Have you ever wanted to make your dessert look so hot it’s on fire? Don’t worry, now you can with an edible flame 🔥
If like me you actually would in all seriousness like that, then I have found a way to add a flame to your candle shaped cake or even just a cupcake. I don’t know why you need it, but here is a gluten free, vegan, 3D flame, that won’t burn your mouth.
I used a basic fondant leaf cutter for my flames. They often come in a set of 3, I chose the smallest, but you can decide for yourself how big you need your flames. The cutters should look something like this..
You will need:
- Small food paintbrush
- Food paint palette or clean takeaway lid
- Cocktail stick (optional)
- Fondant rolling pin
- Basic fondant leaf cutter
- Small ball tool (metal is way better than plastic)
Ingredients
- White flower modelling paste (check it’s vegan)
- Black gel food colour
- Yellow/orange gel food colour
- Gluten free spaghetti
Step 1
Break a piece of uncooked spaghetti into small pieces about 2-3cm in length, these will be the wicks of your candles. If you don’t want a wick keep these for the functional purpose of making the flame stand up, but skip the rest of this step. To make the wicks, paint the spaghetti pieces with black gel food colour using a food paint brush, that you dip in gin or vodka. Set aside to dry.
If you don’t have a specific paint tray for mixing food colours, you can use a clean take away lid. Needless to say use a clean food paintbrush, not one previously used with real paint.
Step 2
Add yellow/orange gel food colouring to a small chunk of modelling paste with a cocktail stick (or the tip of a knife will do) and work in your hands until it is pliable.
Be careful to find modelling paste without egg if you’re making it vegan, I used Renshaw Flower & Modelling Paste.
Step 3
Make small balls of modelling paste just under a centimetre in diameter, with a slight tear drop shape. This is your base, which adds weight to the flame, make as many of these as you want flames.
Step 4
Roll out the modelling paste as thin as you can, then using a leaf cutter cut out 2 leaves per flame. Don’t press too hard as you don’t want the vines to transfer deeply. Cover any pieces of modelling paste you’re not about to use straight away so they don’t dry out.
Step 5
To thin the edges, first dust your palm with corn starch and place the leaf in the center of your palm. Run the ball tool gently along the edges, slightly overhanging on to your palm. At any point where you want more curl on the leaf, make tiny circular movements. I know, strangely therapeutic.
Step 6
Wrap a leaf around one side of the tear drop you made earlier, with the tear tip facing the same direction as the tip of the leaf. Wrap the second leaf around the other side overlapping the first leaf and arrange the shape you want for the tips. You may need to get the edges near the base very slightly damp to stick.
Step 7
Stick the spaghetti into the bottom of the flame and snap to the length you want. Let this dry lying down before you put it spaghetti first into the top of your edible candles or cupcakes or whatever food you like.
If you want an idea to use these fabulous flames with, check out my mirror glaze candles.
Thanks for reading 😊
The Bakery At Home 