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Mastering modelling with sugarpaste is the key to creating professional-looking cakes. This section reveals all the tools and techniques you need to help sharpen your modelling skills.

General Equipment

There is a myriad of tools on the market for cake decorating and sugarcraft, but many of them are simply unnecessary. The following list gives my recommended essentials, and these are the items that form the basic tool kit listed in each of the projects in this book.

Large non-stick rolling pin For rolling out sugarpaste and marzipan.

Wooden spacing rods (1) For achieving an even thickness when rolling out sugarpaste – available in various thicknesses.

Two cake smoothers with handles (2) For smoothing sugarpaste when covering cakes – use two together for a professional finish.

Flower former (3) For placing delicate parts in while working on them so that they do not lose their shape.

Paint palette (4) For mixing liquid food colour or dust food colour and clear alcohol in for painting on to sugarpaste.

Quality sable paintbrushes (5) For painting on to sugarpaste and for modelling – used mainly for painting facial features and applying edible glue. The end of a paintbrush can be pushed into models to create nostrils, used to curl laces of paste around to make curly tails or hair, and used to open up flower petals.

Textured rolling pins (6) For creating decorative patterns in pieces of sugarpaste – for example, rice textured, daisy patterned and ribbed.

Pastry brush (7) For painting apricot glaze and clear spirits on to fruit cakes.

Cutting wheel (8) For making smooth cuts on long pieces of sugarpaste, for use on borders mainly. A pizza cutter can be used instead.

Plastic marzipan knife For trimming the edges of cakes and boards for a neat result.

Sugar press (9) For extruding lengths of paste to make grass, wool, fluff and hair –a standard garlic press, found in all kitchens, is very effective for this.

Plunger cutters (10) For cutting out different shapes in sugarpaste – such as daisies, hearts, stars and flowers.

Good-quality stainless steel cutters Round, square, rectangle, butterfly, heart, petal/blossom – in assorted sizes. For cutting out clean shapes for use in decorations.

Frilling tool For making frills in sugar flower paste pieces – a cocktail stick or toothpick can be used instead.

Cake cards For placing models on while working on them before transferring them to the cake.

Mini turntable (11) Useful for placing a cake on so that it can be easily turned around while working on it – not essential.

Measuring cups (12) For measuring out powders and liquids quickly and cleanly.

Flower stamens (13) For creating whiskers or antennae on sugarpaste animals and insects.

Non-stick flexi mat For placing over modelled parts to prevent them from drying out – polythene bags can be used instead.

Cake boards (14) For giving support to the finished cake – 12mm (½in) thickness is ideal.

Specific Modelling Tools

A whole book could be filled talking about these, as there are so many different varieties available. However, I use the white plastic set that has a number on each tool. I refer to the number on the tool throughout the book. They are inexpensive, light and easy to work with, and are available to buy from my website (see Suppliers, page 126).

Securing and Supporting Your Models

Sugarpaste models need to be held together in several ways. Small parts can be attached with edible glue (see page 26), but larger parts, such as heads and arms, will require additional support.

Throughout the book I use pieces of dry spaghetti for this purpose. The spaghetti is inserted into the models – into the hip, shoulder or body, for example – on to which you can attach another piece – the leg, arm or head. Leave 2cm (¾in) showing at the top to support the head, and 1cm (³⁄8in) to support arms and legs.

The pieces will still require some edible glue to bond them, but will have more support and will stay rigid. When inserting spaghetti to support heads, make sure that it is pushed into the body in a very vertical position otherwise the head will tilt backwards and become vulnerable.

I recommend using dry spaghetti because it is food and is much safer than using cocktail sticks or toothpicks, which could cause harm, particularly to children. However, I would always advise that the spaghetti is removed before eating the cake and decorations.

Sugarpaste models sometimes need to be supported with foam or cardboard while they are drying to prevent parts from flopping over or drooping down. Advice on where this may be necessary is given in the project instructions.

Basic Shapes

There are four basic shapes required for modelling. Every character in this book begins with a ball; this shape must be rolled first, regardless of whatever shape you are trying to make.

Ball

The first step is always to roll a ball. We do this to ensure that we have a perfectly smooth surface, with no cracks or creases.

For example: If you pull out the ball at the front, you can shape it into an animal’s face.

Cone

This shape is the basis for all bodies. It is made by rolling and narrowing the ball at one end, leaving it fatter at the other.

For example: The cone can be pulled out at the widest part to form the body of a bird.

Sausage

From this shape we can make arms and legs. It is simple to make by applying even pressure to the ball and continuing to roll, keeping it uniform thickness along its length.

For example: The sausage shape when turned up at the end will form a foot, or can be marked to make a paw.

Oval

This is the least used of the basic shapes, but is used to make cheeks, ears and other small parts. It is made in the same way as the sausage, by applying even pressure to the ball, but not taking it as far.

For example: Smaller oval shapes can be used for ears.

How to Give Your Characters Personality

When you start to model a character start as if you have a blank piece of paper, and, just like an artist, begin to form the basic shapes. On top of these, then add the details that will eventually become the character you have in mind.

The Head Shape

There are many different head shapes. If you think about it, this is one of the things that gives us our character. Decide what the personality of the character is going to be, and then go ahead and create it. It is the details you put on to the shape that will determine the finished character.

The heads shown on the right are made from a simple shape, and all the elements are then added to create the finished appearance.

How to construct a head

In this quick step-by-step example, I will show you how to make a baby’s head.

1 Start by rolling a basic ball shape (see page 15). Place the ball into the palm of your hand, and with the side of your little finger on the opposite hand, lightly indent the eye area by rocking it backwards and forwards (A).

