I'm asked again and again how to use Tappit Letter Cutters, so I took some photos last weekend when working on a cake to show you how I do them!
I've used homemade marshmallow fondant, Satin Ice fondant, and Satin Ice gum paste with these cutters. I initially preferred homemade marshmallow fondant with a tiny bit of Tylose added in, but once I got the hang of the cutters, I can do it equally well with all mediums.
Here's what you'll need:
- Fondant or gum paste
- Rolling pin (I use this small 9" Wilton one)
- Mat (I use The Mat or The Mini Mat most often, but a simple flexible cutting board will do)
- Tappit Cutters (my favorites are the Funky Alphabet and Block Letters)
- Xacto knife or scalpel
- Pastry wheel or pizza wheel
- Corn starch
Okay- once you have everything together - here's how to do it: Start with a small amount of fondant or gum paste on a mat. If you don't have a mat, I recommend dusting your work surface with a bit of cornstarch.
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Then use your rolling pin to roll it out really, really thin - nearly paper thin. Maybe 1mm?! I never measure, but I get it extra thin! It's easier to get it super thin if you use gum paste, but if you work with small amounts, you can do it with fondant! I usually cut mine into strips that are 6-7 inches long and about 1.5" wide.
I didn't do it this time because I only had 6 letters to do, but if you're doing more letters - cut it into strips! Then - let it dry! I always let mine sit out for at least 10 minutes - but even 20-30 minutes or longer is okay!
Once the fondant or gum paste has dried out a bit, I shake on a little corn starch and spread it with my fingers. This keeps the letters from sticking in the molds.
Now just press the cutter into the fondant. If you've cut it into thin strips, you'll lay the cutter perpendicular to the strip of fondant as you can see in the picture above. When it's completely pressed into the fondant, I shimmy it around a bit while pressing down to be sure that I get a clean cut all the way through.
At this point, you should be able to just lift the cutter off and the letter will stay. If it happens to stick, use the sharp point of an Xacto knife to gently pull the letter out of the mold. If you're letter does lay flat, go ahead and move to the next letter...
You can see where I moved all the way across my strip of fondant to do the name "Olivia".
At this point, I just lift away all of the extra fondant and leave the letters on the mat. If needed, I use my Xacto knife to remove the insides of the letters (like the middle of the "O", then I let them dry for awhile longer - maybe half an hour. The drying time will keep them from stretching when you go to pick them up and put them on the cake. BUT - I don't let them dry until they're completely hard - if you do that, they'll become fragile and break easily.
Once they're ready, I just use my fingers to put them on a cake. Or if you have any trouble, you can use the tiny point of an Xacto knife to lift them and put them on the cake!
To stick them on, I rub down the cake with a little shortening and just stick them on. The shortening works as "glue" but also allows you to move them around until you get them placed well. If they happen to have any corn starch still on them, you can also use a small paint brush and shortening to brush them down and remove the corn starch!
Update #1 : As my friend Susan noted in the comments, the easiest way to center a name or words, it to start with the center letter centered on the cake, then work your way out from there!
Update #2: Also, if you're opposed to using the shortening, you could use sugar glue or a dot of water instead to attach the letters to the cake, but you will not be able to move it around as easily, so be sure to place it in just the right spot on the first try!
And that's it! Do you have any questions about how to use the Tappit Cutters? If I've forgotten anything, leave me a comment and let me know!
Sharon Athanasiou
I thought I did it right, but your tips here are EXACTLY what I needed. Thanks as always, Rose!!! Sharon/Not Your Average Cupcake
Rose
Always happy to help Sharon!
Sharon Athanasiou
Can you use powdered sugar instead of the cornstarch?
Rose
I haven't tried it, but it would probably work.
Susan Campbell
Letting the fondant dry is a great tip - especially if using Satin Ice. If I'm using Wilton fondant, I don't have to let it dry out as much to get them to work as well since it's stiffer.
So often my cakes are buttercream instead of fondant, so I can't really move them around much or it messes up the finish. When I place them on, I try to center the word by placing the middle letter on first, and then put the rest of the letters on either side.
Thanks for another great post. 😀
Rose
YES - even if on fondant, I often start with the middle letter first just to keep from moving them any more than necessary!
Layla M
perfect !!
do u use any kind of steam just to make the fondant shiny and remove the scratch ?
have a good one
Rose
No, if you read to the bottom, I use a paintbrush and brush it off or I dip the brush in shortening and brush it off - it gives shine and removes the starch!
Layla M
ooch !
I meant starch in the past comment , the spelling corrector
Julie
Hi Rose! I have watched and read several videos/tutorials on these letter cutters. Yours definitely is the easiest to follow! Can't wait to try it your way!
One question: do you find if you rub the cake with shortening that it leaves a greasy mark, especially on the darker colours?
