- 1). Mix your gumpaste and store in a plastic bag overnight. Select a smooth, clean surface and dust it lightly with cornstarch. Knead the gumpaste to soften it.
- 2). Separate the gumpaste into several sections, depending on the number and color of the farm animals desired. For example, if you want to make a pig, horse and cow or brown, black and gray horses, separate the gumpaste into three parts.
- 3). Tint each section to the desired color by dipping toothpicks into the paste food color and applying it to the surface of the gumpaste, then kneading the color throughout until you achieve uniformity. Remember to start light and remove a small section of the lighter color for features before darkening to the desired shade.
- 4). Tint a small amount of royal icing to the same shade as the largest portion of the gumpaste. In addition, color some of the icing brown or black for eyes, tails, spots and similar farm animal features.
- 1). Pull off a small handful of gumpaste and set the rest aside beneath a glass bowl or damp towel to keep it pliable. Roll the gumpaste into an elongated ball to form the body of the animal. Keep in mind the characteristics of the animal you are forming when rolling. For example, make pigs a little rounder, horses longer and thinner and cows squarish. Pinch the top of chicken or geese bodies into a triangle shape to give them a more-accurate shape.
- 2). Take four (or two, for birds) smaller pieces of the gumpaste and roll them into thin cylinders. These will be the legs of your animal. If you desire, shape hooves or feet as appropriate on the end of the legs. Additionally, if you want the animal to stand upright rather than in a sitting position, thread very thin wire through the center of each leg, leaving a small amount sticking out at the part where the legs connect to the body.
- 3). Form another ball for the animal's head, shaping an elongated snout of horses and sheep and a square jaw for cows. For animals with longer necks, like horses, form another cylinder to create the neck. Join any necks to heads with a small dab of royal icing, then smooth the gumpaste to hide the seam before continuing.
- 4). Attach the head or neck of the animal to the body by applying a small dab of royal icing and holding them together for a few minutes. Ensure that the head is secure before handling the animal further.
- 5). Decide which position you'd like the animal in, then fasten the legs to the farm animal, either by using wires or again with a small amount of royal icing.
- 1). Roll out a small amount of the darker and lighter colored gumpaste as thin as possible without creating holes. Cut small triangular shapes for ears, the lighter color being slightly smaller than the darker. Gently mold the ears to a shape characteristic of the animal you are creating. For example, cows' ears will be slightly floppy, pigs' ears pointy and sheeps' ears small and more rounded. Attach the ears with royal icing.
- 2). Create the snout of the animal, using a toothpick, knife or your fingers to make indentations for the mouth. For pigs, roll a tiny bit of fondant into an oval or cylinder and attach to the face. Add nostrils to any farm animal by poking small holes with a toothpick.
- 3). Decide whether you will form the animal's tail from gumpaste, royal icing or a combination, and add the tail accordingly. For instance, horses' tails may be easier to pipe from royal icing, while a curly pig's tail can be formed from gumpaste. Cows' tails can be formed by creating a small rope of gumpaste and then adding royal icing "hair" to the end.
- 4). Put the finishing touches on your farm animals with the addition of more unique features, such as a mane for horses, spots for dairy cows, curls of hair for sheep and thin wings for chickens and geese.
- 5). Store your completed gumpaste farm animals in a cool, dark place in an airtight container for up to four weeks. Allow them to dry thoroughly before placement atop a cake.
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