Archive for May, 2007

As promised I have some pictures from this weekends workshop with Lindy Smith. It was a “wonky style cake” we was working on and it was great fun to learn the tricks behinde getting a round cake go “wonky”. I must say it was not that difficult after all. The only very important thing with these types of cakes is that the round cakes needs to be 3″ high and very firm like a Madeira/pound cake. The cakes at this workshop was not that firm and steady so it was a bit of a challenge to carve the cakes right. But we all made it in the end. I was lucky to read a bit from Lindy’s new book: Cakes to inspire and desire and it looks so interesting. Also I brought some very pretty flower cutters that I used on my workshop cake.

Happy Caking

Louise

Tomorrow I will attend a sugarcraft workshop in Oslo, Norway with british Cake designer Lindy Smith. Lindy is also the author behind cake decoration books like: Celebrate with a cake, Party Animal Cakes and Storybook cakes. Lindy have a forthcomming book on the way called: Cakes to inspire and desire and from that book I will learn how to make Lindy’s amazing “Wonky Style Cakes”. I will make sure to take a lot of pictures from the workshop.

Happy Caking

Louise

I have to show you one more picture of Amanda’s amazing cakes. This bright and colorful gift cake is based on one of Elegant Cheese Cakes designs And I think that Amanda have done a very good job. The cakes is covered with sugarpaste and I love the strong colors of pink, green and bright blue together with the beautiful bow and roses. Please visit Amandas cake gallery as she have more stunning cakes there.

Happy Caking

Louise

This beautiful cake is made by one of my flickr friends Amanda from Littel Rock, AR, USA. Amanda has told me that the purse cake was based on a cake from one of cake designer Colette Peters books: Colette’s birthday cakes. As I have a thing with pink and brown put together on cakes this is one of my many favourite cakes made by Amanda and she completes this two tired cake with this nice little pink purse. To see the rest of Amandas cake creations then please visit Amandas cake gallery on flickr.

Colette’s birthday cakes UK
Colette’s birthday cakes US

Happy Caking

Louise

Today it has been raining all day here in Copenhagen. To brighten up things a bit I made some vanilla cupcakes decorated with blue buttercream icing, sugar paste daisies and sugar sprinkles. I have bought a new cake book: Fairy Cakes by Joanna Farrow and I tried out her buttercream recipe on these cupcakes. It was very creamy and light, the best I have tasted so far If you are interested in this book you can find it here US or UK

Happy Caking

Louise

The Silverwood bakeware line have made a new multi mini 2″ heart cake pan. Perfekt for making individual cakes for weddings, engagement and other celebrations. You can now bake 16 mini hearts in one go. I have a few different Silverwood cake pans myself and I am very pleased with them.

You can find more details here

Happy Caking

Louise

Learn how to make a sugar rose out of gum paste with this rose tutorial. I use one or two sizes of petal cutters when making sugar roses. The sizes of cutters generally depends on the size of the “rose” cones that I am making. The more petals you add, the more fuller it will get. It looks really pretty when big roses and rose buds is mixed together on a cake.

This is what I use:
Flower paste/gum paste
Gel paste colors
Corn starch
Styrofoam or cake dummie
Flower foam pad (Orchard products)
Dogbone tool or ball tool
Small spatula
Tylo glue
Small brushes
Toothpicks
Rolling pin
Non-stick board
7 tablespoons
Rose petal cutters in various sizes
Rose leaf cutters in various sizes
Leaf veiner (optional)
Calyx cutters in various sizes
A small plastic bag
White vegetable fat
Edible petal dust

Small rose and rose buds
Step 1:

You will need to make a cone (no. 1 in the picture) for each sugar rose you are making. It is a good idea to start making the cones a day or two ahead. Remember that the cones should be a little bit smaller than the size of the petal cutter you will be using. Stick a tooth pick in the bottom af the cone and set aside on the styrofoam/cake dummie to dry completely.

