Creating A Butterfly Wedding Cake: A Step-By-Step Guide

Butterflies are a beloved insect, often used to symbolise new beginnings, hope, transformation, and eternal love. So, it's no surprise that they are a popular choice for wedding cakes. There are many ways to decorate a butterfly wedding cake, from using wafer paper, gum paste, and other edible products to create chic butterfly designs, to baking a cake in the shape of a butterfly.

One popular method is to use wafer-paper butterflies, which can be printed with edible ink to match the colour scheme of the wedding. These butterflies can be placed on a cake draped in flowers, adding a delicate and natural accent to the dessert. Another option is to use gum paste to create butterflies and flowers in advance, which can then be attached to a fondant-covered cake using fondant glue. This gives the cake a more three-dimensional look.

For those who want to bake a cake in the shape of a butterfly, there are a few simple steps to follow. First, bake a round cake and allow it to cool. Then, cut the cake in half to create two semicircles, which will form the butterfly's wings. Place the two wings side by side on a serving platter or cake board, with the curved edges facing each other. Finally, decorate the cake with icing, candies, and other edible decorations.

Using wafer paper, gum paste, and other edible products

Wafer paper, gum paste, and other edible products can be used to create chic butterfly designs that add shape and texture to a wedding cake in a modern way. Here are some steps you can follow to create beautiful butterfly decorations using these edible products:

Wafer Paper Butterflies:

Before starting, it is important to have all your tools and materials organised. Wafer paper has two sides: a shiny side and a bumpy side. For a smoother finish, apply the petal dust to the shiny side.

Materials and Tools:

• Petal dusts in various colours
• Clear storage containers for organising dusts
• Wafer paper
• Synthetic brushes in various sizes
• Wafer paper butterfly template
• Small containers with lids
• 26-gauge floral wire
• Edible glitter
• Piping gel
• Wafer paper glue

Steps:

• Prepare your wafer paper by placing a sheet over your butterfly template.
• Using a synthetic brush, apply your chosen colours to the shiny side of the wafer paper.
• Once the base colours are applied, use an edible marker, airbrush, or gel colours with a fine-tip brush to trace the intricate details of the butterfly's wings.
• Carefully cut out the butterfly shape with sharp scissors.
• To make the butterfly stand on a cake, attach a floral wire to the back by sandwiching it between a small piece of wafer paper and the butterfly using wafer paper glue.
• For added flair, use piping gel to apply edible glitter or other decorations to the wings.

Gum Paste Butterflies:

Gum paste butterflies are pretty and elegant decorations that can be made in advance and customised to any colour.

Materials and Tools:

• Gum paste (white)
• Butterfly cutters in various sizes
• Cardboard
• Food colouring dust (cake decorating petal dust)
• Cake decorating brush

Steps:

• Prepare the cardboard by folding a piece of rectangle cardboard into a "W" shape. This will be used to hold the butterfly's wings in a natural folded position while they dry.
• Roll out the gum paste thinly and dust with corn starch.
• Use your butterfly cutter to cut out the desired shapes. Before lifting the cutter, push it back and forth a bit and then push the plunger down to ensure a clean cut and emboss the details.
• Place the cut-out butterflies on the cardboard, ensuring the body is positioned in the centre of the fold.
• Leave the butterflies to dry overnight.
• Once dry, use a dry brush and food colouring dust to add colour to the butterflies. Start by dusting the bodies, and then gradually move towards the end of the wings for a fade-out effect.
• Attach the butterflies to the cake using fondant glue or royal icing.

With these techniques, you can create stunning and elegant butterfly wedding cakes that are almost too pretty to eat!

Creating a simple butterfly cake

Butterflies are a beloved insect, and their beautiful shape lends itself well to a range of food craft ideas. Here is a simple guide to making a butterfly cake that would be perfect for a child's birthday party, a spring celebration, or a special event.

Ingredients and equipment:

• One 9 or 10-inch round cake (baked and cooled)
• Icing/frosting of choice
• Assorted candies, sprinkles, and other edible decorations
• One long candy to form the body
• A sharp knife
• An offset spatula or butter knife
• A piping bag (or a sandwich bag for icing)

Method:

• Cut the cake in half. This will form the butterfly's wings.
• Assemble the cake on a serving plate. It is easier to decorate the butterfly in position, as it cannot be moved once made.
• Place the long candy length down the centre of the plate. This serves as the butterfly's body.
• Place the two wings on opposite sides of the candy, resting on the plate. Face the curve in toward the butterfly's body, with the straight edges facing outward.
• Decorate the wings. You can ice or frost both sides of the cake and then stick candies onto the cake in symmetrical patterns on each wing. Get creative and use a variety of candies, sprinkles, and edible glitter to bring your butterfly cake to life!
• Add a head and antennae. Use a round candy for the head and unroll licorice strips or similar candy to make the antennae. Curl the top of the antennae with a little twist.

And there you have it—a simple and beautiful butterfly cake!

