How to make a gum paste penguin

Little penguins are so cute! They are plump and tiny and adorable. These penguins are simple to make and will add simple cuteness to any cake!

Here is what I used:

Gumpaste (black, white and orange colours)
tooth pick
zacto knife
dresden tool
gum glue
black edible marker

Step 1:

Roll two black balls. To make the balls smooth press firmly between your palms. This will help eliminate any cracks. One ball is for the body of the penguin and the ball other is for the head. I made the body of the penguin about two inches and the head about one inch; however, you can make them any size you need. Just keep in mind the portion of the head to body ratio should be 1:2.

Step 2:

Roll out two smaller balls in the white gumpaste. Roll one ball to be about 1/2 of an inch and the other to be approximately 1/4 of an inch. Once the balls have been rolled into a ball you will use your finger to push the ball flat. Continue to flatten each ball and their edges until it is quite thin. These piece will represent the white on the belly and the white on the penguin’s face. The small piece is for the penguin’s face. Once it is flat, cut a small “v” in the piece and round or smooth the edges with the dresden tool.

Step 3:

Apply gum glue to the smallest ball (the penguin’s head) and paste the smallest white piece onto the ball. This will create the penguin’s face. Then put gum glue onto the penguin’s black body and paste the larger white piece onto the penguin’s body.

Allow the body and the head to firm and harden for 1-2 hours (or overnight) before assembling the rest of the penguin. It is must easier to do the remaining steps if the penguin’s body and head have begun to dry.

Step 4:

Roll out two small black pieces of gumpaste. These pieces are for the feet. They are approximately 1/8 of an inch in size. Once you have rolled the black pieces into balls, use your finger to flatten the feet.

Step 5:

To assemble the feet to the body of the penguin, apply some gum glue to the feet and place to body on top.

Step 6:

Place the tooth pick into the centre of the penguin’s body. Apply gum glue to the body where the tooth pick is. Place the penguin’s head on top of the body, over the tooth pick. The tooth pick will help keep the head on straight.

Step 7:

Roll a piece of black fondant into a long tear-drop shape. You need two of these pieces to create the penguin’s arms. Once you have created the two tear-drop pieces, using your finger flatten the pieces. Then apply gum glue to the wider end of each piece and place on the arms to either side of the penguin.

Step 8:

Roll out a small piece of orange gumpaste and using the zacto knife cut a tiny triangle. This will create the penguin’s nose (or beak). Apply a small amount of gum glue to the beak and place it onto the penguin’s face.

Step 9:

Using a black edible pen or marker, draw on two eyes.

And there you go; it’s a cute, adorable and simple penguin!

Happy Caking!

Diane