Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating E-Book

Alan Dunn

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 445

Beschreibung

Master sugar artist Alan Dunn presents more than 100 of his most spectacular cake decorating designs—all illustrated in the classic Alan Dunn style. This book offers everything you need to create stunning and impressive cakes for every occasion. Each decoration, from "sweet violet" to "moon and sun bouquet" is illustrated from beginning to end, with handy information on all necessary equipment. Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating covers tropical and exotic cakes, flowers, fruit and nuts, celebration cakes, and arrangements, along with tips on technique and detailed recipes. This book delivers joy to both the baker and the sugar crafter, with amazing creations to impress those lucky enough to be offered the end results.

Leseprobe

ALAN DUNN’S

ULTIMATE COLLECTIONof CAKE DECORATING

ALAN DUNN’S

ULTIMATE COLLECTIONof CAKE DECORATING

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

RECIPES

TECHNIQUES

FLOWERS

Fringed nigella

Sweet violet

Hearts entangled

Blue sun orchid

Dianthus

Rose

Full-blown rose

Egyptian fan orchid

Eyelash orchid

Radish

Potato vine

Pink brunia

Peony

Ornamental cabbage

Begonia

Brassolaeliacattleya orchid

Epigeneium orchid

Hydrangea

Moth orchid

Anemone

Ornamental grass

Geraldton waxplant

Golden spider lily

Winterberry

Wire vine

Lilac

French lavender

White bombax

Oxalis

Caper

Old-fashioned rose

Degarmoara orchid

Brassada orchid

Scorpion orchid

Christmas orchid

Gum nuts

Umbrella tree stalks

Tillandsia

Clematis

Hazelnuts

Chinese lantern

Ilex berries

Acer

Cucumis fruit

Chincherinchee

Hawaiian perfume flower tree

Chinese yam (Dioscorea)

Ylang-ylang

Butterly flower tree

Zantedeschia berries

Joseph’s coat foliage

Crane flower

Gingko

Monstera

Frangipani

Ladder fern

Red passionflower

Devil’s ivy

Blue Egyptian water lily

Tuberose

Sacred lotus

Peony

Heart’s desire orchid

Spider chrysanthemum

Lily of the valley

Stephanotis

Gardenia

Golden gardenia

Trailing succulent

Smilax

Cotinus

Ginger lily

Sandersonia

Beetleweed

Crescent spray

Rangoon creeper

Silver trail posy

Vincent orchid

Pachyveria succulents

Japanese painted fern

Rose hips

Perfumed perfection bouquet

Moon and sun bouquet

Magical sensation spray

Tranquil waters spray

Masdevallia orchid

Flapjack kalanchoe

Senecio

Anthurium

Flamingo flower

Zinnia

Butterfly flower bouquet

Cosmos

Fantasy butterflies

Butterflies and flowers

Blue Butterfly Bush Flower

CAKES

Butterfly cake

Cosmos cake

18th birthday

Ruby birthday

80th birthday

Pearl anniversary

Valentine sweet hearts

Mothering Sunday

Engagement

Rose and orchid wedding

Autumn wedding

White wedding

Summer breeze

Painter’s paradise

Perfumed perfection

Moon and sun

Magical sensation

Tranquil waters

Chasing rainbows

Christmas celebration

Silver trail

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 roughtextured 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.

4 Wrap in plastic wrap and leave to cool – moisture will build up on the surface of the paste that, if left, will encourage mould growth, so it is important to re-knead the paste when cool and then re-wrap. Place in a plastic food bag and then in an airtight container, and store at room temperature. This paste has been known to work well two years after it was made if stored like this.

5 Prior to making flowers you will need to add a smidge of permanent white gouache paint. The paste looks white but by its very nature dries clear, giving a translucence to the finished flower. Adding the paint makes the finish more opaque. Handling the paste is quite similar to working with sugar except I use cold cream cleanser instead of white vegetable fat, and glue or anti-bacterial wipes/water to moisten the petals to stick them. Cornflour is used as for handling flowerpaste. The paste shrinks a little as it dries – this is because of the glue. This can be disconcerting to begin with but you will gradually get used to it and it can be an advantage when making miniature flowers.