Thanks for everything! God bless!
Julie
Rose
I usually try to rub it all over – especially on darker cakes so it’ll be even, and yes, it will “show up” on darker colors, but unless you’re delivering it right away, after a few hours the shortening absorbs and disappears! Of course, if you wanted, you could use a dot of water or sugar glue instead of the shortening, but you will not be able to move it around as easily! I think I’ll add this note in the post as well – thanks for asking!
Julie
Thanks for your reply! 🙂 have a great day!!
Lynea
Thanks for this! I have very similar cutters to this and have only tried them once so far (weren't the right size for the cake) but now I am looking forward to really using them soon!
I also start my words in the middle and work out from there!
Rose
I hope this helps you! xx
Bree
Tried these for the first time last night, and they just kept sticking no matter now dry the fondant, how much corn starch I rubbed on or how hard I wiggled the cutter. I finally ended up grabbing a paint brush and slathering shortening onto the cutter and voila! They worked well and I couldn't get over how well the shortening held up to stick them to the cake! Thanks for the tutorial!
Jennifer
First I'd like to thank you!! I love everything you post!
My question is, do you use both or have a preference of UPPER or lower case letters? What did you use for Olivia cake?
Rose
I use both. For Olivia's name, the "O" was upper and the remaining was lower.
Sherry
Thank you so much
Yamaris
How can I get those cutter?! Im from PR, but I want that cutter letters!!
Rose
I'm not sure other than ordering them online.
Caroline
When I first stumbled across this post, I thought, nah, I don't need to read this one, I KNOW how to use tappit cutters!
Rose, you are constantly teaching me new things. You are amazing. From using shortening on the cake as a forgiving glue, to how to create, roll up, and apply ribbons, sugar glue, using a scalpel as a knife, your amazing fantastic MMF to start it all off!... The list goes on and on. I would not be able to create the beautiful cakes I've been making recently without your techniques and tutorials and advice. Thank you, thank you!
Which brings me back to this post - and how I already knew how to use tappit cutters! I watched the sugar art videos on how to use them, I read advice online, and I've been using them very successfully. But cutting out letters has always taken a solid hour. At least. And then, last night, I tried your technique. FIFTEEN MINUTES!! Maybe even less than that. INCLUDING placing the letters on the cake board. You're truly amazing!!
Anyway, no questions this time ;), I just really wanted to say thank you. THANK YOU.
Rose
You are too sweet Caroline!! xx
Daby Cakes
Rose, God almighty will continue to keep you, your tutorials are so so awesome
Dorene Treadway
Rose,
Thank you sooo much for you tutorials, being that I am just learning the ropes I really like you tutorials.
Thanks again
Diana Castro
I just ordered these and want clear on how to use them. I watched a few other tutorials that showed a completely different way of using them..something that resembles "ironing" your fondant on top of the cutters then snacking or tattooing them out of the mold..needless to say what looked and sounded easy to do..was Not!
But your methods is so much simpler to follow! Thank you for the step by step pictures and easy to follow instruction! Great tutorial!
Diana Castro
I just ordered these and want clear on how to use them. I watched a few other tutorials that showed a completely different way of using them..something that resembles "ironing" your fondant on top of the cutters then smacking or tapping them out of the mold..needless to say what looked and sounded easy to do..was Not!
But your methods is so much simpler to follow! Thank you for the step by step pictures and easy to follow instruction! Great tutorial!
Rose Atwater
You're very welcome! Thank you for reading! xx
saundra
Thank you for your tips on how to place letters.
Rose Atwater
You're very welcome!
Susan Reynolds
thanks...interesting!
Ash
Hiya, what is shortening? I'm from the UK, never heard of it but I sounds like s good idea 🙂
Rose
Shortening is any fat that is a solid at room temperature and used to make crumbly pastry and other food products. Some similar products in other countries are Trex, Flora White, Copha or Cookeen.
Debbie Hargreaves
I only tried my new tappits once, following a YouTube tutorial... Disaster! They just would not come out. Going to try this for a cake due tomorrow
Rose
I hope this worked for you!
Mary
What about putting edible glitter on letters removing glitter that has fallen off lettrs hile applying to caker
Mandi
THANK YOU!
Cheyl Hanson
Hi Rose,
Can you do buttercream icing and use fondant or gum paste lettering?
Susan
Hi! Thanks for stopping by the blog. Yes, you can definitely put fondant/gum paste letters on buttercream. It makes it a little easier to place them without messing up the icing if the buttercream is chilled and firm. You can use water, crisco, or sugar glue to stick the letters to the buttercream.
Dana
Hey Rose,
Do you find that this wastes a lot of fondant because it dries out too much or is the leftover fondant still useable?
Rose
If it's rolled up and kneaded back together pretty quickly, it can be used.