The perfect accompaniment to any celebration cake, knowing how to make an icing bow to finish your cake is so easy, yet looks so impressive!
We know that our UK audience generally use 'sugarpaste' and our US readers tend to use 'fondant' when talking about ready-to-roll icing. We've used them interchangeably throughout this blog, just in case you were wondering!
Blow away your guests with our video from Zoe Burmester of Sugar Street Studios, showing you exactly how to make a bow out of fondant to perfectly finish the bottom of your cake.
That's not all! There's a plethora of ways to make icing bows, from a tiny bow tie to a huge, showstopping sugarpaste bow.
How to make a fondant bow
- Fondant bow video tutorial
- Shiny sugarpaste bow
- Fondant bow tie
- Large fondant bow and ribbon
- Large ruffled sugarpaste bow and ribbon
- Fondant cookie bow
- Create a beautiful base
What are you waiting for? It's time to unravel the secrets of how to make a fondant bow...
1. Fondant bow video tutorial
2. Shiny sugarpaste bow
By Mercedes Strachwsky of Bake Me A Cake
While the video shows how to make a beautiful bow with a matte finish, see below to learn how to make a bow out of fondant with a little more shine...
You will need
Edibles
- White, green and red vanilla fondant (Satin Ice)
- Edible glue/edible adhesive
Equipment
- Cutting wheel
- Tissues
- Leaf mould/veiner or sharp knife
Personalise: You can either leave the ribbon plain, or add extra decorations to the centre of the sugarpaste bow. This can be styled for any celebration, but we love Mercedes' sweet festive embellishment.
Method
1. Cut a strip of white fondant and attach around the bottom tier of any celebration cake. Pinch the ends to resemble a ribbon.
Top tip: A fabric ribbon will work well as a place holder and guide to ensure the fondant ribbon is level.
2. Add tails to the fondant ribbon and pinch the ends.
3. Add loops and a centre knot to create a bow. While the fondant is drying, use tissues to maintain the shape of the loops.
4. Roll three fondant sausages in red, white and green. Place the three sausages on top of each other and begin to roll together. Once the rope is the desired thickness, twist it to resemble a candy cane. Trim to create three tiny candy canes.
5. Roll out three tiny balls of red fondant to create mini holly berries. Roll out green fondant and cut out the holly leaves. You can use a leaf mould/veiner to texture the fondant or a knife to mark in the veins.
6. Arrange the holly leaves, berries and small candy canes on the centre of the bow.
3. Fondant bow tie
By Molly Robbins of Molly's Creative Cakes
If you're looking to know how to make icing bows without the ribbon, check out this fun tutorial showing you how to create a sugarpaste bow tie.
You will need
Edibles
- Small amount of white sugarpaste
- Larger amount of sugarpaste in any colour you wish (this tutorial uses blue sugarpaste from Renshaw)
- Edible glue
Equipment
- Rolling pin
- Scalpel
- Dresden tool
Method
1. Roll out a small piece of blue sugarpaste, around 4mm thick.
2. Roll out small balls of white sugarpaste and squash them into the blue paste.
3. Gently roll out the paste again to flatten the white spots onto the blue, then cut out a strip around 8x2.5cm.
4. Flip the strip over and pinch in the middle.
5. Pinch either end together.
6. Fold each end over to meet the centre and blend using a Dresden tool.
7. Cover the centre with a small strip and secure with edible glue.
4. Large fondant bow and ribbon
By Caroline Barnes of Love Cake Create
If you prefer a dramatic sugarpaste bow and ribbon, this is the tutorial for you!
You will need
Edibles
- Dark yellow & black sugarpaste
- Tylose
- Edible glue
Equipment
- Small sharp knife
- Kitchen towel
- Sugarpaste extruder & 1mm circle attachment
Method
1. Add Tylose to dark yellow sugarpaste and mix well. Use a knife to cut out a rectangle around 5x11cm (2mm thick). Apply edible glue to one end. Pick up the other end, place it on top of the glue and press to adhere.
2. For the pleat, first fold down the edges and then back up again. Apply glue in the folds to secure. Roll up kitchen paper towel and insert in the loop. Use a knife to trim off a little of the pleat. Repeat the process for the second loop. Apply glue where the pleats join and secure together.