FLOWERPASTE

I always buy ready-made commercial flowerpaste (APOC) as it tends to be more consistent than homemade pastes. The following recipe is the one I used prior to discovering the joys of ready-made flowerpaste! Gum tragacanth gives the paste stretch and strength too.

INGREDIENTS

5 tsp cold water

2 tsp powdered gelatine

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3 cups) icing sugar, sifted

3 tsp gum tragacanth

2 tsp liquid glucose

3 tsp white vegetable fat, plus 1 extra tsp to add later

1 large fresh egg white

1 Mix the cold water and gelatine together in a small bowl and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Sift the icing sugar and gum tragacanth together into the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer and fit to the machine.

2 Place the bowl with the gelatine mixture over a saucepan of hot water and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Warm a teaspoon in hot water and then measure out the liquid glucose – the heat of the spoon should help to ease the glucose on its way. Add the glucose and 3 teaspoons of white fat to the gelatine mixture, and continue to heat until all the ingredients have dissolved and are thoroughly mixed together.

3 Add the dissolved gelatine mixture to the icing sugar/gum tragacanth with the egg white. Beat at the mixer’s lowest speed, then gradually increase the speed to maximum until the paste is white and stringy.

4 Remove the paste from the bowl, knead into a smooth ball and cover with the remaining teaspoon of white fat – this helps to prevent the paste forming a dry crust that can leave hard bits in the paste at the rolling out stage. Place in a plastic food bag and store in an airtight container. Allow the paste to rest and mature for 12 hours before use.

5 The paste should be well-kneaded before you start to roll it out or model it into a flower shape, otherwise it has a tendency to dry out and crack around the edges. This is an air-drying paste so when you are not using it make sure it is well wrapped in a plastic bag. If you have cut out lots of petals, cover them over with a plastic bag.

TECHNIQUES

These are some of the essential techniques that you will use time and time again when creating floral celebration cakes.

COATING A CAKE WITH ALMOND PASTE

I adore the flavour and texture of almond paste. A layer of natural-coloured white almond paste gives a smooth, round-edged base on which to apply a layer of sugarpaste, creating a more professional finish and excellent eating quality too! It is important that the work surface is free of flour or cornflour, as if any gets trapped between the almond paste and the sugarpaste it can cause fermentation, encouraging air bubbles. It is best, but not always essential, to leave the almond paste-coated cake to dry out and firm up for a few days prior to icing.

1 Before applying any form of coating, the cake must be level. To do this, carefully cut off the top of the cake if it has formed a dome during baking. Then turn the cake upside down so that the flat bottom becomes the top. Fill any large indentations with almond paste if required. Place the cake onto a thin cake board the same size as the cake so that it is easier to move. You might also prefer to add a strip of almond paste around the base of the cake to seal it and the cake board tightly together.

2 Warm some apricot jam and a dash of water, brandy or Cointreau, and then sieve to make an apricot glaze that can be painted onto the surface of the cake. This will help to stick the almond paste to the cake and help seal it to keep it fresh. Apricot glaze is used as the colour is not too dark and the flavour tends not to fight with the taste of the cake or almond paste. You may also be able to buy ready-sieved apricot glaze in a jar – which also benefits from a dash of alcohol.

3 You will need a long, non-stick rolling pin large enough to roll out almond paste to cover at least a 30 cm (12 in) cake. Plastic smoothers are also essential to create a professional finish: a curved smoother for the top of the cake and a square-edged one for the sides. Rolling out almond paste to an even thickness can be tricky, and a novice cake decorator might find a pair of marzipan spacers useful to roll against. Depending which way they are placed, they can produce thick or thin sheets of almond paste/sugarpaste. It is best to store the paste in a warm place prior to kneading to help soften it slightly – otherwise it can be quite hard to work with. Knead the paste on a clean, dry surface to make it pliable.

4 Lightly dust the work surface with icing sugar. Place the almond paste on top and if needed position the spacers on either side of the paste. Roll the paste out lengthways using the non-stick rolling pin. Turn it sideways and reposition the spacers on either side again. Continue to roll out the paste until it is large enough to cover the cake. A measuring tape, string or even using the length of the rolling pin to gauge the exact size of the cake top and its sides can be useful. It is always best to allow slightly more than you think you will need, especially for awkward-shaped cakes or anything with corners to it.

5 Using a round-edged plastic smoother, polish and smooth out the surface of the almond paste. Start gently, gradually increasing the pressure to even out any slightly uneven areas of the paste.

