Gumpaste Daisies | The Easiest Sugar Flower for Beginners
Chef Alan TetreaultIn this tutorial: What You'll Need · Rolling and Cutting the Paste · Veining the Petals · Drying the Daisies · Making the Centers · Assembling Wired Daisies · Assembling Unwired Daisies · 50/50 Mix Tip
Daisies are one of the most versatile sugar flowers — they work on everything from wedding cakes to cupcakes, and they're surprisingly fast to produce. In this tutorial, Chef Alan Tetreault of Global Sugar Art demonstrates how to use PME plunger cutters and JEM center molds to make both wired and unwired gumpaste daisies, from cutting to assembly.
What You'll Need
- Gum paste — white; Chef Alan recommends Tylose gumpaste, Satin Ice gumpaste, or James Roselle's Fondarific gumpaste
- PME Gerbera Daisy plunger cutters — available in multiple sizes; these emboss veining into the petals as they cut
- PME Daisy plunger cutters — eight-petal cutters without veining, available in multiple sizes
- JEM Daisy center molds — come in several sizes for stamping textured centers
- JEM Tool #12 (veining tool) — for adding veining and widening petals
- Cel pad — firm side for veining work
- Wilton forming cups — for drying daisies in a cupped shape
- Yellow gum paste — for the centers
- Cornstarch — for dusting the board and cutters
- 24- or 26-gauge floral wire — for wired daisies
- Small pliers — for bending wire hooks
- Egg white or gum glue — for attaching wire to the center
- Water brush or small artist brush — for moistening
- Needle tool — for removing unwired centers from the mold
- Super Pearl dust — optional, for a white sheen on dried petals
- Small paint tray — optional, for drying the smallest daisies
Rolling and Cutting the Paste
- Roll out white gum paste very thin on a lightly cornstarched board.
- Make sure the paste moves freely on the surface — dust cornstarch on both the top and the bottom.
- Press the plunger cutter down and twist in a circular motion to get a clean cut.
↪ Gerbera Daisy cutters (with veining)
- Press the plunger down before lifting the cutter — this embosses veining into each petal.
- Pull the excess paste away from the edges.
- Flip the piece over and run your thumb across each petal to deepen the cuts and ensure a clean release.
- Push the plunger to pop the daisy out.
↪ Plain Daisy cutters (without veining)
- These eight-petal cutters don't emboss, so simply twist, cut, and pop the daisy out.
Veining the Petals for a Lifelike Look
This step is optional but makes a noticeable difference in realism.
- Place the daisy on the firm side of a cel pad, with the petals hanging slightly over the edge.
- Lay the JEM Tool #12 down the center of each petal.
- Roll the tool back and forth — this widens the petal and creates natural-looking veining.
- Repeat for every petal on the flower.
💡 Tip: If you're making daisies in high volume — 100 cupcakes or 200–300 daisies for a wedding cake — Chef Alan skips the hand veining and relies on the gerbera plunger cutter's built-in embossing instead. Save the extra detail work for smaller batches where it really shows.
Drying the Daisies
↪ In forming cups
Set each freshly cut daisy into a Wilton forming cup. The cups come in different sizes to match your cutters. The daisy will dry in a natural, slightly cupped shape.
↪ In a paint tray
For the smallest daisies, a small paint tray works perfectly — just nestle each daisy into one of the wells.
↪ Drying time
Daisies take roughly 6 – 8 hours to dry completely, or overnight depending on humidity.
💡 Tip: If you're making wired daisies, do not dry the daisy petals first. Only the center needs to be dried before assembly. The petals should still be soft when you thread the wire through.
Making the Centers
↪ Wired centers
- Take a piece of 24- or 26-gauge wire and bend the tip over with small pliers to form a hook.
- Bend the hook over again so it lies flat — you should have a small, flat hook at the top.
- Dust the JEM Daisy center mold with a little cornstarch.
- Take a small piece of yellow gum paste and press it into the mold.
- Dip the hooked end of the wire in egg white or gum glue.
- Twist the wire into the back of the center and pull it out of the mold.
- Set the wired centers aside and let them dry completely before attaching petals.
↪ Unwired centers
- Dust the mold with cornstarch.
- Press a small ball of yellow gum paste into the mold.
- Use a needle tool to pop the center out.
- Set aside and let dry.
Assembling Wired Daisies
- Cut a fresh daisy and leave it undried — the petals must still be soft and pliable.
- Wet the center of the daisy with a water brush or a little gum glue.
- Take a dried, wired center and push the wire straight through the center of the daisy, pulling it down snugly.
- Place the assembled flower in a forming cup, threading the wire through the hole in the cup's center.
- Bend the wire underneath to hold it in place.
↪ Drying options
- For a cupped shape: Set the wired daisy in a forming cup and let it dry right-side up.
- For a more folded shape: Hang the flower upside down from a small drying stand by hooking the wire.
Allow 6 – 8 hours or overnight to dry completely.
Assembling Unwired Daisies
- Let the daisy dry fully in a forming cup first.
- Optionally, brush the dried petals with Super Pearl dust for a white, shiny finish.
- Add a small dab of water to the center.
- Press a dried, unwired center into the middle of the daisy.
The flower is now ready to place directly on a cake.
Using a 50/50 Gumpaste and Fondant Mix
For a softer daisy that's easier to cut through when serving, Chef Alan recommends a 50/50 blend of gumpaste and fondant:
- The daisies won't get rock-hard the way pure gumpaste does.
- They'll still hold their shape after about 4 – 5 hours of drying.
- Make them a day ahead — they'll look lifelike and maintain their form but remain easy to slice through on the finished cake.
This tutorial is part of Global Sugar Art's library of free cake decorating videos by Chef Alan Tetreault. Browse all tutorials →
