Alan Dunn's Celebration Cakes E-Book

Alan Dunn

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Seitenzahl: 244

Beschreibung

Marking momentous occasions is an important part of everyday life, and what better way to do so than with one of these stunning creations. There is a cake for every occasion: whether you are celebrating a wedding, christening, engagement, anniversary or birthday, one of Alan's elegantly understated cakes will form the centrepiece of any celebration. After a comprehensive introduction to all things sugarcraft comes a chapter on flower, foliage and fruit build-ups, which breaks down the assembly of each into manageable and easy-to-follow steps. Next follows a chapter on cakes, showcasing 18 celebratory cakes made using the components featured in the previous chapter. All occasions are catered for: anniversaries, birthdays, retirement, weddings and festivities such as Christmas and Halloween. If you're looking for the ultimate guide to sugarcrafting, this book won't fail to impress.

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction

Equipment and materials

Recipes

Techniques

FLOWERS, FRUIT AND NUTS

Fringed nigella

Sweet violet

Hearts entangled

Japanese painted fern

Blue sun orchid

Pachyveria succulent

Dianthus

Rose

Rose hips

Asparagus

Radish

Potato vine

Pink brunia

Peony

Ornamental cabbage

Variegated hosta leaf

Brassolaeliacattleya orchid

Epigeneium orchid

Lilac

French lavender

Purple chilli peppers

White bombax

Moth orchid

Vincent orchid

Oxalis

Caper

Old-fashioned rose

Degarmoara orchid

Clematis

Siam tulip

Hazelnuts

Brassada orchid

Chinese lantern

Ilex berries

Acer

Cucumis fruit

Chincherinchee

Fantasy butterflies

CELEBRATION CAKES

Boy’s christening

18th birthday

21 today!

Valentine sweet hearts

Mothering Sunday

Father’s Day

Engagement

Rose and orchid wedding

Ruby birthday

Golden days

80th birthday

Silver anniversary

Pearl anniversary

Ruby anniversary

Gardener’s retirement

Trick or treat pumpkin

Autumn wedding

Christmas celebration

Gallery

Templates

Suppliers

Index

Introduction

My interest in cake decorating was fuelled at an early age – my grandfather was a baker and although he had retired by the time I had taken a real interest, the seeds had already been planted. But it was only later on in my teens that I started developing ideas and designs for what I think of as proper celebration cakes.

In December 1986 I decorated my very first Christmas cake – this was not a particularly impressive design and the royal iced coating was so badly executed that it was almost impossible to cut through – but it spurred me on to seek cake decorating books from both the school and public libraries. A few months later I discovered some magical books – they contained beautifully designed and executed sugarpaste-coated cakes decorated with sugar flowers. It was then that I realised cake decorating was going to play a major part in my life. The next opportunity I had to design a celebration cake was for Mother’s Day. I decorated the cake with simple hand-modelled sugarpaste roses – this endeavour was much more successful than the previous year’s Christmas cake attempt and really marked the starting point for my interest and passion for making sugar flowers. The next cake I worked on was for my grandparents’ diamond anniversary – a bell-shaped cake with hand-moulded roses. It was around this time that I attended my first sugar flower class and joined The British Sugarcraft Guild. It was through these classes and monthly guild branch meetings that I realised that sugar flowers could be taken to another level.

This book is a celebration of cakes, flowers, fruit, vegetables and the odd nut too! Flowers and cakes have proved to be a successful combination for centuries and for me too they are a real motivation to strive to create interesting floral designs for any occasion. For years I have included berries, fruits and nuts into my work and for the first time I am now creating vegetables, which are proving to be a really fun addition.

Here, I have tried to create designs that are ideal as impressive centrepieces for most of the major celebrations in life. Many of the cake themes are interchangeable to make them appropriate for other occasions, and hopefully the variety of designs will help you to create an individual style of your own too!

Alan Dunn

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

There is a huge array of sugarcraft equipment and materials commercially available. Here, a variety of items that I consider to be very useful are listed.