Making a shaped butterfly cake

Ingredients and Equipment:

• 1 round cake, approximately 9 inches/23 cm in diameter (bake according to the directions on the cake box or recipe)
• Ordinary frosting in white
• Coloured frosting (coloured with your choice of food colouring)
• Candies, sugar-coated almonds, edible glitter, sanding sugar, etc. (optional)
• Piping bags for the coloured frosting (x3)
• Cake-making equipment
• Cake-serving plate
• Tray or cardboard (10x10 inches), covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil

Method:

• If your cake has a dome, gently slice it off so that the cake is flat on both sides.
• Cut the cake exactly in half to create two semi-circles.
• Keeping the two semi-circles together, cut the cake like a peace sign. You can use toothpicks as markers to help guide your cutting. Once this is done, you should have four wing pieces.
• Place the semi-circles back-to-back, with the rounded sides touching and the straight edges facing out.
• Slightly part the cake pieces. Pull the top wings up and the bottom wings down to form an ideal butterfly shape, ready for frosting.
• Place this arrangement onto a cake-serving plate.
• Frost the entire cake with a basic thin layer of ordinary white frosting to seal in crumbs. Frost down all of the sides of the wings, keeping this layer very thin.
• To set this layer, place the cake in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
• Add the whipped frosting in a thick layer, spreading it neatly with a frosting spatula.
• Place three colours into pastry cones or piping bags. Choose colours according to the kind of butterfly you're creating or the cake recipient's preferences.
• Pipe an amount of the first colour onto the base of the top wing. Use the spatula to spread a line of this across to the centre of the wing. Use the knife tip to drag the colour into a point near the wing joint. Repeat with the next colour just above it, then finish with another colour on top. Three lines of colour should fit across the top wing.
• Repeat this process on the opposite top wing and then again on the lower two wings (you will need slightly smaller blobs of frosting/icing for these).
• Accent the wing streaks using a piped line around the edges.
• Decorate as desired. Suggestions include sprinkles, edible glitter, coated almonds, or sanding sugar for a sparkly effect.
• Make the body by laying a long striped candy stick down the middle wing joints to form the butterfly's body.

Using fondant to cover the cake

Step 1: Prepare the Fondant

Before you begin, make sure you have enough fondant to cover your entire cake. The amount of fondant needed will depend on the size of your cake. You can either purchase fondant or make it yourself using recipes found online. If you want to add colour to your fondant, it's best to do so during the preparation stage.

Step 2: Roll Out the Fondant

Dust your work surface with a small amount of powdered sugar or cornstarch to prevent the fondant from sticking. Use a rolling pin to roll out the fondant to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. The rolled-out fondant should be larger than the cake tier you intend to cover.

Step 3: Drape the Fondant

Carefully lift the rolled-out fondant and drape it over one of your cake tiers. Smooth it down gently, making sure there are no air bubbles or wrinkles. You can use a fondant smoother or your hands to achieve a smooth finish.

Step 4: Trim and Finish

Once the fondant is in place, use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to trim away the excess fondant, leaving a small overhang. Gently press the overhang against the side of the cake to create a clean edge. Repeat this process for each tier of your wedding cake.

Step 5: Assembly

After covering all the tiers, it's time to assemble your cake. Stack the tiers on top of each other, using supports such as bubble straws or dowels to provide stability. You can cover the seams between tiers with decorative elements like ribbons or fresh flowers.

Tips and Tricks:

• It's important to work quickly when covering the cake with fondant, as it can dry out and become difficult to manipulate.
• If your fondant becomes dry or cracks, you can try heating it gently in the microwave for a few seconds to make it more pliable.
• To create a seamless finish, chill your cake tiers before covering them with fondant. This will help the fondant stick better and result in a smoother finish.
• If you're using multiple colours of fondant, be careful to avoid colour bleeding.

Adding the final touches and decorations

Now for the fun part: adding the final touches and decorations!

First, you'll want to decide on the colour scheme for your butterflies. You can go for a classic white butterfly, or add a pop of colour by dusting them with food colouring. You could even try making the wings black, but be careful that the colour doesn't come off on people's hands or teeth! If you're feeling extra creative, try making butterflies in different colours and patterns to add some variety to your cake.

Next, it's time to assemble the butterflies. Use fondant glue to attach the wings together, and then set them aside to dry. If you want to give your butterflies a more three-dimensional shape, you can place them in a 'W' folded paper while they dry. This will give them a more natural, fluttering look.

Once your butterflies are dry, it's time to attach them to the cake. Start with the largest butterflies on the bottom layer, then use medium-sized ones for the middle layer, and finally, add the smallest butterflies to the top layer. Use fondant glue to secure them in place. You can also add some extra butterflies to the cake board for an extra decorative touch.

To finish off the cake, consider adding some extra decorations such as flowers, pearls, or edible glitter. You can also use icing to pipe the bride and groom's names or the wedding date onto the cake.

And that's it! Your butterfly wedding cake is now complete. This beautiful and elegant cake is sure to be a show-stopper at any wedding.

Frequently asked questions