The use of sugar molds seems to be a common way cakes were decorated in the 60’s. I don’t have molds, but I came across the recipe for use in the molds.
It is pretty simple, 2 cups sugar to 4 teaspoons water. You mix it together by hand until it is evenly mixed and the texture of wet sand. You then pack it into a mold and allow to dry 5 hours. If you are in a hurry you can put the filled mold in a 200 degree oven for 10 minutes.
I am not sure if I’ll ever come across a reason to use this on a cake, but it doesn’t hurt to know how. Besides, the panoramic eggs that used to be common at Easter are pretty cool and use this same technique.
In lieu of molds, I used cookie cutters. I only used 1/2 c. sugar and 1 tsp. water at first but I ended up adding just a few more drops of water because I had trouble getting all the sugar damp. This completely filled 2 cookie cutters, a star shape and a medium heart. I allowed to air dry since I didn’t want to heat up my house using the oven.
Overall, my molds were not that successful. Perhaps if I had brushed the cookie cutters with corn starch my shapes wouldn’t have broken once I tried to push them out. I may not have used enough water either. Parts of the hardened forms were very hard, in other places, the sugar just crumbled.
If you are using molds, it is suggested that you brush the mold with cornstarch first to avoid sticking. It is also suggested that if you use the mold for chocolate or candy melts, the sugar may scratch the mold and you will no longer have a smooth finish.
I saw another recipe that uses an egg white instead of the water. This is supposed to make a stronger mold, although you probably shouldn’t eat this due to the possibility of salmonella.
I will be trying this again, using the egg white method, adding more water, and using the oven to dry out the forms. We’ll see what happens. I doubt I would use this method on a cake, but it could make pretty sugar cubes for a wedding or a shower.
Sorry no pictures, I’m having trouble uploading again.