EQUIPMENT

Non-stick board

This is an essential addition to the flower-maker’s workbox. Avoid white boards as they strain the eyes too much. Some boards can be very shiny, making it difficult to frill the petals against them. If this is the case, simply roughen up the surface using some fine glass paper prior to use or turn over the board and use the back, which is often less shiny. I always apply a thin layer of white vegetable fat rubbed into the surface of the board, then remove most of the excess with dry kitchen paper – this stops the paste sticking to the board and also makes you check each time to see if it is clean from food colour.

Rolling pins

It’s good to have a selection of non-stick rolling pins in various sizes. They are essential for rolling out flowerpaste, sugarpaste and almond paste successfully.

Foam pads

Foam pads are ideal to place petals and leaves on while you soften the edges – especially if you have hot hands that tend to dissolve the petals as you are working them. Prior to buying this product, check that it has a good surface as some have a rough-textured surface that will tear the edges of your petals or leave marks on them. I either prefer the large blue pad called a Billy’s block or the yellow celpad.

Wires and floristry tape

I buy mostly white paper-covered wires, preferring to colour or tape over as I work. The quality varies between brands. The most consistent in quality are the Japanese Sunrise wires. These are available from 35-gauge (very fine but rare) to 18-gauge (thicker). Floristry tape is used in the construction of stems and bouquets. They contain a glue that is released when the tape is stretched. I use mainly nile green, brown and white tape from the Lion Brand tape company.

Tape shredder

This tool contains three razor blades to cut floristry tape into quarter-widths. I have a couple of tape shredders and have removed two blades from one of them so that it cuts the tape into half-widths. It is often best to use a tiny amount of cold cream rubbed onto the blades with a cotton bud and also a little onto the lid that presses against the blades – this will help the tape run smoothly against the blades as it can often stick to an excess of glue left behind from the tape. It is also wise to remove any excess build-up of glue from the blades using fine-nose pliers and also to replace the blades regularly. Handle with care at all times.

Paintbrushes and dusting brushes

Good-quality, synthetic brushes or synthetic-blend brushes from the art shop are best for flower-making. I use mainly short, flat, not too soft bristle brushes for applying layers of food colour dusts to flowers and leaves. It is best to keep brushes for certain colours so that it takes away the need to wash them quite so regularly. I use finer sable or synthetic-blend brushes for painting fine lines or detail spots onto petals.

Petal, flower and leaf cutters and veiners

There is a huge selection of petal, flower and leaf cutters available from cake decorating shops, both in metal and plastic. Petal and leaf moulds/veiners are made from food-grade silicone rubber. They are very useful for creating natural petal and leaf texturing for sugar work. The moulds have been made using mostly real plant material, giving the finished sugar flower a realistic finish. Like the flower cutters, there is an impressive selection of commercial veiners to choose from.

Posy picks

These are made from food-grade plastic and come in various sizes. They are used to hold the handle of a spray or bouquet of flowers into the cake. The food-grade plastic protects the cake of contamination from the wires and floristry tape used in the construction of floral sprays. Never push wires directly into a cake.

Stamens and thread

There is a huge selection of commercial stamens available from cake decorating shops. I use mainly fine white and seed-head stamens, which I can then colour using powder colours. Fine cotton thread is best for stamens. I use lace-making Brock 120 white thread, although some thicker threads may also be useful for larger flowers. An emery board is great for fluffing up the tips of the thread to forms anthers.

Glue

Non-toxic glue sticks can be bought from stationery or art shops and are great for fixing ribbon to the cake drum’s edge. Always make sure that the glue does not come into direct contact with the cake. I use a hi-tack non-toxic craft glue to attach stamens to the end of wires. I feel that no harm is being done sticking inedible items together with other inedible items. However, the glue should not come into direct contact with the sugar petals as it will dissolve them.

