Gumpaste Lilies

 I like to think of myself as a gumpaste guru in training.  A few years ago I made some pretty cool orchids for a wedding cake.  I hadn't made them before and really had little experience in gumpaste, but when they turned out so beautiful it spawned my obsession with gumpaste flowers.  I plan on in the next few days running down orchids and possibly calla lilies, but for today I will focus on my newfound skills of stargazer-type lilies.

You Need:
-Gumpaste (I use the powder mix from Wilton for now)
-Food coloring (I use the paste kind)
-Gumpaste flower cutter kit (I like the big one from Wilton)
-A lot of powdered sugar




I really don't like kneading in color because I get it all over me, but I have developed my own way of minimizing this. I use a knife to put a small dab of color on the gumpaste (mix to package directions) and then I roll it in on itself into a ball. I then use a rolling pin and roll it out multiple times and fold it over and roll again, doing this until the color is mixed in enough that working on it with my hands is no longer annoying.  You need to have powdered sugar constantly at the ready because gumpaste will stick to everything if you don't keep dusting it.



Once you get the color you are looking for, roll it out fairly thin.  I don't measure it, but I usually shoot for the thickness of a quarter or so. 

Cut 6 petals out of the gumpaste with the wide lily petal cutter in the Wilton set, or the equivalent with whatever set you buy.

Use your roller again to thin out the petal.  You want it to look delicate, but not be so thin that it becomes to fragile.  I just give it a few rolls up and down the petal, and rarely go side to side.







This is a trick that I love.


Use the side of your cutter to put lines up the petal.  You want to do this after rolling it because I tried it the other way and it simply erases them. 

I shoot for about 3.  It gives the flower some variation without having to add so much color.

 The number one thing to keep in mind with gumpaste is that you need a VERY well thought out system to dry the flowers.

If you look at how the Wilton instructions tell you to do lilies they put them on florist wire and then attach them all together later.  I don't like this method because I don't want some kid to run through the reception hall, grab the flower, and choke on a wire.  SO I developed my own way to make them completely edible.

This lily is drying in one of my mom's sundae glasses.  It is deep with fluted edges, and all I did was line it with aluminum foil to adjust it to the depth I wanted and to keep the flower from sticking.

I assemble the petals (except in this picture for whatever reason) by putting the back 3 down first and then the top 3 on next in the gaps between.  Gumpaste will stick to itself if you wet it just a tad, so have a small cup or something of water on hand when you get to this stage.

You can adjust and curl the tips of your petals to make them have whatever detail you want.


If you press down along the sides of each petal with your finger after you roll them and before you attach them, you can make them take on a curled look.

This flower will need AT LEAST 24 hours to dry.  Do not touch the flower and I mean really DO NOT touch it before those 24 hours.  If it cracks you will have a very sad face.  Once it dries, it is exceptionally sturdy for its delicacy.

You can make stamens from gumpaste and attach them after everything dries, or you can use the plastic ones in store.  But again, I don't like the idea of people choking.  You also can consider making them from chocolate, which will make them the most delicious piece of the whole flower.

Gumpaste has no flavor.  It luckily makes up for it in exceptional beauty and shapeability.

After the lily is dry you can paint some pearl dust on it to give it some shine.  And by can, I mean will because seriously, sparkle is never an option.

GET ON IT!