royal icing runout, bit tedious but looked ok, any good? or perhaps edible imaging? x

Hi, to make wired sunflowers I would use the gerbera cutter and cut out 2. Use a ball tool to gently curl the petals. Put some glue/water in the centre of one and place a wire in the centre then put the 2nd grrbera on top so that you can see the petals of the bottom one. Let them set. Take some brown coloured icing and pipe coloured dots in the centre of your sunflower and allow them to dry. Use a posy pick to insert (in your cake). To make sunflowers to stick on your cake, I’d repeat as just mentioned but omit the wire. Hope ths helps. Good luck. 🙂

Hi, thanks clan, I’m guessing the petals wouldn’t sit properly on top of the cake if not wired?

Hi, try the quaint cakes website for the sunflowers, they do a nice tutorial, for £3.50. http://www.quaintcakes.co.uk/tutorials/pdftutorials/

The petals will sit fine if you support with tin foil until they are completely dry

Many thanks all for help – I guess I don’t really need to put them on a wire then, I had thought of using half a small choc cupcake for the centre with choc shavings for the pollen – unless anyone has a better idea??

Hi annescakes1

I take it you would like the sunflower to sit up high? What you could do is make a small ball of fondant as a base to set the sunflower on top so that it looks raised. The centre of the flower ( the seeds) can just be make of brown fondant and textured with a pointed tool or the end of a paint brush. It would really help to have a visual of the logo if the hospice has a web site. x

Hi madeitwithlove, the hospice is Weldmar, Dorchester, Dorset – I’m thinking that I’ll make the logo out of sugarpaste and place it on the middle of the sunflower – thanks for all your help

Your idea sounds good to me. I know the hospice very well indeed although it was formerly called the Joseph Weld hospice in Herringston road Dorchester. Keep up your wonderful work. xx

Hi madeitwithlove, now I’m intrigued!! My first experience of Weldmar was when it was Joseph Weld, and I still call it that! Now I’m wondering if you are going to be at the fete and seeing the cake!!!x

When is it? I’ll try but it’s a very long way away from me. Could incorporate it with visiting family but can’t guarantee. I’d love to see the cake, I hope there will be some pics on their site. xx

Hi, it’s in a couple of weeks. I just wondered if you lived locally, but now I realise you have family nearby! Will start making it next week and let you know how I get on!!x