Read The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating Online
Authors: Ruth Clemens
The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating (18 page)
20cm (8in) round cake, prepared for covering
25cm (10in) square cake board
Sugarpaste: peach and cream
Round cutters: straight-edged 3.5cm (1
3
⁄
8
in), fluted 4.5cm (1
3
⁄
4
in), no. 2 piping nozzle (tip)
12mm (
1
⁄
2
in) wide cream ribbon
Pearl-headed pins
Basic equipment (see
Equipment
)
1 Roll out the cream sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness and use to cover the cake board (see
Covering a board with sugarpaste
). Lightly spraying the board with a mist from a water spray will help the sugarpaste to stick.
2 Roll out the peach sugarpaste to a 5mm (
3
⁄
16
in) thickness and cover the cake. Trim the excess neatly and polish with an icing smoother (see
Covering a cake with sugarpaste
). Set the board and the cake to one side to allow the sugarpaste to begin to dry.
3 Roll out a little cream sugarpaste to a 2–3mm (
1
⁄
16
–
1
⁄
8
in) thickness. To create the shapes for the lace pattern, begin by cutting out circles using the fluted cutter. Cut out the centres with the smaller straight-edged cutter.
When working with very thin sugarpaste, instead of dusting your surface with sugar try using a smear of white vegetable fat (shortening).
4 Take one of the discarded inner circles and cut it into sixths using a sharp knife. From each triangle cut three tiny circles using the narrow end of the no. 2 piping nozzle (tip).
The small holes need to be punched out while the sugarpaste is still supple otherwise the edges of the triangles will crack.
5 Cut out small circles using the wide end of the no. 2 piping nozzle (tip) then punch eight small holes around the edge of each with the narrow end.
When punching out small holes, regularly dip the end of the nozzle (tip) into a little icing (confectioners’) sugar to ensure a clean cut.
6 Take each thin fluted circle, gently ease the shape together approximately one-third of the way across the circle to form a closed horseshoe shape and trim the excess using a sharp knife.
7 Once you have made a few of each element, begin securing into place with a dab of water on the back of each piece.
“Getting the pieces into position, without losing their shape can be a little tricky. Position them upside down on your fingers and then tip them over into position, or try lifting them with a palette knife and sliding them off onto the cake.”
8 Continue creating the elements and expanding the design until the cake is completely covered. There are two strips of lace going across the top of the cake and one curved section on either side.
9 To finish off the edge of each strip of lace, cut several large fluted circles and cut out the inners with a straight-edged cutter leaving a thin fluted circle. Cut open the circles and form into straight lines. Secure in place along each strip of lace on the cake using as many as required and trimming them where the cake meets the board.
10 Trim around the base of the cake and the edge of the board with cream ribbon, securing with pearl-headed pins.
Making a statement piece
Inspiration for cakes comes from all sorts of different places, this two-tier lovely is based on the design of my own website – I even have an apron to match!
Round cakes: 20cm (8in) and 28cm (11in), both prepared for covering
33cm (13in) round cake board
20cm (8in) round cake card
Four plastic cake dowels
Sugarpaste: pale blue, white, pale pink and deep pink
Round cutters: 2cm (
3
⁄
4
in) and 5cm (2in)
Buttercream or royal icing
Pizza cutter
Fluted pastry roller
12mm (
1
⁄
2
in) wide white ribbon
Pearl-headed pins
Basic equipment (see
Equipment
)
1 Roll out the white sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness and use to cover the 33cm (13in) board (see
Covering a board with sugarpaste
).
2 Set the 20cm (8in) cake on the 20cm (8in) cake card, securing with a little buttercream. Roll out the pale blue sugarpaste to a 5mm (
3
⁄
16
in) thickness and use to cover the cake and board together, trimming the excess neatly and polishing with an icing smoother (see
Covering a cake with sugarpaste
).
3 Roll out the pale pink sugarpaste to a 5mm (
3
⁄
16
in) thickness and use to cover the 28cm (11in) cake in the same way.
4 Roll out some more white sugarpaste to a 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) thickness. Using the 2cm (
3
⁄
4
in) round cutter, cut out 48 circles. Allow them to firm up slightly before using to create the polka-dot pattern on the blue cake. Secure each dot with a little water brushed onto the back.
Leaving the cut-out circles in position on your work surface for a couple of minutes will allow them to harden slightly so that when you lift them into position they shouldn’t pull out of shape.
5 Set the two covered cakes and board to one side and allow to dry out and firm up for a couple of hours.
6 Secure the larger cake to the centre of the covered board using a little buttercream or royal icing.
7 Take a length of greaseproof (wax) paper the same size as the circumference of the largest cake. Fold exactly in half, then into quarters, into eighths and finally into sixteenths. Unfold and place the piece around the outside of the cake. Use a pin to prick the sugarpaste through the paper in each fold position. This splits the cake evenly into sixteenths and marks exactly where the stripes should go.
8 Roll out the deep pink sugarpaste into a long thin rectangle approximately 2–3mm (
1
⁄
16
–
1
⁄
8
in) thick. Using the pizza cutter create 2cm (
3
⁄
4
in) wide strips. Trim the strips to 13cm (5in) long each. You will need 16 strips in total but it is wise to work with just four at a time, otherwise the sugarpaste dries out too quickly and your strips will crack.
9 Using the fluted pastry roller, mark stitching lines along the edges of the strips, approximately 3mm (
1
⁄
8
in) in from the edge.
“Press lightly with the fluted pastry roller – it is only to indent the pattern, if you’re not careful it will cut through the sugarpaste and you’ll have to start all over again.”
10 Apply a scant stripe of water up the side of the cake and onto the top in the positions marked by the pinpricks. Secure each strip in place. Continue working around the cake until you have completed the striping.