How to Use Fondant Lettering and Embossers for Personalised Bakes

Fondant Lettering and Embossers in a nutshell:

• make sure to buy good quality, food-safe embossers
• dust your embossing stamp with a little cornflour to prevent sticking
• press firmly into your fondant icing and lift off for incredible detail

One way to really make your cakes stand out every time is to personalise them. A popular way to do it is to use fondant lettering and embossers! These handy tools make it easy to create perfectly neat, uniform lettering and designs on cake toppers. Easier than piping freehand, these tools make custom cakes a breeze, whether you’re baking for friends, family or customers!

Embossing stamps come in lots of different shapes and sizes. In this blog post, we’ll explore what you need to make them work for each bake and answer some frequently asked questions to help get you started.

Jump to:

What Can I Use Embosser Stamps On
How to Use an Embosser Stamp
Fondant Lettering and Embosser FAQs

What Can I Use Embosser Stamps On?

Embosser stamps can be used with a variety of mediums, including fondant, chocolate and buttercream. And while you do not need to use a different stamp for each, you will need to use different techniques!

Fondant

Embossers are primarily designed to be used with fondant (also known as sugarpaste) so this is the easiest medium to use them with. You do not have to worry about the temperature of the stamp, as it is not likely to melt the fondant.

Chocolate 

Chocolate is a little more tricky to use an embossing stamp with, but it is possible! The trick is to let the chocolate set till it has reached a clay-like texture - not fully set but almost there.

If you find working with chocolate difficult, why not try working with modelling chocolate? It has a clay-like texture already, making it ideal for embossing.

Buttercream

Again, if you’re using an embossing stamp with buttercream, you will have to wait for it to set. Pop it in the fridge to chill and once it has firmed up, you can emboss your designs.

Here’s a quick guide to making your embossing stamps work with each medium:

How to Use an Embosser Stamp

To use an embosser stamp, roll your fondant to an even thickness, dust the stamp with cornflour to prevent sticking, and press firmly into the surface. Peel the stamp away, cut out your shape, and attach it to your bake using edible glue.

Step 1: Roll out your fondant

For best results when using a stamp, make sure you roll out your fondant to your desired depth first - this will vary based on the depth of the embosser! Work with a piece of fondant at least twice the width of the stamp to ensure there is plenty of space for the whole design.

Step 2: Dust your stamp

Many embossing stamps are designed to be non-stick, but dusting a little cornflour over the stamp before using it just ensures easy removal.

Step 3: Press your stamp into your fondant

Push down firmly with your stamp into the fondant. Depending on the shape of the stamp, you can even roll over the top of it with a rolling pin, to make sure you catch every detail.

Step 4: Gently peel the stamp away

Carefully pull the stamp up and out of the fondant - it should just lift right off.

Step 5: Cut out your design

Use a fondant icing cutter to cut out your embossed design so you have a nice, clean shape. Squares, circles and hearts are popular choices, but many embosser stamps come with their own matching cutter to keep it really consistent.

Step 6: (Optional) Paint or dust your design

You can skip this step, but many people like to add some colour or sparkle to their embossed fondant! Use a food-safe brush and edible paint to paint over the design, or gently brush on some edible glitter or lustre.

Step 7: Attach to your cake

Finally, using a little water or edible glue, attach your embossed design to your cake, cupcakes or cookies!

FAQs

How Do You Paint Fondant Lettering?

Use a flat, food-safe brush to paint on edible liquid paint. Or, a fluffy, food-safe brush to buff on edible lustre dust. 

You can also turn edible dust colours into paint by mixing them with rejuvenator fluid.

Should You Use Icing Sugar or Cornflour with Fondant Embossers?

Cornflour works especially well for reducing the likelihood of the fondant sticking to a decorating tool, like an embosser. Dust a small amount over the stamp before pressing it in, for best results.

Why Isn’t my Embossing Stamp Leaving a Clear Impression?

It may be that the stamp you have purchased is not designed specifically for use with edible products. It’s really important to make sure you purchase a good-quality, food-safe stamp from a reputable brand. Cheaper alternatives can be found online, but they won’t always give the results you are after.

Alternatively, you may just need to press the stamp in a little more firmly - try gently running over the top with a rolling pin to really get the fondant into the embosser.

Start Your Fondant Embossing Journey Now!

An embossing stamp is a fantastic tool for levelling up your cakes. We hope this post has given you the confidence to go forth and stamp your way to perfectly personalised bakes!

Share your embossed bakes with us over on Instagram by tagging us at @the_cake_decorating_co, and using the hashtag #CakeDecFamous for a chance to be featured!

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