How to Make a Number Cake Topper

Hello fellow cake makers I have missed you!  I know you have been very busy with the holiday season (and not to mention cake making;)) as have I!  Hence, the lack of the latest blog posts (*sorry*).  But here we meet again and today I have a tutorial on how to make a fun number topper!

It is popular for customers to want number toppers on their special party cakes.  And I *LOVE* the look of playing with two different colors to make these numbers really pop and stand out.  Our Jimmy Buffet cake really came together with this super fun #40 topper! (photo credit to Milou & Olin)

The biggest 'issue' with these number toppers is the creating the appropriate support structure.  By adding support wires you don't want to compromise its integrity (aka--make it look bad).  Which is exactly why I like to 'sandwich' the numbers between two fondant layers.  But since we don't want it to LOOK like we sandwiched the layers, here is just what to do;)....

Number Cake Topper

Key Materials:

* Number template-  Print out your own or get ours here (instant download). 

* Homemade fondant- Make your own (lots of recipes online!) or find ours on Etsy or Amazon

* Gum Tragacanth or Tylose powder

* White sugar floral wires

* Water or sugar glue (made with equal parts of tylose and sugar mixed into about 10-20x HOT water... 1. Stir--don't worry it will clump  2. Let it sit for about 15-30min  3. Store in fridge a couple of weeks).  But water does just fine:)

Steps:

Step 1.  Mix your chosen colors with a good dose of your gum tragacanth or tylose powder.
 (approximately 1 tsp per 5 ounces or such)

Step 2. Roll out your fondant with you fondant hand roller or pasta roller (work down to a no. 1 setting).  Let sit/firm/dry for 5-20 min or so.

Step 3.  Meanwhile print and cut out your number template.

Step 4.  Place the template a top your fondant and cut with a small sharp knife.  For the 'backing' cut out slightly outside the actual template in order to get what will be the number bordering effect

Step 5.  Gently push your floral wires into the backing layer of fondant.  Use your fondant smoother to make your wires flush with this layer.  This backing layer should deform somewhat due to the pushing in of the wires--cut these areas with the small knife to reshape the number appropriately.

Step 6.  Remove the wires leaving only their indentation.  Let them dry preferably for 48 hours.  One side one day, and the opposite side the next.

Step 7.  When dry brush the backing layer with water or sugar glue.  Place floral wires a top the backing.  Re-dab water atop the wires.  Place the top fondant layer and center it within the backing piece.. thereby 'sandwiching' the wires (but they are also sitting in their grooves so they should not be very visible:)).  Let dry preferably for 8 hours or so. 

Step 8.  Place on the cake! (make sure your wires are of appropriate size!)

Happy Caking!

Christie