For a while now, I’ve been wanting to re-create a flower from one of my daughter’s favorite shirts–it looks like this:
And every time that she wears it, I’m reminded that I want to see that flower on the front of a cake! So, today was the day! —
I started off by rolling out a 50/50 mix of fondant and gum paste to about 1/8″ thickness….go even thinner if you can. I like thin ruffles! - After rolling, I cut the fondant into strips. I have a fondant ribbon cutter which sped things up a bit…but you can use a sharp knife too and just eyeball it.
I used about six, approx. 11 inch long strips, which were about 1/2 inch wide.
One at a time, I placed a strip on my cel pad , and using a ball tool, I applied pressure as I slid the ball along the edge of one side. This is going to naturally give a nice frilled effect as the fondant becomes thinner.
The other strips of fondant were waiting for their turn under a piece of vinyl that we bought from the fabric store. You can also keep them under a glass bowl or in an airtight container while they wait.
Now for the fun part— Decide how big of a flower you want to make, and use a paint brush to brush on some piping gel where your first strip will be placed. The first strip of fondant determines how large of a flower you are going to have.
Then, start arranging your strip. You may have to add a little more piping gel here and there. (Sugar glue or tylose glue works well too.)
Don’t press the frilly edge of the fondant into the glue–you’ll need that fluffiness for dimension.
Continue with your circular pattern, brushing the area with piping gel and then wrapping around your fondant.
It only took about 5 strips before my flower was almost full. The last little space in the center of the flower I decided to fill with a rolled piece of fondant. 
So pretty! You can use a toothpick or Q-tip to manipulate the petals however you like–
I finished it off with a tiny buttercream bead border around the top (using a tip 3) and a ribbon border around the bottom.
I couldn’t decide if I liked the flower better front and center like this… 
Or just off center like this…..
I think that I like it at both angles :0) – My favorite part about this flower is that once you have cut your fondant strips, the process goes very quickly! It’s a great way to add the elegance of a fondant/gum paste flower without the wait!
I hope that you liked this technique–& I hope you’ll consider adding a little frillyness to one of your creations very soon. Until next time, happy caking!
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Wow!! That is soooo cute!! I never would have thought to do it that way! Thanks for sharing!!!
jaw on floor….yet again!! So pretty…James just may have to like a pretty flower on his father’s day cake!! This would be so pretty on top of a cupcake too….nice Madame M…nice….
Thanks, Melanie! Trisha–that is too funny! Just what every father wants :0)
This is so beautiful… I will be trying this for sure. Perfect timing, too, as the Peonies are in bloom here and are just amazing!
too cute!!!
That is so pretty! It’s girly and frilly and I love it! Melissa you have the best ideas!
Hello Melissa,
Have you heard of Maisie Fantaisie from UK?
She made this frill flowers too. Thanks for sharing this, now I can add a little frillyness on my cakes
Cheers,
AMAZING! I keep seeing all these beautiful layered flowers on cakes and wonder how they are made, now I know! Great tutorial, can’t wait to give this a try! Is this the same technique for doing a ruffle all the way around the cake that I have seen so many pictures of too….the layered ruffles, my new favorite cake decoration. LOVE!
Love this!! It’s beautiful! It’s even prettier than the one on the shirt! Can’t wait to try it!
You will never know how glad I am to have found this school! You are a wonderfully gifted teacher. I have not worked much with fondant but I will try this. Wish I could put it on butter cream or white Ganache.
That looks great. I have to try to make that soon.
Just love where you get your creativity. I love it.
This is so beautiful!
Very nice. So beautiful. I like it! Thanks for sharing!!
THis is awesome, I always wanted to make these gorgeous flowers and now I know HOW.
Thanks for taking the time to put this tutorial together. It looks gorgeous
Amazing!!!
Melissa, how sweet is this!!! Cant wait to try it out myself!!
Beautiful! I cant wait to try it!
I absolutely LOVE this!! Will certainly be trying it out for one of my lovely cousins`birthdays!!!
Very pretty! Something very simple and so elegant! Can’t wait to try it!
I cannot wait to try this out! I am so happy that you decided to share your beautiful techniques with us and not “trademark” like some other people, how rude!! Keep on baking!! xxoo
Next week I start part 3 of the Wilton decorating course..Gum paste and fondant so I awas very impressed with what you made.. It looks very simple. I hope it is.. Lovely.
Love it! GREAT job!
Melissa – I’ve seen a tutorial for the puffy technique – I can’t remember where, but I know it’s been done. Maybe by the inventor. It’s pretty easy – time-consuming though.
I love this ruffle flower! I’m going to incorporate something like this in my July wedding cakes. I understand it’s the year of the ruffle!
I wish I had a ribbon cutter like yours. I have the Wilton one and it’s takes an engineering degree to figure the danged thing out.
Wow, its very beautiful! So simple, but stunning
That was so beautifully done. You give me inspiration. Thank.
how pretty and delicate,,love it
This would look wonderful on a cupcake – can’t wait to try it.
Adorable…definitely going to try it!!
Here is the link to the cake we made with your tutorial!!!! Thanks so much for posting this!! It has been a huge help!!
http://www.thecakeclass.com/2011/06/hot-pink-and-zebra-cake.html
I drawn so many designs that I wanted to try with this type of flower and wasn’t sure how to go about it. Thanks for sharing this! I can’t wait to try it!!
Thank you everybody! Your comments mean so much! :0) — Melanie, your cake looks awesome! I’m glad that the tutorial helped!