6 Place the rolling pin on top of the almond paste and use it to help lift the paste over the cake. Remove the rolling pin and ease the almond paste into place. Smooth the surface of the cake to exclude any air bubbles. Tuck the paste to fit the sides. If you are working on a cake with corners, then concentrate on these first of all.

7 Use the curved-edge smoother to polish the top of the cake. Use strong, firm hand movements to ‘iron out’ any imperfections. Use the edge of the straight-edged smoother to cut and flick away the excess paste from the base of the cake. Finally, use the straight-edged smoother to iron out the sides of the cake using a fair amount of pressure. Place the cake onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and, if time allows, leave to firm up overnight or for a few days prior to coating with sugarpaste.

COATING A CAKE AND CAKE DRUM WITH SUGARPASTE

Plastic sugarpaste smoothers are essential when covering a cake with sugarpaste. The round-edged smoother is good for working on the top of the cake and the straight-edged smoother is good for working on the sides, giving a sharper edge at the base. Covering a cake with sugarpaste is a fairly straightforward process – however, practice is needed to achieve very neat results. If you are colouring the sugarpaste it is best to use paste food colour or to thicken liquid colours with icing sugar. It is safer to colour a small amount of sugarpaste and then knead this into the larger amount of paste to control the depth of colour rather than create a paste that is too brightly coloured.

1 Knead the sugarpaste on a clean, dry sugar- and flour-free surface until smooth and pliable. Take care not to knead in too many air bubbles. When fully kneaded, lightly dust the work surface with sieved icing sugar and place the sugarpaste on top, with any cracks against the work surface. Roll out, smooth and polish the paste as described for the almond paste coating.

2 Moisten the surface of the almond paste with clear alcohol (Cointreau, kirsch or white rum can all be used). Use a sponge to apply the alcohol as this gives a more even covering. Any dry areas will encourage air bubbles to be trapped between the almond paste and the sugarpaste. The alcohol helps to stick the sugarpaste to the almond paste and also acts as an antibacterial agent.

3 Pick up the sugarpaste onto the rolling pin and lower it over the cake, taking care to position the paste so that it will cover the sides evenly. Remove the rolling pin. Use your hands and then the round-edged smoother to create a smooth finish and eliminate air bubbles. Next, lift and ease the paste against the sides of the cake. If the cake has corners or points, deal with these first as they often crack or tear. Be careful not to stretch the sugarpaste too much as you work. Trim the excess paste from the base of the cake using a flat knife or the edge of a straight-edged smoother. Use the same smoother to iron out the sides of the cake. Use a pin to prick any air bubbles/pockets that might appear (brightly coloured glass head pins are best for this job so that you can easily spot them when not in use) and then smooth over with the sugarpaste smoothers. Continue to use the curved-edge smoother on the top of the cake and the straight-edged smoother on the sides to create a good, even finish. The edges of the coating or any difficult points or curved areas can be given extra attention with a pad of sugarpaste pressed into your palm and used to polish the paste.

4 To coat a cake drum, roll out the sugarpaste and carefully place it over a drum moistened with clear alcohol. Smooth over with the round-edged smoother and then trim off the excess with a flat knife. Smooth the cut edge with a smoother to neaten it. Next, polish with a pad of sugarpaste pressed into your palm.

5 Soften a small amount of sugarpaste with clear alcohol (Cointreau, kirsch or white rum) and place at the centre of the cake drum. Carefully lower the cake which should be on a cake board of the same size over the top. Gently press down the top of the cake with the round-edged smoother to bond the cake and the drum together. Use the straight-edged smoother to blend and create a good join between the cake and the drum. Smooth over any areas that need extra attention with the sugarpaste pad technique.

WIRING PETALS AND LEAVES

This is my favourite method of constructing flowers. It gives the flowers much more movement and extra strength too, resulting in fewer breakages.

1 Knead a piece of flowerpaste and form roughly into the shape of the petal or leaf you are making. Press it down against a non-stick board to flatten it slightly. Use a celstick or rolling pin to roll the flowerpaste, leaving a ridge for the wire. Try to create a tapered ridge, angling the pin slightly so that the ridge is thicker at the base of the petal/leaf. The thickness and length of the ridge will depend on the size of the petal/leaf you are making. There are also boards available commercially which have grooves in them that create a similar ridged effect when the paste is rolled over them. These can be great for smaller petals and leaves but I find they produce too fine a ridge for many of the larger flowers that I make.

