cake decorators - help!

[PandaG]

anyone used silicone moulds for cake decorations, something like this?

I got some for Christmas which I want to use on top of buns. I've googled to see how to use them and have read different advice - ie use sugarpaste, or sugarpaste mixed with petal paste, dust the mould with icing sugar or not icing sugar but cornflour, or don't dust the mould at all dust the paste.

anyone used them and can tell me what hey found works?

TIA

Pass on the icing, but I bet you could paint them with melted chocolate and then put in the fridge til the chocolate is set and then peel of the silicone.

thanks, that sounds a good idea for choc buns. Will try that when I'm melting some choc for something else otherwise the amounts would be quite fiddly.

Anyone got any idea about icing?

I have some larger Lego-man shaped silicon molds (actually ice cube trays!) which I've used to make chocolate Lego men for the tops of cakes. I've also used melting candies (available from Hobby Craft and online) to make colourful Lego men, but they are trickier, as they set so much more quickly than chocolate does.

thanks Hollyhobbie

These flower moulds are quite small so you need to use a firm paste to get a good impression. You can use sugarpaste which has Gum Tragacanth mixed into it (500g sugarpaste to 1 teaspoon GT. Alternatively buy flower paste, knead small pieces until they are like chewing gum, then either dust the inside of the mould (and tap out the excess) with icing sugar or lightly roll the smooth ball in icing sugar. Press into the mould firmly and lightly flex the mould to release the paste.

Sugarpaste is available from supermarkets and cake decoration/sugarcraft shops. Gt only from the later.

You can also do this with some types of commercial 'chewy' fudge.

To see examples of how to use moulds and other ideas for cakes go to www.cake-craft.com

thanks very much

I've found petal paste the best, and dusting with corn flour better than icing sugar. Don't put too much icing in the mould as you will end up with ragged edges.

thanks also Molecule. I knew I'd find some personal experience here. Now need a reason to bake and decorate some buns...

We always use trex - white vegetable fat, which is tasteless and odourless to roll out sugarpaste or flower paste or modelling paste on! grease the mould very very lightly.

When we use silicone moulds we always use Modelling paste - sometimes called mexican modelling paste, this is a hard setting icing, which will be easier to take out of the mould, without distorting.

we usually knead the paste and then roll into a ball making sure there are no lines or creases, then push hard into the mould, use a flat knife (just from a knife and fork set - nothing sharp), cut of the excess paste so that it is flush with the mould, then push the moulded shape out of the mould, push the finished push gently into shape if needed and leave to dry. You can then paint or dust with edible blossom tints used dry or mixed with clear alcohol.

hope this helps!

www.cake-links.com