Fondant

1. Mix the marshmallow crème and a drop or 2 of the food coloring until you achieve a consistent color. Add the powdered sugar. Mix first with the spoon, then knead with your hands until the mixture has the consistency of a moldable dough; this is a simple fondant. Form the mixture into a rough ball.

2. Cover your work surface with a light dusting of powdered sugar to prevent the fondant sticking while you work with it. If using a wooden rolling pin, dust this with sugar as well.

3. Roll out the fondant with a rolling pin into a sheet ¼ inch thick, and cut out the letters with cookie cutters. If you don't have cookie cutters, place a plastic stencil over the fondant, or draft the shapes of the letters by hand using a toothpick, and cut out the letters inside using the tip of a sharp craft knife.

4. Peel away the sheet of excess fondant, leaving only the cutout letter shapes. Gently lift up the letters using a metal spatula.

5. Place the letters on waxed paper. Let them dry until they're firm enough to pick up without getting floppy, and place them on a frosted cake.

Gum Paste

1. Fit the clay extruder gun with a round hole attachment; these come in different sizes, so choose one that fits with the size of the lettering you want.

2. Remove the plunger from the extruder.

3. Form 2 tbsp. of gum paste into a thin oval shape in your hands. Place this inside the extruder.

4. Push the plunger through the extruder to form a long, thin cord of gum paste.

5. Use the gum paste cord to spell out cursive letters on the cake, or cut it into small pieces for print lettering.