How to make fondant flowers

Kate de Waal from Sugar ‘n Ice offers a step-by-step guide to making fondant flowers. Kate’s classic wedding cake recipe is in the November 2012 issue of F&HE.

FLOWER PASTE
250g fondant
5ml (1 tsp) CMC
Holsum, for greasing

1 Mix the fondant and CMC together and leave to stand overnight. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in an airtight plastic container.
2 Rub a very thin layer of Holsum on the work surface. Roll out the paste thinly.
3 Cut out 5 large rose petals.
4 & 5 Curl the edges with a bone/ball tool on a petal mat.
6 – 9 Stick petals with petal glue one at a time on the cake, to form the first row of petals. Roll out some more paste and cut 5 smaller rose petals. Curl the edges and stick them on top of the first layer. Cut 5 smaller petals for the middle layer and stick them into the centre. You can support the flower petals with tissue paper to keep them in place. Remove the tissue paper when dry.
10 & 11 Roll a ball of flower paste and use petal glue to stick it in centre of flower.
12 Finish by pressing stamens into the centre ball.
13 & 14 Use a little food colouring to paint the stamens and the centre of the petals.