Fantasy Flower.

Look how pretty! I had to give this flower its own post because it turned out so well and I went a little crazy taking pictures of it. Wilton calls it the fantasy flower because it's not based on a real flower. It is made in two parts which are allowed to dry and then put together with "gum glue". The stamens make it very lively but they are inedible so you have to remove this flower from a cake before serving it.

Gum Paste Flowers.

These are my first attempts at the gum paste flowers that we learned last night in course 4. I came home from class with everything in photo 1 - from top left to bottom right: 1 - carnation base, 2 - finished carnation with calyx, 3 - fondant daisy, 4 - fondant leaf, 5 - middle of fantasy flower, 6 - base of fantasy flower. Gum paste molding is really fun, fairly simple, and the outcome is gorgeous.

Fondant Roses

The fondant rose is gorgeous! We actually learned to make this last week in course 3, but I just got the chance to practice this week and get really good at it. The rose is actually made of a fondant and gum paste blend, which allows it to set up a little faster. The centers of the roses are made in advance and allowed to dry on toothpicks for 2 days (photo 1). Next, the rose is made in 3 layers - you can stop after the 1st layer for a rose bud (photo 2), after the 2nd layer for a medium sized rose (photo 3), or finish the 3rd layer for a large rose (photo 4). The rose is put together with either a vanilla extract used as an adhesive or some home-made "gum glue". These are beautiful but they definitely are time-consuming - I'm sure I'm a little slow because I'm just learning, but it took me about 15 minutes per rose.

Royal Icing Flowers

We learned a new batch of royal icing flowers on Monday night in course 3. These turned out pretty good, although not nearly as lively and dainty as the fondant and gum paste flowers that I learned to make this week in course 4. Royal icing does have its advantages though - it's definitely easier and less time-consuming than fondant/gum paste, which is a huge concern when you're covering a cake in flowers. I think the morning glory (far right) is my favorite.

Flowers from left to right: white - easter lilies, red - poinsettias, yellow - petunias, blue - morning glories