2 Roll a tiny oval shape for the nose and attach to the centre of the face with edible glue (A).

3 Push the end of your paintbrush into the mouth area, pulling it down to make a simple but effective mouth (A).

4 Roll two small balls for the ears and attach to the side of the face. Push the end of your paintbrush into the balls to indent them. The ears should look rounded and low set (B).

5 Make two flattened white oval shapes for the eyes, which will look much cuter if they are large, and glue to the face above and on either side of the nose (C).

6 Add two smaller flattened oval shapes in a lighter shade of blue on top, leaving some whites of the eyes showing. On top of these, add two smaller flattened ovals in a darker shade for pupils (D).

7 Attach a tiny piece of white inside the mouth opening for some bottom teeth (D).

8 Emphasize the eyes by painting a fine line of liquid food colour in a darker shade of blue around the edge of the pale blue shape (E).

9 Dip the end of a cocktail stick into some white paste food colour or edible paint and use this to add a highlight to each eye (E).

10 Dust the cheeks with pale pink dust food colour and a dry brush. Using a No.0000 paintbrush make a fine arched eyebrow using a light brown liquid food colour, and then add some fine eyelashes (E).

11 Roll three or four thin tapered cone shapes and glue to the top of the head for the hair (E).

Tip

Use a flower former to hold the head in shape while you are working on it.

Faces

To construct any face, such as the ones shown here, use the same order as for the baby in the step-by-step example. First, form the basic shape, then add the nose, the ears, the mouth and the eyes. Finish off with the hair.

Hairstyles

Hair is a great way of adding personality to your characters. For this example I will show you how to make a simple girl’s hairstyle.

1 Fill the cup of a sugar press (or garlic press) with the desired colour of sugarpaste mixed with some white vegetable fat (shortening) and extrude the hair. Do not chop the hair off in a clump, but slide tool no.4 through a few strands, taking off a single layer at a time.

2 Apply edible glue around the head, and then starting at the back of the head, work around the sides adding thin layers of hair. If there is a parting at the back of the head, work from the parting to the side of the head, keeping in mind the direction in which you would comb the hair.

3 To make bunches, extrude the hair and cut off several strands together, forming a bunch. Attach to the side of the head and shape as desired.

4 If you want ringlets, take three strands of hair and twist them together, make three for each side of the head and arrange them together. Add a ribbon to finish by rolling a small white sausage shape.

Head and Body Shapes

As you can see from the image shown below, if a body has no neck, then the neck will be modelled with the head, and likewise, if the head has a neck, then the body will be modelled without one.

Hands and Feet

When making an arm, first roll a sausage with rounded ends. Narrow the wrist area by rolling it gently, and then narrow just above the elbow. Make a diagonal cut at the top of the arm to fit the body shape. Flatten the hand end to look like a wooden spoon.

Making Clothes

How you dress your characters is the final statement of their personality. Here I will show you how to make a pair of dungarees and a dress, both of which are very simple. With any clothing, you have to tailor it to the size of the body you are dressing, making sure the garments fit from side to side and from top to bottom.

Shoes and Hats

Accessories such as hats and shoes are great fun to make. It is these little finishing touches that add to the charm of your finished character. Now you have lots of inspiration to create your own characters with bags of personality!

Girl’s red shoe with separate sole, strap, button detail and socks – use dry spaghetti to attach directly to end of leg

Pink slipper with pretty white bow – inside hollowed out with tool no.1 for the leg to be slipped inside

Blue boot with red heart tie – the top is hollowed out just wide enough to fit the leg

Black and white sports shoe with tongue and laces – again, inside hollowed out so the leg can sit inside

Bobble hat – formed from a cone of sugarpaste hollowed out with fingers to fit the head. Decorated with bands, stripes and furry bobbles extruded through a sugar press (or garlic press)

Cap – formed from a ball of sugarpaste, slightly flattened with a finger with a peak attached. Finished with a ball on the top and a contrasting trim around the peak

Sun hat – made by mixing three or four different shades together to form a ball and flattening the top with a finger. A circle was cut out for the brim and attached to the head

Creating Animal Characters

Using the basic shapes as a starting point (see page 15), you can create a vast selection of different animals full of personality and charm. Each project gives detailed instructions for creating the featured characters, but here is a sample of some additional animals with advice on how to model them. Use these examples to practise and hone your modelling skills before you launch into the cake projects.

Mouse

Mice are well known for causing trouble and can be great characters to have on a cake. They come in many sizes and shapes, but all have shared characteristics. The shorter the nose the cuter the mouse will look; if it gets too long it will start to look more like a rat. Three basic shapes are needed: ball, cone and oval.

Hair – three long tapered cone shapes

Monkey

This cheeky money is almost the same as the mouse, but we make him with balls of different sizes. His tuft of hair at the top makes him look really cute. He can be made using eight balls and sausage shapes for the eyebrows.

Lion

The lion is, of course, the King of the jungle, but my lion has such a sweet innocent look, he couldn’t harm anyone. He is made from six balls, plus one large and one small cone shape.

Rabbit

This happy-go-lucky countryside resident is always ready for his next meal. He is full of character with his cross-eyed look and long ears. His eyes are close together and he has a distinctive goofy smile. He is made using eight cone shapes, five balls and four ovals.

Elephant

Every part of this huge animal is thick, fat and round. You could give him all sorts of expressions but this one is my favourite. The head is formed from a large cone, and then you pull out the trunk and continue to shape the face. The ears are made from oval shapes.

Crow

What a classic cartoon character this bird is. The construction of the head is very simple, using three cone shapes, two circles and four balls, plus a few feathers.

Dog

I couldn’t complete a book without including my favourite Old English sheepdog. He never fails to enchant, with a simple tussled head that makes him irresistible. He is made using a cone shape for the head, flattened at the front, and simply covered in a sunburst of tapered cone shapes.