• peacock feather cutter set
• peacock feather texture mats
• white rolled fondant
• gum paste
• rolling pin
• pasta machine (optional)
• non-stick cooking spray
• sharp paring knife
• piping gel
• food grade paint brushes
• food dropper
• midnight blue luster dust
• peacock blue luster dust
• gold luster dust
• fuschia mixed w/pearl luster dust
• teal luster dust
• super green luster dust
• charcoal luster dust
• super blue luster dust
• paint tray
• grain spirits or lemon oil
• toothpicks
• white floral wire
• assorted round cutters, 1" and under
• parchment paper
• black food coloring
• ivory food coloring

Hand mold body of peacock in gum paste. Use the opening of a round tip to detail the marks on the peacock body. Use paring knife to distinguish the beak from the head. Attach peacock to cake using piping gel.
Roll gum paste or fondant very thin. If using a pasta machine, thin to a #4. Lay gum paste or fondant down on a powdered sugar dusted surface or mat. Lay lightly sprayed texture mat on top of fondant and using even pressure, roll pin over mat. Use cutter to cut the textured piece. Use paring knife to fray ends of feather; gently separating some of the frayed pieces away from each other. Starting at the outer edge of the cake, attach feathers with piping gel. Continue to layer feathers toward the body until all are attached. Use the ¾" and 1" cutters to cut circles to form smaller feathers near the body and attach with piping gel. Allow all pieces to dry overnight.
Cut various pieces of parchment paper to slide under your feathers before painting. This will help minimize the amount of paint/dust that gets on the cake. Mix your paint by placing a ¼ teaspoon of dusting powder into a cavity of the paint tray and dropping enough grain spirit or lemon oil into the powder to make a paintable consistency. Use a drop of grain spirit or lemon oil to thin out the tip of your brush when it gets difficult to keep details.
Using black food coloring and a fine tip paint brush, outline the eye. Use ivory food coloring to fill in the pupil. Use super blue dusting powder paint finish the body. Use the super green dusting powder paint to do the feathers on the body. Mix a small amount of gold into a small amount of super green to brush golden highlights over the feather.
When painting the feathers, use a fine tip paint brush and follow the outlines made from the texture mat. Repeat this step until the eyespot of the feather is complete. Use a larger brush to paint the larger part of the feather super green. Mix a small amount of gold dusting powder into a small amount of super green to make a golden highlight; use a medium brush to cover the feather.
To complete the peacocks crest, brush white cloth-covered floral wire with charcoal dusting powder. Roll small balls of fondant into piping gel then coat them in super blue dusting powder. Insert floral wire into balls and cut wire to length needed. Use straight pin to make a hole in the top of the head and insert wire. Repeat until crest is complete.
To finish peacock, simply free-hand cut feathers using the opening of a round tip and paring knife to detail. Brush with dusting powder paint and attach to body with piping gel.