How to preserve your wedding cake topper

A printed or porcelain figure follows the steps below. A sugar topper made of fondant or gum paste needs other care. It has its own section further down.

Saving the top tier of the cake is a separate job. The topper comes off before the tier is wrapped or frozen, and the two are kept apart.

Tell your baker or venue that the topper comes off before the cake is cut or boxed. Then ask one person to collect your things at the end of the night, with the topper on the list.

• A soft, dry brush
• A closed box with soft padding, such as the box it came in

1. 1. Clean it once and dry it

   Wash off the frosting, then let the topper dry fully before it goes anywhere. After this one wash, it only needs dusting.

2. 2. Pick a spot out of the sun

   Light can turn plastic yellow, most of all plastic with no color added. Heat makes it age faster. Keep the topper out of direct sun and away from heaters and heating vents.

3. 3. Display it

   A shelf or a glass cabinet works well. Keep it off a table that people bump into. Some couples keep theirs in a china cabinet.

   A topper on a wooden sideboard.

4. 4. Or put it in a box

   Close it in a box with soft padding and keep the box in a dry room inside your home. Skip the attic and the basement, where heat and damp change a lot. A plastic bin in a damp room can grow mold.

5. 5. Dust it dry

   Now and then, dust it with a soft, dry brush. Reach into small parts like hands and hair. Never use oil or bleach on it.

   A glossy topper up close.

For the washing steps, read how to clean a cake topper.

For a frame on the wall, see how to display a topper in a shadow box.

Keep a fondant or gum paste topper in a cardboard box, away from sun and damp. Do not use an airtight plastic box. It can trap moisture inside.

Our toppers are printed in polymer, whatever the style looks like. Our Wood Carving style is plastic too, and a glossy Full-Color topper looks a lot like porcelain. So the steps for a figure apply to them. They are not food-safe.

How long does a fondant topper last?

One baker on a cake school's forum says a good few years, kept in a cardboard box away from sun and damp.

Should I spray it with a sealer?

Some bakers spray sugar toppers with a clear glaze. For a printed figure, try any spray on the bottom of the base first.