2 Cut out the petal/leaf shape using a cutter, scalpel or plain-edge cutting wheel, leaving the ridge to run down the centre. If you are using a cutter, lift up the shape and place it onto a very light dusting of cornflour and then press firmly with the cutter and scrub it slightly against the paste and the board so that the shape remains slightly stuck in the cutter. This will enable you to quickly rub the edge of the cutter to create a cleaner-cut edge, removing any fuzzy bits!

3 Moisten the wire very slightly – too much will result in the paper coming off the wire and also slow down the drying process of the petal on the wire. Hold the ridge firmly between your finger and thumb, and hold the wire in the other hand very close to the end of the wire that is being inserted into the shape. Push the wire in gradually so that it supports a third to half the length. Use a ball tool to soften and thin the edge of the shape using a rolling action, working the tool half on your hand/foam pad and half on the edge of the paste.

4 Place the petal/leaf into a double-sided petal/leaf veiner and press the two sides firmly against the shape to texture it.

5 A frilled edge can be added using a cocktail stick or a ceramic veining tool, working at intervals to encourage a natural frilled effect.

GLAZING

Glazing can help give a leaf or petal a more realistic appearance. Care must be taken not to glaze flowers too heavily as this can make them look unnatural.

STEAMING

Using powder colours on sugar flowers often leaves a slightly dry-looking finished flower; this can be changed to create a slightly more waxy appearance and also help to set the colour to stop it leaving marks on the surface of the coated cake. Hold each flower in the steam from a boiling kettle for a few seconds, or until the surface turns slightly shiny. Take care not to scald yourself and also not to get the sugar too wet as it will dissolve fairly fast. Allow the flower to dry before wiring into a spray. If you are trying to create a velvety finish to something like a red rose, then the steaming process can be used and then re-dust the flower – you will find that this will hold onto more dust, giving the desired effect.

EDIBLE GOLD AND SILVER LEAF

I love using sheets of gold 23-carat and silver leaf to embellish side designs on cakes. However, the sheets are very fine and tend to tear and fly very easily. Using the following method creates a more convenient way to control this delightful trickster!

1 Roll out some well-kneaded flowerpaste very thinly using a non-stick rolling pin. Lift up the paste and place the sticky side that was against the non-stick board carefully over a whole single sheet of gold/silver leaf. Smooth the flowerpaste from behind onto the leaf to adhere the two together. Turn the flowerpaste over to reveal the coated side. Trim off the excess uncoated paste from the edges. Leave to set for about 20 minutes to give a more paper-like finish and then cut out shapes using a paper punch or flower/leaf cutters. Keep any leftover pieces of the gilded paste to use at a later stage – these dried pieces of paste can be broken into small shards and used to create an alternative decorative effect combined with painted images, added to piped embroidery designs or even combined with dragées.

2 A crackle effect can also be achieved by resting the gold/silver leaf-coated flowerpaste a little and then re-rolling to reveal the colour of the flowerpaste beneath – this can be particularly effective using purple, red or black flowerpaste as a backing for gold or silver leaf.

3 For a jewelled, textured effect, sprinkle some coloured sugar crystal sprinkles on top of the freshly bonded gold/silver leaf flowerpaste and then quickly roll this into the surface using a non-stick rolling pin to embed the crystals into the paste.

Fringed nigella

I came across this unusual fringed form of nigella recently – it was quite a surprise as nigella, or ‘love in a mist’ as it is often called, is generally a much smaller delicate blue flower! There are some green versions of this flower too.

MATERIALS

33-, 30- and 28-gauge white wires

Pale green cold porcelain (p 14–5)

Nile green floristry tape

Vine, daffodil, sunflower, plum, coral, white and foliage petal dusts

White seed-head stamens

Hi-tack non-toxic craft glue

White flowerpaste

EQUIPMENT

Wire cutters

Dusting brushes

Non-stick board

Stargazer B petal veiner (SKGI)

Fine curved scissors

Plain-edge cutting wheel

Ball tool

Dresden tool

STAMEN CENTRE

1 Cut several short lengths of 33-gauge white wire. Blend a small ball of pale green cold porcelain onto the end to create a fine, tapered carrot shape. This is to represent each section of the ovary at the centre of the flower. Pinch a slight ridge down one side at the base. Repeat to make 5 to 8 sections. As the cold porcelain begins to firm up you should be able to curl and twist each section prior to taping together with quarter-width nile green floristry tape. I use cold porcelain for the centre as it enables the stamens to be glued easily around it to create a neat join.