3. For the bow centre, cut out a rectangle around 7x3cm. Fold in half, lengthways. Fold the top and bottom back which will create a pleat-like fold. Apply glue to the back of the pleat and wrap it around the centre of the bow.
4. For the bow tails, cut two rectangles around 7x5cm. Cut out a triangle from the bottom of each tail and create pleats at the other end. Prop up the ends with paper towel.
5. Once the bow is dry, apply glue to the top and bottom of the loops. Extrude black sugarpaste using the 1mm circle attachment. Apply the black trim to the bow loops. Add the bow tails and pop aside to dry.
5. Large ruffled sugarpaste bow and ribbon
Learn how to make a fondant bow and ribbon as impressive as the cake itself, making the perfect showstopper for any chic and sophisticated celebration cake.
You will need:
Edibles:
- 500g pink (or your colour of choice) modelling paste
- Small amount of white modelling paste
- Edible glue
Equipment:
- Cutter tool
- Three straws
Method
1. Roll out some pink modelling paste very thin and cut a strip. Place three straws under and mould the drapery.
2. Cut another strip and divide it in two parts. Cut another strip and divide it in two parts.
3. Cut a strip of white modelling paste 28 x 10cm and fold it to shape a ribbon.
4. Stick the drapery of step 32 around the 15cm dummy. Stick the tails and the ribbon at the centre of the 15cm dummy. Cut a small strip of pink modelling paste and cover the ribbon's centre.
6. Fondant cookie bow
By Sherry Hostler of Sherry Hostler Cake Artistry
Let's downsize a little with this tutorial and show you how to make icing bows for cookies and biscuits.
You will need:
Edibles:
- Heart-shaped cookies/biscuits (why not try our delicious sugar cookie recipe?)
- 50g red sugarpaste per cookie (Renshaw)
- 100g white sugarpaste per cookie (Renshaw)
- Buttercream or jam
- Edible glue
- Silver dragee ball
- White royal icing
Equipment:
- Small rolling pin
- Sharp craft knife
- Kitchen roll
- Dresden tool
- No. 1 piping nozzle
- Piping bag
Method
1. Roll out 50g of red sugarpaste thinly and cut out a heart shape. Stick this to the top of your cookie with either buttercream or jam. Roll out 50g of white sugarpaste thinly and cut three strips approximately 3x1cm. Position in a cross shape on left-hand side of the heart, sticking them down with edible glue. Trim to fit.
2. Roll out two more strips of white sugarpaste approximately 3x1cm. Cut inverted ‘V’s into one end of each and stick down on either side of the centre of the cross.
3. Roll out a little more white sugarpaste into a strip measuring approximately 12.5x2cm. Put edible glue in the centre, then fold over one end so that it sticks. Use a small piece of rolled up kitchen roll to hold in place.
4. Adding more edible glue to centre, fold over other end of strip and stick that to centre also, once more inserting a rolled up segment of kitchen roll as a former for it to dry around.
5. Cut one more strip of white sugarpaste approximately 4x1cm and fold this over the centre of the bow, giving it a squeeze on either side to narrow it slightly. Glue on a silver dragee ball to centre of the bow, and mark either side with a Dresden tool to create creases.
6. Mix up some royal icing according to instructions, and using a no.1 writing nozzle, pipe small dots around the outside of the red heart.
7. Create a beautiful base
Knowing how to make a bow out of fondant is all well and good, but your sugarpaste bows need cakes to go on!
Why not whip up a gorgeous traditional Victoria sponge cake for the base?
Or, if you're you're more of a chocolate lover, check out our decedent collection of chocolate recipes to inspire your next bake ready for the perfect sugarpaste bow.
Speaking of chocolate, if you'd prefer a cake covered in the delicious sugary treat, be sure to check out our beginner's guide on how to ganache a cake to make sure you've 'covered' all the basics (see what we did there?).
Don't forget that knowing how to make a fondant bow is only part of the job, so be sure to check out our handy video and step-by-step tutorial showing you exactly how to cover a cake with fondant as well.
We hope you've found these fondant bow tutorials useful – there's no need to get tied up in knots with CD&S here to guide you!
Psst, if fondant flowers are more your style, we've got you covered with a detailed guide on how to make sugarpaste flowers.