Homemade leaf/petal veiners

There are several craft products available that can be used to make moulds for leaves, petals, fruit, nuts, etc… It is important to try to find a food-grade product. Silicone plastique is a good medium to use with a quick-drying time. When making a mould of a petal or leaf it is important to choose items with prominent veins. Note that most flowers and foliage produce stronger veins as they age. To make a mould:

1 Silicone plastique can be purchased as a kit. Mix the two compounds together thoroughly. The white material is the base and the blue is the catalyst – once mixed you will have about 10 to 20 minutes’ working time before the mixed medium sets – this often depends on the room temperature at the time. Flatten the product onto a sheet of plastic wrap or a plastic food bag: this is important as the product tends to stick to everything in its sight.

2 Press the back of your chosen leaf or petal into the silicone putty, taking care to press the surface evenly to avoid air bubbles, which will create a fault in the veiner. When the compound has set, simply peel off the leaf or petal. Trim away any excess silicone from around the mould using a pair of scissors.

3 Next, very lightly grease the leaf veiner with cold cream cleanser – be careful not to block up the veins with the cream as this will ruin the final result. Mix up another amount of the two compounds and press firmly on top of the first half of the leaf veiner, again taking care to press evenly. When the second half has set, pull the two sides apart: you now have a double-sided leaf veiner!

Scissors, pliers and wire cutters

Fine embroidery and curved scissors are very useful for cutting fine petals, thread and ribbons too. Larger florist’s scissors are useful for cutting wires and ribbon. Small, fine-nose pliers are another essential. Good-quality pliers from electrical supply shops are best – they are expensive but well worth the investment. Electrical wire cutters are useful for cutting heavier wires.

Plain-edge cutting wheel (PME) and scalpel

This is rather like a small double-sided pizza wheel. It is great for cutting out quick petals and leaves, and also for adding division lines to buds. A scalpel is essential for marking veins, adding texture and cutting out petal shapes too.

Tweezers

It is important to use fine, angled tweezers without ridges (or teeth). They are useful for pinching ridges on petals and holding very fine petals and stamens. They are also very handy when arranging flowers to push smaller items into difficult, tight areas of an arrangement or spray.

Metal ball tools (CC/Celcakes)

I use mostly metal ball tools to work the edges of petals and leaves. These are heavier than plastic ball tools, which means that less effort is needed to soften the paste. I mostly work the tool using a rubbing or rolling action against the paste, positioning it half on the petal/leaf edge and half on my hand or foam pad that the petal is resting against. It can also be used to ‘cup’ or hollow out petals to form interesting shapes.

Dresden/veining tool (J or PME)

The fine end of this tool is great for adding central veins to petals or leaves, and the broader end can be used for working the edges of a leaf to give a serrated effect or a ‘double-frilled’ effect on the edges of petals. Simply press the tool against the paste repeatedly to create a tight frilled effect or pull the tool against the paste on a non-stick board to create serrations. The fine end of the tool can also be used to cut into the edge of the paste to cut and flick finer serrated-edged leaves. I use a black tool by Jem for finer, smaller leaves and flowers, and the larger yellow PME tool for larger flowers.

Ceramic tools (HP/Holly Products)

A smooth ceramic tool is used for curling the edges of petals and hollowing out throats of small flowers, as well as serving the purpose of a mini rolling pin. Another of the ceramic tools, known as the silk veining tool, is wonderful for creating delicate veins and frills to petal edges.

Celsticks (CC/Celcakes)

Celsticks come in four sizes and are ideal for rolling out small petals and leaves and to create thick ridges. The pointed end of the tool is great for opening up the centre of ‘hat’-type flowers. The rounded end can be used in the same way as a ball tool, to soften edges and hollow out petals.

Kitchen paper ring formers

These are great for holding and supporting petals to create a cupped shape as they dry allowing the paste/petal to breathe, which speeds up the drying process (plastic formers tend to slow down the drying process). To make, cut a strip of kitchen paper, twist it back onto itself and then tie it in a loop, or for larger petals, cut a sheet of kitchen paper diagonally across, twist and tie.

MATERIALS

Egg white

You will need fresh egg white to stick petals together and to sometimes alter the consistency of the paste if it is too dry. Many cake decorators avoid the use of fresh egg white because of salmonella scares. I continue to use Lion brand eggs and always work with a fresh egg white each time I make flowers. There are commercially available edible glues which can be used instead of egg white but I find that these tend to dissolve the sugar slightly before allowing it to dry, resulting in weak petals.

