Art Deco Cupcakes Tutorial By Gaynor Clark, Truly Madly Sweetly Cupcakes

Like many cake decorators, Gaynor kind of fell into this work, although she had made some cakes for her children’s birthdays over the years. She decided to make some baby-face cupcakes for her eldest daughter’s baby shower four years ago and booked onto a beginners cupcake class. Gaynor had such fun making them, went on and practiced making more and more! Cupcakes are really her ‘thing’. She now teaches cupcake decorating on a one-to-one basis, and makes food-safe silicone moulds

Equipment Required

• Black sugarpaste

• Gum paste (or Tylo treated sugarpaste) in Black, Grey, Autumn Leaf and White

• Tylo

• Edible glue

• Cornflour

• Rolling pin

• Pastry cutters in 68mm and 78mm

• Foam drying domes

• Embossing mats by TMSC:

Ribbed/Grooves and Decadence

• Selection of Jewelled Silicone Moulds by TMSC

• Gatsby Collection Stencils by TMSC

• Rolkem Edible Dusts in Super Gold and Silver

• Lemon extract

• Trex or white vegetable fat

• Flat paintbrush, for stencilling, and smaller paintbrush, for painting

• 2mm or 3mm gold dragees

• Pastry wheel or craft knife

• Cake smoother

If you have time to allow these toppers to dry overnight, there is no need to treat the sugarpaste. For speedier drying, you can add ⅛-¼ teaspoon of Tylo/ CMC to the sugarpaste.

Step 1.

Make up your jewel embellishments using treated sugarpaste or gum paste in black, white, autumn leaf and grey. Paint them using Rolkem Super Gold and Silver edible dusts and lemon extract.

Embellished Domed Toppers

Step 2.

Roll out black sugarpaste to approximately 3mm on a cornflour dusted work board and cut a 78mm disc with a pastry cutter.

Step 3.

Lift and lay gently over a foam dome to dry. Make a second domed topper in the same way. 

Step 4.

Attach the jewelled fan and large pearl round embellishments to the top of the domes with edible glue or a tiny amount of cooled boiled water

Grooved Square Jewel Topper

Step 5.

Roll out black sugarpaste as before to the same thickness (3mm) and allow to air-dry for a couple of minutes.

Step 6.

Place the Ribbed/Groove mat pattern side down on the sugarpaste and starting from the centre of the circle (ensuring the grooves are vertical), use a rolling pin to press the mat into the sugarpaste. Roll back towards you and keep the pressure even. Alternatively, you could use a cake smoother.

Step 7.

Remove the mat and cut a disc using a 68mm pastry cutter.

Step 8.

Attach your chosen embellishment (I used the square pearl) in the centre of the disc with edible glue. Use the end of a paintbrush either side of it to make indentations where your dragees will sit. Glue the dragees in place.

Decadence Lace Topper

Step 9.

Roll out black sugarpaste to 3mm thick and allow to dry slightly. Lay the Decadence Mat pattern side down onto the sugarpaste. Using your fingers (or a cake smoother), press down evenly onto the back of the mat.

Steps 10a & b.

Peel off the mat and cut a disc using a 78mm pastry cutter. Shape the sugarpaste over a foam dome to dry. 

Step 11.

Make up a fairly thick paste using lemon extract and Rolkem Super Gold. Using a flat brush held flat against the topper, gently tap or dab onto the design and the raised parts will pick up the colour.

Pearls and Feathers Topper

Step 12.

Roll out black sugarpaste to 3mm thick and allow to dry slightly. Lay the Ribbed/Groove Mat on top, pattern side down. Press down evenly using your fingers or a cake smoother. Remove the mat and cut a disc of 68mm with a pastry cutter.

Step 13.

Glue on the three feathers and the pearl cluster embellishment and allow to dry.

Stencilled Art Deco Toppers

Step 14.

Roll out black sugarpaste to 3mm thick and lay your chosen stencil on top. Roll across with the pin, just enough so that the sugarpaste is slightly proud of the stencil. 

Using a finger, and without removing the stencil, smear across the whole topper with a very fine layer of Trex or white vegetable fat.

Step 15.

Still without removing the stencil, use a flat brush to apply some dry Rolkem Edible Dust to the raised parts by tapping or dabbing gently with the flat side of the brush. Don’t overload your brush as to eliminate stray dust settling on the wrong sections of your stencil.

Steps 16a & b.

Once all the exposed parts are covered, very slowly peel back the stencil. Cut a disc with a 68mm pastry cutter and allow to dry.

Repeat with the other two stencil designs using your choice of Gold and/or Silver Rolkem Edible Dusts.

Draped Jewelled Topper

Step 18.

Roll out black sugarpaste to approximately 2cm thick and cut with a 78mm pastry cutter. Lay this disc over a foam dome to dry as in Steps 2 and 3. Roll out black sugarpaste to approximately 2mm thick and cut an approximate 10cm square. Using a craft knife or pastry wheel, cut three or four elongated triangles from this square. 

Steps 19a & b.

Starting at one side and from the pointed end, lay the triangles on top of the domed topper as shown in the photo, overlapping very slightly. Smooth the exposed edge with your finger to soften it. Don’t worry about the overhang of sugarpaste at the edge of the dome, this can be cut off with the craft knife when it has dried a little.

Step 20.

Once you’re happy with your ‘folds’ or swags, use edible glue to add the jewel embellishment