Next step is to roll out your flower paste/gum paste thinly and cut out three rose petals. Use your dogbone tool on the flower foam pad and carefully thin the edge of the rose petals so it get slightly frilly. Put two of the rose petals in a plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. Brush the cone with tylo glue and wrap one rose petal thight around it, so that the pointed end of the rose cone is covered (no. 2 in the picture).
TIP! Use this as a closed rose bud

Brush with tylo glue once again and take the two last petals from the plastic bag. Wrap them around the cone so they slightly overlap each other (no. 3 in the picture). Arrange the rose petals and make “movements” with your fingers and leave them to dry for about 30 minutes or more before you add more rose petals.
TIP! Use this as a open rose bud

Cut out three more rose petals, just like the ones you made to begin with. Brush the rose petals lightly with tylo glue and arrange the next three rose petals, again overlaping the petals (no. 4 in the picture) Again make “movements” with your fingers and leave your small sugar rose to dry comepletely.
TIP! Use this as a small rose

Step 2:
If you want a larger sugar rose, do as follows: Roll out your flower paste/gum paste thinly, this time cut out five rose petals with the next size of cutter. Use your dogbone tool on all five petals, as in step 1. Take five tabelspoons and dust them with a little corn starch (this will prevent the rose petals from sticking to the tbsp).

Put the rose petals on the teaspoons and let the petals go over the top of the edge of the spoons (as shown in the picture). Let the rose petals dry in the spoons for around 15-20 minutes. Then brush the lower half of the petals with tylo glue and arrange the petals arround the rose, so that they overlap each other. Set the rose aside to dry completely.

If you want an even bigger sugar rose, cut out seven more rose petals and put them on the tablespoons. Since the rose is getting rather big now you need to carefully turn the rose upside down for the last rose petals. Attach the rose petals with tylo glue like previous. Let the big sugar rose dry completely.
TIP! Use a piece of foam to place the rose on, to prevent it from breaking

Step 3:
When your rose is dry, roll out some green flower paste/gum paste and cut out a calyx that fit the rose. Brush the calyx with tylo glue and attach it to the bottom of the rose. When making small sugar rose buds, put a small ball of green flower paste/gum paste on the rose buds after the calyx as well.
TIP! Apply dry edible petal powders with a soft brush on your roses, for great looking effects.

Note: Remember to remove any toothpicks when placing the roses on the cake.

Want to learn more? Find some of the best sugar flower books in my bookstores: UK and US

Happy Caking!

Louise

Today I have made this mermaid cake for a sixth year birthday party.
The cakes is covered in sugar paste. I have sponge painted the “rock” with gel colors and clear alcohol. The mermaids tail is modelled in sugar paste with CMC/Tylo powder and the body is modelled in marcipan mixed with a little sugar paste and some CMC/Tylo powder to keep it stabel.

I have used a Sugarcraft gun to make the mermaids hair. It is a brilliant tool that have 16 different pattern discs which makes you able to create fx. hair and strings.
To complete the cake have I used a silicone bead maker to make the pearlboarder. I gave the pearls some luster dust as a finishing touch.

Happy Caking!

Louise

I have now created a new cake book store for users in the US. Hope you will enjoy my favourite reading.

Happy Caking

Louise

This is one of the cupcake decorations, that many ask about. It is also one of the flowers that I always stock plenty of for later use. The cutter that I have used, is a Petunia flower cutter. I have it in three sizes and the one used here are the largest of the three cutters that I have.

Follow this tutorial on how to make sweet and easy decoration for your cakes and cupcakes. You can never get to many of these!

This is what I use:
Petunia flower cutters ( I use the ones from Tinkertech Two: 435, 573 & 599)
Five petal silicone veiner
Cornstarch duster
Gel paste color
Lustre dust
Tylo glue
Non stick Board
Rolling pin
Painter’s palette
Soft paint brush for the lustre dust
Small paint brush for the tylo glue
Gum paste
Edible sugar pearls (optional)
Royal icing (optional)
Non-pareils (optional)

Step 1:
Color you gumpaste with the gel paste color. Roll out your gum paste into 2mm thickness and cut out the flowers. Cut out 5 flowers at a time.

Step 2:
Dust the silicone veiner with cornstarch. Place the cut out flower in the veiner and place the pointed veiner part on top.

Step 3:
Give the veiner a light push with the palm of your hand. Open the veiner and carefully take out the flower. Place the flower in a painters palette and let it dry completely. Continue with the rest of the flowers.
Note: Remember to dust the silicone veiner with cornstarch when required.

Step 4:
When the flowers are dry, take a soft brush and brush off any cornstarch on the flowers. Then take a soft paint brush and lightly brush the flower with lustre dust from the center and out.

Step 5:
If you like, you can glue a little edible sugar pearl in the center of the flower. Let it dry and you will now have a pretty decoration for your cake or cupcake?.

Step 6:
This is just an example on what you also can use for the center of the flowers: A sprinkle of Non-pareils or small dots of royal icing.

Tip!
The Petunia flower cutter is not the only one that you can use together with the silicone veiner. Five petal blossom cutters also makes pretty flowers.

Happy Caking!

Louise