White vegetable fat

I use this to grease non-stick boards and then wipe of it off with dry kitchen paper. This does two things: it conditions the board, helping prevent the flowerpaste sticking to it, and it also removes excess food colour that might have been left from the previous flower-making session. You can also add a tiny amount of white fat to the paste if it is very sticky. However, you must not add too much as it will make the paste short and slow down the drying process. You must also be careful not to leave too much fat on the board as greasy patches will show up on the petals when you apply the dry dusting colours.

Cornflour bag

An essential if you have hot hands like mine! Cornflour is a lifesaver when the flowerpaste is sticky. It is best to make a cornflour bag using disposable nappy liners; these can be bought from most large chemists. Fold a couple of layers of nappy liners together and add a good tablespoon of cornflour on top. Tie the nappy liner together into a bag using ribbon or an elastic band. This bag is then used to lightly dust the paste prior to rolling it out and also on petals/leaves before they are placed into a veiner.

Petal dusts

These are my favourite forms of food colour. These food colour dusts contain a gum which helps them to adhere to the petal or leaf. They are wonderful for creating very soft and also very intense colouring to finished flowers. The dusts can be mixed together to form different colours or brushed on in layers which I find creates more interest and depth to the finished flower or leaf. White petal dust can be added to soften the colours (some cake decorators add cornflour but I find this weakens the gum content of the dust, often causing a streaky effect to the petal). If you are trying to create bold, strong colours it is best to dust the surface of the flowerpaste while it is still fairly pliable or at the leather-hard stage. A paint can also be made by adding clear alcohol (isopropyl) to the dust. This is good for adding spots and finer details. Another of my favourite uses of this dust is to add it to melted cocoa butter to make a paint that is ideal for painting designs onto the surface of a cake. Petal dusts can be used in small amounts to colour flowerpaste to create interesting and subtle base colours.

Paste food colours

I use only a small selection of paste food colours. I prefer to work with a white or a very pale base colour and then create stronger finished colours using powder food colours. I add paste colours into sugarpaste to cover the cakes but even then I am not a huge fan of strongly coloured cake coverings. It is best to mix up a small ball of sugarpaste with some paste food colour and then add this ball to the larger amount of paste – this will avoid you adding too much colour to the entire amount of sugarpaste. There’s nothing worse than a screaming yellow cake!

Liquid colours

These are generally used to colour royal icing as they alter the consistency of flowerpaste, sugarpaste and almond paste but they can also be great to paint with. I use a small selection of liquid colours to paint fine spots and fine lines to petals. I mostly use cyclamen and poinsettia red liquid colours for flower-making.

Craft dusts

These are inedible and only intended for items that are not going to be eaten. Craft dusts are much stronger and much more light-fast than food colour dusts. Care must be taken as they do tend to migrate the moment you take the lid off the pot. Dust in an enclosed space as once these colours get into the air they have a habit of landing where you don’t want them to. To prevent spotty cakes, it is best to keep the cake in a box while you are dusting the flowers, whether it is with these or petal dusts.

Edible glaze spray

There are several ways to glaze leaves. Recently I have been using an edible spray varnish made by Fabilo. This glaze can be used lightly for most leaves or sprayed in layers for shiny leaves and berries. Spray in a well-ventilated area, perhaps wearing a filter mask. Spraying leaves is much quicker than the method below which I also use from time to time.

Confectioner’s varnish

Confectioner’s varnish can be used neat to create a high glaze on berries and foliage. I mostly dilute the glaze with isopropyl alcohol (often sold as dipping solution or glaze cleaner in cake decorating shops). This lessens the shine, giving a more natural effect for most foliage and some petals. I mix the two liquids together in a clean jam jar with a lid. Do not shake as this produces air bubbles. Leaves can be dipped straight into the glaze, shaking off the excess before hanging to dry or placing onto kitchen paper to blot off any excess. The glaze can also be painted onto the leaf but I find the bristles of the brush pull off some of the dust colour, giving a streaky effect. You need to watch the leaves as a build-up of glaze can give a streaky shiny finish which is not desirable. I use various strengths of glaze:

¾ glaze (1 part isopropyl alcohol to 3 parts confectioner’s varnish) gives a high glaze but takes away the very plastic finish often left by full, undiluted confectioner’s varnish.

