Monday, January 9, 2012

Learn How To ... Make A Gumpaste Ashtray


Last summer my dear friend's husband turned 40.  She threw him a fabulous Rat Pack themed party.  I was delighted to be able to make the cake.... a classic Rat Packer fedora.  To complete the picture, added an ashtray and sheet music.  The ashtray from that cake gets more notice than anything else I have ever made.  Want to know how to make it?  Pretty simple, really.

Find a cylindrical container the same diameter as the ashtray you want to make and cover the outside in plastic wrap.  Turn the container upside down because you will be molding the ashtray on the bottom of your container.
Roll out gumpaste about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut a circle of gumpaste 2 inches wider than the diameter of the container.
Mold the gumpaste over the bottom of your container, pulling and flattening the sides as you would when you cover a cake in fondant.
Trim the sides to be sure they are a consistent height.
Use a piping tip to cut a few semicircles out of the sides to make the slots for the cigarettes to rest.
Allow the ashtray to dry overnight.
Remove the ashtray from the container and remove plastic wrap.

To make the cigarette, roll a piece of gumpaste into a thin log and allow to dry.  When dry, paint the tip the color of a cigarette filter.  Add pepper to the ashtray for the ashes.






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