The recipe and the how-to guide to creating a 3D mermaid topper for celebration cakes
Ivory food color
10/0 liner paintbrush
White food color
Brown food color
Pink food color
Flesh tone petal dust (NY cake)
Head lady mold (Fiesta Cake – Florida)
Toothpick
Light brown Satin Ice Gumpaste
Flesh tone Satin Ice Gumpaste
Flat Modeling tool
Xacto knife
Flat paintbrush
Waterpen
Royal icing
Body
With ball of ivory colored gumpaste, shape into a sausage, at one give shape to the tail, in the top part form the torso, with the thumbs give shape to the neck, shoulder, and bust. With a toothpick make a hollow at the neck; this will secure the head to the torso. Insert a tiny piece of toothpicks into the arms section, make sure it’s not showing a lot; this will help to support the arms.
Give shape to the waist, with a modeling tool mark v line. Above the v line slightly mark with the tip # 12 to give texture. Attach the two shaped tails at the end.
Shells (top)
Make a small ball of ivory sugar paste, shape in a form of a drop, flatten with your tumbs, with a flat modeling tool, mark straight lines, make two.
Tail
Make a small ball of Ivory sugar paste, shape in a form of an almond, flatten with your thumbs, with a modeling tool mark straight lines; you will need to make two.
Face
Make a small ball of ivory sugar paste. Fill out the cavity of the molds, previously dusted with cornstarch to avoid sticking. Make pressure in the center and remove from the mold, insert a toothpick.
Painting
With a liner brush paint with white food color; let it dry.
Make a small circle with light green food color; let it dry.
Make a smallest circle with light brown food color; let it dry.
With a 10/0 liner paintbrush paint the eyelashes and eyebrows with light brown food color.
With a flat paint brush paint the cheeks with flesh tone petal dust.
For the lips
Paint with light pink food with a 10/0 liner paint brush.
Hair
You will need to use light brown gumpaste; insert it into a clay gun. And press till you get the thin hair. While the hair still pliable, enfold them into a toothpick. You will need to make in off in order to cover all the head of the mermaid.
Arms
Make a small ball of ivory colored gumpaste, give shape to the arm, at one end give shape to the wrist, give shape to the palm of the hand and flatten with your thumbs, with a xacto knife cut the fingers. Give shape to the palm of the hand with a ball tool; you will need to make two arms. Let it dry overnight giving a natural shape.
Assambly
Secure the mermaid body with a skewer; this will need to go all throughout the body.
Paint the Lowe part of the body with a mixture of clear alcohol, food color, and white luster dust; this will give a lovely effect!
While the shells still pliable attach them to bust, previously moistened with water. Paint the shell with the mixture that you used for the tail, in a different color.
If you wonder how to achieve the glossy effect, you will need to mix 1 tablespoon of clear alcohol + 1 tablespoon of corn syrup. Mix both together and with a flat paintbrush paint over the tail and the shells.
Attach the arms with stiff royal icing, you will need to hold the arms to the body for a few minutes making sure they are completely secure. You might have to add cotton underneath the arm to secure till it’s completely set.
Place the head into the neck to secure it with royal icing.
Now it’s time to attach the hair, start from the back part of the head, and finishing in the front part; you will have use a waterpen to secure the hair to the head.
M. Anthony Peña
CMSA
ICES certified master sugar artist
Gold medal winner – SCP
Sugar arts instructor
www.facebook.com/m.anthonypena
@anthony_doughboy