By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Expert
Fall is coming and charming butterflies are still a decoration of choice
for many couples and people planning events even if they are usually
associated with summer. They are whimsical and work well with any type
of event.
1. Fondant Butterflies
Fondant can be tinted vibrant wonderful colors and can be cut into detailed butterfly shapes with cutters you can buy in kitchen stores or specialty outlets. Thicker fondant can be imprinted with a design and gel colors work very well when brushed on the edges. You can form the body of the butterfly with fondant and glue it on with edible glue or pipe it on.2. Runout Butterflies
Sometimes you just want the suggestion of a butterfly rather than a fully formed insect. This is where chocolate or royal icing can be used with a piping bag and small round tip. Pipe out your butterfly shapes on parchment paper and let them dry before placing them on your cakes. You can draw the design on the paper first and then flip it over so that you can trace the shape without piping directly on the ink or pencil.3. Gum Paste Butterflies
Gum paste is the the medium that is used when you want realistic, detailed, durable decorations like this glorious bright hued butterfly. You can still use a mold for these but cutters and gum paste tools are a great method as well. It is best to tint the butterfly sections their base color first and then use luster dust and gel colors to create the details. A very fine paint brush can be used to dot on tiny patterns or lines. You can also pipe charming royal icing antennae.4. Molded Butterflies
One of the most interesting cake decorating advances is detailed silicone molds that can be used to create butterflies, beads, shells, and many other decorations. Butterfly molds usually feature different sizes and are very simple to use. Form the butterflies with an assortment of colors and adhere them to wires so they can hover over the tiers.5. Cookie Butterflies
Thin pretty cutout wafer cookie butterflies are easy to make and look retro on your cupcakes and cakes. You can make them ahead and then pipe the body in the middle of the spread wings with a round tip in royal icing.6. Fabric Butterflies
Although it is a good idea to only have edible elements on your cake, fabric butterflies can be absolutely gorgeous if used judiciously. You should always make sure your clients know that they need to remove the butterflies, and any other inedible design elements, before cutting and eating the cake. Make sure your fabric is a natural creation and the dyes used on the pretty insects is also safe for humans. This might seem unnecessary but you never know where a decoration can touch the cake. The advantage of fabric butterflies is that they are absolutely no work and can be any color and style you want for the cake.source: about.com
