This quick and easy ranuncula tutorial shows you how to create this beautiful flower using just one round cutter and is surprisingly easy to create despite its intricate appearance.
A single circle cutter (1.5 inch/4cm) makes all the petals for this gumpaste ranuncula.
I’ve also cut out any veining because I find it a wasted effort – the veining tends to be lost in the process of shaping the petals and attaching them to the center.
Also, I’ve made this flower slightly larger than is usually the case – I’ve used an 1.5 inch/4cm styro center and the full sized flower measures 2.5 inches/6cm wide.
And as is always the case, I’ve used a strong wire for the centre that will easily go into a cake dummy if needs be.
Gumpaste Ranuncula Tutorial: Materials
- 1.5 inch/4cm styro ball
- 3 x 18 guage wires taped together (or other combination of wires you have to hand)
- Glue gun
- Gumpaste
- Green gel paste (I like either avocado or mint shades depending on the colors of the rest of the sugar flowers in the arrangement I’m using this flower with)
- 1.5 inch/4cm round cutter
- Piping tip
- Foam pad
- Ball tool
- Petal veining tool (optional)
- Edible Glue
- Cake dummy
Gumpaste Ranuncula Tutorial: How-To
Take a strong wire (I’m using three 18 guage wires taped together) and insert into 1.5 inch/4cm styro ball. Remove the wire again, shoot some hot glue into the hole and replace the wire, gluing around the base of the wire again for extra security.
Colour a small piece of gumpaste pale green and cut out a 1.5 inch/4cm circle. Glue this to the top of the styro ball.
Using a piping tip, impress round circle shapes randomly in the green gumpaste.
Using the circle cutter, cut out five petals.
Place the petals on the foam pad and using the ball tool run out the outer rim of each petal gently to soften the edges, making sure not to frill the petal or create any waviness.
Next, using firm pressure, circle the inside of the petal with the ball tool to create a cupped shape.
Leave the five petals aside for 15 minutes or so to firm up a little.
Repeat this process for approximately 21-25 more petals, working on 5 petals at a time.
To assemble the flower, take the first five petals and apply edible glue from halfway down the petal.
Attach the first petal to the styro ball and continue around the ball overlapping the petals by half. The last petal should then be tucked under the first one to complete the row.
For the second row of petals, you will need about 6. Start this row slightly lower than the first row.
For the third row of petals (approximately 7 petals needed), attach the petals again lower than the last row but leave the top section of each petal standing out from the styro ball slightly, i.e, not cupped tightly to the ball.
Repeat for the fourth row of petals (above 8 petals approximately).
Your gumpaste ranunculus is pretty much complete at this point. But you can continue to add another row of petals if you wish, opening up ever more slightly.
Optional dusting: brush a little green dust of your choice in the center, then using a flat edged brush dust the top edges of the petals in a deeper shade of the color gumpaste you are using e.g. for a white ranunculus, you can use a little cream dust on the edges of the petals. To set the dust color, quickly swipe the flower through the steam from your kettle.
