Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Any suggestions as to how I could achieve a gravel effect on a cake? I’ve heard suggestions of grating lumps of dried fondant in different ‘gravel like’ colours…..I don’t want to use an impression mat as I am after a texture as well as look. Thank you.

Hi Julie

I usually smash up some different coloured old dried sugarpaste. Pulse the dried paste in the food processor to the size you want or use a mortar and pestal If you just want grey gravel or slate, marbel up some sugarpaste, roll it into sausage shape and cut small pieces and let them dry. Once dry crush them in the same way. For smaller amounts, I find mortar and pestle works best for more controlled sizes. Alternatively you could coat broken piece of home made rice krispie treats in a selection of petal dust. It really depends on the size of the area being covered. Best results is definitely with the crushed dried sugarpaste/fondant. I’ve even used crushed up biscuits which make nice jagged edges. For colour guide have a look at the real thing. Hope this helps. Where on the cake will you be using the gravel?

Thanks for the reply MIWL. As always your answer is SO helpful. I’ve left a selection of sugarpaste out to dry and will try the pestle and mortar approach. It’s to go onto the cake board, next to the cake, to give a textured surface on the ‘ground’ around the cake.

Hi Julie

I meant to say earlier that to get that jaggy edge, the dried sugarpaste should really be dry and hard otherwise it just flattens and mushes up. I usually give the lumps a sharp tap with the pestle so they shards rather than crushes and then reduce the size as I want.