2 Dust the centre with vine green petal dust. Next, take small sets of white seed-head stamens (3 to 5 in a set) and glue each set together at the centre with non-toxic craft glue. Flatten and work the glue from the centre towards either end of the stamens. Repeat with the other groups, trying not to apply too much glue as this will cause bulk and also take much longer to dry. Once the glue has set, cut the stamens in half and then trim away the excess using sharp scissors to leave only a short length to each group with a fine line of glue holding them together.

3 Apply a little more glue to the base of each short stamen group and attach around the base of the ovary sections. Squeeze the base of the stamens into place. Leave to set. Dust the filaments (the length) with vine petal dust and the tips with a mixture of daffodil and sunflower.

FRINGED PETALS

4 These vary in size and are a little random in their make-up too which is good for the flower-maker! Cut several lengths of 33-, 30- or 28-gauge white wire, depending on the size of petal you are working on. Blend a ball of well-kneaded white flowerpaste onto the wire to create a long, tapered petal shape. Keep the base broad and the tip fine. Flatten the shape against the non-stick board using the flat side of the stargazer B petal veiner. You might need to trim the edges slightly to neaten them up with fine scissors or a plain-edge cutting wheel.

5 Soften the edge of the petal with the ball tool and then texture using the double-sided stargazer B petal veiner.

6 Use fine curved scissors to make a long cut on either edge of the petal to create a tri-lobed shaped petal. Open up the sections and then add finer shorter snips to the edges of the three sections.

7 Next, place the petal against the non-stick board and press each of the fringed sections with the broad end of the Dresden tool to thin them out slightly.

8 Pinch the petal from the base to the tip to create a central vein. Repeat to make numerous petals, curving them slightly to give the flower more movement.

COLOURING AND ASSEMBLY

9 The petals can be dusted before or after assembly with a mixture of plum, coral and white petal dusts, concentrating most of the colour at the base of each petal. Tinge the edges with vine green and small amounts of foliage green too. Tape the petals around the centre using quarter-width nile green floristry tape.

LEAVES

10 These are very fine and look good made from fine 33-gauge white wires and twisted nile green floristry tape. Add groups of leaves directly behind the flower. Dust them with foliage and vine green.

Sweet violet

The sweet violet, with its heady fragrance, has been used to symbolise love for thousands of years. It is also the flower of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In years gone by, violets were strewn on the floors of cottages and churches to conceal the musty smell of damp and to sweeten the air. Although there are cutters available for making violets, I actually prefer to use the method that was first taught to me 20-odd years ago: simply using a pair of scissors to cut the varying sizes of petal and then pinching and pulling each petal between finger and thumb to create the desired petal shape. This method, commonly known as the pulled flower method, can be used to make many types of filler flowers.

MATERIALS

White and holly/ivy flowerpaste

Cornflour bag (p 11)

26-gauge white wire

Nile green floristry tape

Fresh egg white

African violet, deep purple, daffodil, white, sunflower, vine green, foliage and aubergine petal dusts

Black paste food colour

Isopropyl alcohol

Edible spray varnish

EQUIPMENT

Smooth ceramic tool

Scissors

Fine-nose pliers

Non-stick rolling pin

Heart-shaped cutters

Dresden tool

Ball tool

Violet leaf veiner (SKGI)

Dimpled foam

Dusting brushes

Fine paintbrush

Calyx cutter (R15 OP) (optional)

FLOWERS

1 Form a ball of well-kneaded white flowerpaste into a cone shape. Open up and thin out the broad end using the pointed end of the smooth ceramic tool – you might need a light dusting of cornflour to prevent the paste sticking to the tool.

2 Next, divide the shape into five unequal-sized petals using a pair of scissors. You are aiming to end up with one larger lip petal with two small petals on either side of it, plus two medium-sized petals together at the top of the flower.

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