By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Expert
Cakes and cupcakes designed to highlight autumn using fall leaves as the
main element can be absolutely lovely and appropriate for any event
such as weddings, birthdays, showers, and corporate events. Leaves can
be made using a variety of different types of design ingredients to
achieve the look you want for your cake. From realistic looking cakes to
ones that are stylish in nature, anything is possible with a little
planning and the right tools. The best tools to start with for lovely
leaves are at a minimum a set of cutters in different leaf shapes.
Cookie Leaves
Cookies are very lovely cake decorations and can be eaten when taken off the cake. Use cutters to create different shaped leaves and bake the cookies ahead of time and freeze if necessary. Decorate the cookies with royal icing in petty colors. These fall treats can also be gorgeous wedding favors as well. Package them in clear plastic bags in pairs and tie with a fall colored ribbon.Fondant Leaves
Fondant is a wonderful medium for leaves because it is simple to work with and rolls out easily. Fondant leaves are usually not realistic looking because the sugar paste does not become as thin as an ingredient such as gum paste. These leaves are great for cakes that are more casual and look wonderful in a colorful cascade on a chocolate iced cake. You can make these leaves ahead of time in red, orange or yellow and can even add a few flaws to help the realism.Gum Paste Leaves
These fall creations are the most realistic of all the types you can make for your cakes. Gum paste can be rolled out very thin and the edges curled like real leaves. You should tint the leaves ahead the base color you want them to be, usually the colors that a real leaf would be. For example, red and orange maple leaves or yellow poplar leaves. Then you can use luster dust or gel colors to accent the leaves darker or with brown or green spots. Gum paste leaves can be made ahead of time and stored for months in a sealed container in a cool dry place.Chocolate Leaves
Chocolate, both dark and white, can be used for leaves and you can use either molds, cutters or even real leaves to create these beauties. One of the best ways to create chocolate leaves is to brush melted chocolate onto the fronts or backs of non poisonous leaves, like grape leaves, and let the chocolate firm up. Simply peel the leaves off the hardened chocolate and dust the leaves with a little coloir to highlight the veins and details. Dark chocolate cannot be colored like real fall leaves but you can tint white chocolate in red, yellow or orange.source: about.com