½ glaze (equal proportions of the two). This is used to give a natural shine for many types of foliage, including ivy and rose leaves.

¼ glaze (3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part confectioner’s varnish). This is used for leaves and sometimes petals that don’t require a shine but just need something stronger than just steaming to set the colour and remove the dusty finish.

When the varnish has dried, you might like to use a scalpel to scratch or etch through the glaze into the surface of the flowerpaste to create fine white veins on the likes of ivy leaves.

RECIPES

Here are the recipes that will help you along your way with the projects in this book. There are recipes for modelling pastes, royal icing and two wonderful fruitcakes too.

FRUITCAKE

Double the quantities for a three-tier wedding cake and line another small tin just in case there is some cake mixture left over. This recipe will fill a 30 cm (12 in) round cake tin, plus a little extra for a smaller cake. Even if I only need a 20 cm (8 in) oval cake I still make up this full quantity and bake extra cakes with the remaining mixture – it is hardly worth turning the oven on just for one small cake. The variety and amount of each dried fruit can be changed to suit your own taste.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/8 cups) raisins

1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/8 cups) sultanas

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) dried figs, chopped

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) prunes, chopped

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) natural colour glacé cherries, halved

125 g (4½ oz/1 cup) dried apricots, chopped

125 g (4½ oz/1 cup) dried or glacé pineapple, chopped

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

200 ml (7 fl oz/½ cup) brandy (the odd dash of Cointreau or cherry brandy can be good too)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/2 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) light muscovado sugar

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) dark muscovado sugar

4 tsp apricot jam

8 tsp golden syrup

1 tsp each of ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon

½ tsp mace

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/4 cups) plain flour

250 g (9 oz/1½ cups) ground almonds

10 large free-range eggs, at room temperature

1 Use a large pair of scissors to halve and chop the various fruit that require it from the list. Add or subtract the fruit accordingly to suit your taste, but make sure the weight remains the same. Mix the dried fruit, orange zest and juice, and alcohol together in a plastic container with a lid. Seal the container and leave to soak for about a week if time allows. Otherwise overnight will do.

2 Preheat the oven to 140°C/275°F (gas 1). Cream the butter in a large bowl until soft. Gradually add the two types of sugar and beat the together. Stir in the apricot jam, golden syrup and spices (including the mace).

3 Sieve the flour into a separate bowl and stir in the almonds.

4 Beat the eggs together and add slowly to the butter/sugar mixture, alternating it with the flour/almond mix. Do not add the eggs too quickly as the mixture might curdle.

5 Before you add the fruit, set aside a small amount of un-fruited batter – this will be used on top of the fruited batter to stop the fruit catching on the top in the oven. Mix the soaked fruit into the remaining larger amount of batter. Grease and line the tin(s) with non-stick parchment paper. Fill the tin with batter to the required depth – I usually aim for about two-thirds the depth of the tin. Apply a thin layer of the un-fruited batter on top and smooth over. Bake for 4 to 6 hours, depending on the size of the cake. It is important to smell when the cake is ready – some ovens cook faster than others. The cake should shrink slightly from the sides of the tin, be firm to the touch and smell wonderful. If in doubt test with a skewer – if it comes out clean the cake is ready.

6 Allow the cake to cool slightly in the tin, add a couple of extra dashes of alcohol, and leave to cool further in the tin. Store wrapped in non-stick parchment paper and plastic wrap. Allow to mature for as long as you have – a few days to a few months works well.

SUNSHINE FRUITCAKE

This is a wonderful option for those who prefer a lighter cake. The white chocolate gives a very pleasant aftertaste.