Thanks so much Melissa, I love it! I was just wondering does piping gel work like a glue for fondant all the time? I live far away from supplies stores and haven’t been able to buy CMC or tylose powder to use….Could I just be using clear piping gel? Also, do you know if there is a place online I could get a good foam board for shaping the flowers and frills on? Thanks so much, you are a cake genius!
That looks FANTASTIC, Melissa!!
what a great idea! I can’t wait to try out this new flower!
Splendid
Thanks! Amanda, yes, you can often use piping gel for attaching lightweight fondant or gum paste decorations to fondant. You can even rub a little water onto your fondant decorations to make them stick if they are lightweight enough. Some people use pasteurized egg whites as a glue too. I usually stick to sugar glue (combo of tylose and water), piping gel, water, or even light corn syrup..depending on what I’m working on.
I absolutely loved this idea, makes such a statement yet its simple enough. Can’t wait to try this out. I absolutely love your Cake School and have learned so many things from you Melissa, keep up the great work, you explain everything so well that its easy to try to do it myself. Thanks!
Could you create this flower and place it on a buttercream frosted cake also?
Oh, that’s lovely. I’ll have to try that. It might be fun to do that with a lot of little roses on a cake and also as one on a cupcake.
Gorgeous! So simple yet so stunning and elegant! I’m definitely going to try this.
Linda – you mentioned a puffy technique – love to see how thats done! Melissa is that something you could teach us?
Love all your work!
beautifull, and I love when you can do something without having to buy more supplies. I gotta try this one for sure.
You make some amazing cakes! I am so glad I found you on facebook. Thank you for tutorials!
would this work on buttercream?
Wow definitely trying this one
hi, i made this flower and everybody was in shockbecause it was so beautiful !!thanks so much for share your tutorials. your work is amazing.
i love it,,, thank you so much for all the great videos,
I sent you a pic of a ruffle cake that I loved,,, it was a light mint green cake,, you were going to try to figure out the technique,, i hope you do soon,,
Melissa, how would you attach this to a buttercream cake? Would you use some buttercream, or just press into the cake already frosted? I would love to use this for a birthday cake, but no one in my family likes fondant covered cakes.
this looks very ‘Vogue’ and so simple, I can’t wait to try it, thank you x
Thanks so much for this tutorial! This is the first time I’ve ever worked with gumpaste, so I was a bit nervous. I made it for my Gramma and she’s loved it! Here’s my cake:
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2119121
Thanks again!
Julie
Looks stunning and easy! Will surely try it soon.
Thanks!
I think it’s very beautiful..And the side shot is the best..Thanks for the tut it’s going to be the cake I make for my Mom’s upcoming birthday! I love roses in that style..
Love it! Thank you so much
Beautiful!
Gorgeous!! Cant wait to try this!!!
GENIALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
You have such a great blog! As a pro cake designer, I really appreciate your clarity in your posts. You give great info with easy to follow photos. Keep it up! This flower is lovely by the way….
I can’t wait to try this! I LOVE it! My sister’s birthday is this week…so it will be great for practice!!
Melissa, this is just beautiful
Can’t wait to try it.
Naheed–you’ll have to e-mail me a picture if you try it :0) Alyssa–glad that you are making it–would love to see! — Julie B– you did a GREAT job! ;0) –
Thanks so much for all of your comments!
Hi Melissa, can this flower be made ahead and
attached to a buttercream frosted cake? Thanks, vicki
Hi Vicki–Yes, it could be….the only thing to keep in mind is that if you dry the flower on a flat surface, and it is placed on a round cake, there may be some parts of the flower that are not touching the cake. I’m not sure if you would like the way this looks…unless there is very little overhang. — You can prevent this by drying your flower on a cake dummy (or other round form) that is the same size as the cake it will be placed on. Also, I would use a little melted candy melts (light colored) or stiff royal icing, or dampened pieces of fondant as a glue.
Thanks Melissa, should I build it on a fondant base to then attach or just build it by attaching the ruffles to each other without a base? I am a beginner so just not sure. Vicki
Thanks Melissa, should I build it on a fondant base to then attach or just build it by attaching the ruffles to each other without a base? I am a beginner so just not sure. Thanks again.
Hi Vicki— I think you could make it work either way. I would probably try without the base circle just to save a step …as long as each ring slightly overlaps the last, (and with the help of a little sugar glue or water) it will be sturdy when dry. However, if you just feel more comfortable using a thinly rolled circle of gum paste or fondant to attach the ribbons to, that would work too!
Wunderschön und so Einfach !!
So beautiful! I love the love these vintage ruffle flower shirts that keep popping up everywhere! So pretty transfered on the cake!
THANKYOU THANKYOU! I have been looking all over for how to make these. I just about started crying when I found this (i know, very dramatic!) But seriously, thankyou so much for showing us how : )
KM Couch–thanks so much!! ;0) So glad to hear that! Have fun experimenting!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love it!
You are welcome, Lyndi!! ;0)
thank so much i just tried this for my parents anniversary cake and think it turned out pretty good
wow it looks great . . i am definitely going to try that . .
@Cherry, so glad that you tried it! I’m sure that your parents were impressed :0) — @Ana–thanks!!!
WOW you made this look so easy it’s beautiful, i must get some more tools and give it a go
I’m so glad I just came across this! I was looking for one more cake idea for my bridal show coming up – and THIS IS IT!!! So beautiful, thank you for the tutorial!!
You have magic cake hands! I attempted this on a cake and it didnt quite turn out. I will try again soon and see if I cant perfect it!
I love this! Thank you for sharing.
Genial !!! thank you