Read The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating Online
Authors: Ruth Clemens
The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating (16 page)
11 Position the cake centrally onto the cake board securing with a little royal icing. Trim the cake using the wide pink ribbon, securing at the back of the cake with two pearl-headed pins. The ribbon should sit flush with the cake board.
12 Trim the edge of the board with narrow pink ribbon, securing at the back with a pearl-headed pin.
13 Decorate the cake board using the remaining pink blossoms and butterflies.
Densely decorating a mini-cake
A beautiful mini-cake bursting with beautiful colours is sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face.
6.5cm (2
1
⁄
2
in) mini-cake, prepared for covering
10cm (4in) round cake card
Sugarpaste: cream, mauve, yellow, pink and deep pink
Cutters: 10cm (4in) round, small and medium blossoms
Royal icing
Piping (pastry) bag and no. 3 nozzle (tip)
12mm (
1
⁄
2
in) wide pale purple ribbon
Pearl-headed pins
Basic equipment (see
Equipment
)
1 Roll out the cream sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness, cut out a 10cm (4in) circle and cover the cake card (see Covering a board with sugarpaste).
2 Cover the mini-cake with more of the cream sugarpaste, this time rolled out to a 5mm (
3
⁄
16
in) thickness. Trim off any excess neatly and polish using an icing smoother (see
Covering a mini-cake
). Set the cake onto the covered board and secure with a little royal icing.
3 Trim the base of the cake with pale purple ribbon, securing at the back of the cake with a pearl-headed pin.
4 Roll out each colour of sugarpaste in turn and cut out two large blossoms and approximately 20 small blossoms from each colour.
To pick up and attach each of the blossoms, press the end of a paintbrush lightly into the centre, this will also curve the petals outwards prettily.
5 Using the end of a paintbrush, secure each of the large blossoms around the cake with a dot of royal icing and then begin to fill in the gaps using the small blossoms. Keep the colour order random and take care with the spacing so as not to leave any large gaps. The petals of the blossoms can overlap the ribbon at the base of the cake. Once the sides are fully filled, apply the blossoms to the top of the cake.
6 Pipe a dot of royal icing into the centre of each blossom until all the flowers have white centres.
“This is a great way of using up small balls of sugarpaste left over from other projects that really don’t seem big enough to do anything with. Have a play with your leftovers and see what colour scheme you can come up with!”
Texturing and layering flowers
This project takes a little more planning and patience in forming the flowers but it is definitely worth it for stunning results.
Six cupcakes baked in bright pink paper cases
Buttercream
Sugarpaste: white and pale pink
Cutters: large and small blossom cutter, round (same size as cupcake tops)
Royal icing: bright pink
Piping (pastry) bag and no. 2 nozzle (tip)
Basic equipment (see
Equipment
)
1 Begin by starting work on the flowers. Roll out the white sugarpaste to a 2mm (
1
⁄
16
in) thickness. Stamp out 12 large and 12 small blossoms.
2 With a sharp knife, cut into each petal of the blossoms, separating them into four or five fronds each.
3 Using a dab of water, secure the blossoms together in pairs, placing them with the petals slightly offset.
4 Set the six large and six small blossoms to one side and allow to firm up slightly.
5 Trim the domes from the tops of your cupcakes and spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top.
6 Roll out the pale pink sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness. Using a round cutter the same size as the top of your cupcakes, cut out six circles and attach in place on the tops of the cupcakes.
7 Add the royal icing to a piping (pastry) bag fitted with a no. 2 nozzle (tip). Pipe a dot of royal icing in the centre of the top of the cupcake and place the large flower in place.
8 In the centre of the flower pipe another dot of royal icing and position the small flower in the centre.
9 Pipe eight small dots of royal icing to create the centre of the flower.
10 Pipe small bulbs of royal icing around the flower onto the pale pink sugarpaste to create polka dots.
If your dots of royal icing have peaks on them, gently press them down with a slightly damp paintbrush for a professional rounded finish.
Brushing royal icing designs
Brushed royal icing creates a stunning effect – once you start you won’t want to stop. Just let the brush do the work for you!
12 round cookies
Round cutters: straight-edged 5.75cm (2
1
⁄
4
in), fluted 6.5cm (2
1
⁄
2
in)
Sugarpaste: cream and pink
Royal icing
Piping (pastry) bag and no. 2 nozzle (tip)
Basic equipment (see
Equipment
)
1 Roll out the cream sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness. Using the fluted cutter, cut out 12 circles.
2 Brush the top of each cookie with a tiny amount of water and attach the fluted sugarpaste circles in place, pressing down lightly to secure.
3 Roll out the pink sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness. Using the straight-edged cutter, cut out 12 circles. Attach each pink circle centrally on the cream fluted circle.
4 Take the medium blossom cutter and press lightly into the centre of each pink circle to create a blossom imprint.
5 Using the small blossom cutter, repeat to mark two small blossoms either side of the medium blossom. These will be your guides when piping.