INGREDIENTS

150 g (5½ oz/1¼ cups) glacé cherries (multi-coloured ones look great), halved, washed and allowed to dry

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup) ground almonds

100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) each of dried ready-to-eat pineapple, mango, peach, apricot and pear

1 medium Bramley apple, grated

50 g (2 oz/2 squares) grated white chocolate

75 g (2½ oz/¾ cup) dried cranberries

3 Tbsp brandy (cherry brandy or Calvados work well too!) (optional)

225 g (8 oz/1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

225 g (8 oz/1 cup) caster sugar

1 tsp salt

4 large free-range eggs

250 g (9 oz/2 cups) plain flour mixed with ¼ level tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (gas 4). Line a 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2 Toss the glacé cherries in the ground almonds and set aside. Chop the remaining exotic fruits and then toss them with the grated apple and white chocolate, dried cranberries and brandy. Leave for an hour or so.

3 In a separate bowl, beat the butter, sugar and salt together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of flour and beating well between each addition. Add and stir in the remaining flour and vanilla essence. Then add the exotic fruit mixture and the cherries with the ground almonds and stir well to incorporate the fruit.

4 Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Level the top and bake at 180°C/350°F (gas 4) for the first 30 minutes, turning the heat down to 150°C/300°F (gas 3) for the remaining cooking time (2 to 2½ hours total baking time). Cover the cake with foil if you feel the cake is catching or turn the oven down a little. Leave the cake to cool in the tin before turning out.

ROYAL ICING

This recipe is ideal for small amounts of royal icing required to create brush embroidery, lace, embroidery and other piped techniques.

INGREDIENTS

1 medium free-range egg white, at room temperature

225 g (8 oz/1¾ cups) icing sugar, sifted

1 Wash the mixer bowl and the beater with a concentrated detergent and then scald with boiling water to remove any traces of grease and leftover detergent. Dry thoroughly.

2 Place the egg white into the mixer bowl and the majority of the icing sugar and mix the two together with a metal spoon.

3 Fix the bowl and beater to the machine and beat on the lowest speed until the icing has reached full peak – this takes about 8 minutes. You may need to add a little extra sugar if the mixture is too soft.

COLD PORCELAIN

This is an inedible air-drying craft paste that can be used in almost exactly the same way as flowerpaste. The bonus with this paste is that the flowers made from it are much stronger and less prone to breakages. However, because it is inedible, anything made from this paste cannot come into direct contact with a cake’s surface, so flowers made from cold porcelain need to be placed in a vase, container, candle-holder or Perspex plaque. I tend to treat flowers made with this paste pretty much as I would fresh or silk flowers. There are several commercial cold porcelain pastes available but you can make your own – the recipe below is the one that I prefer. I use measuring spoons and measuring cups to measure out the ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

2½ Tbsp baby oil

115 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) non-toxic hi-tack craft glue (Impex)

115 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) white PVA wood glue (Liberon Super wood glue or Elmers)

125 g (4½ oz/1 cup) cornflour Permanent white artist’s gouache paint

1 Work in a well-ventilated area when making this paste. Wear a filter mask if you suffer from asthma. Measure the baby oil and the two glues together in a non-stick saucepan to form an emulsion. Stir the cornflour into the mixture. It will go lumpy at this stage but this is normal!

2 Place the pan over a medium heat and stir the paste with a heavy-duty plastic or wooden spoon. The paste will gradually come away from the base and sides of the pan to form a ball around the spoon. Scrape any uncooked paste from the spoon and add it to the mix. The cooking time will vary – usually around 10 minutes – between gas, electric and ceramic hobs, but the general rule is the lower the heat and the slower you mix the paste, the smoother the resulting paste will be. I’m impatient so I tend to turn up the heat a little to cook faster. Keep on stirring the paste to cook it evenly. You will need to split the paste and press the inner parts of the ball against the heat of the pan to cook it too – be careful not to overcook.

3 Turn the paste onto a non-stick board and knead until smooth. The paste is quite hot at this stage. The kneading should help distribute some heat through the paste to cook any undercooked areas. If the paste is very sticky then you will need to put it back in the pan to cook longer. It is better if it is slightly undercooked as you can always add heat later – if the paste is overcooked then it is almost impossible to work with.

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