I have recived a lot of questions regarding the use of poured fondant icing on cupcakes. So in this tutorial I will try to show you how to cover cupcakes with poured fondant.

This is what I use:
White fondant
Abricot jam
Hot boiled water
Cupcakes (firm cupcakes works best)
Pastry brush
Tea spoon
Heatproff bowls
Optional: Flavourings and food colors.

Step 1:
Brush the cupcakes with a thin coat of hot abricot jam. Let it dry.

Step 2:
Place the fondant in a heatproff bowl and heat it gently in the microway oven for approx 1 min. It needs to be warm but dont let it boil. Give it a stir to get it smooth. It is important that you get the right consistency. If it gets too thick you will have difficulty to dip the cupcake properly and if it is too thin it will look transparent on the cupcake. Give it a few tries and you will find the right consistency. You can use boiled water, a tsp at a time, to thin it down. If it gets too cold gently reheat it in the microway oven a few sec.

Step 3:
Now take the cupcake and dip it upside down in the hot fondant. Carefully shake the excess fondant off. I like to dip my cupcakes so the fondant sticks to the paper cases.

Step 4:
Set the cupcakes aside and let them dry. If you like you can give them a second coat when the first one is dry.

Step 5:
Attach your choosen decoration on the cupcakes with dots of royal icing.

Note: Store the cupcakes in cake boxes. NOT in the refrigerator because that will dissolve the poured fondant. Also air thight containers can make the fondant melting.

Happy Caking

Louise

Video tutorial, how to make a ribbon rose. As you can see CakeJournal is now on youtube. I am just testing this so please abstract for the poor picture and sound quality I would though really love your feedback. Is this something you would like to see more of?

Happy Caking

Louise

This glue is perfect for all kinds of sugarwork and it is very quick to make. Here you can see how to make Tylo glue:

This is what you will need:
1 tsp. of Tylo powder (CMC)
approx. 30 tsp. of boiled cooled water
1 plastic container with lid

Mix water and powder in the container. Close with the lid and shake well. Leave overnight so the Tylo will dissovle into a clear thick gel. It should be keept in the refrigerator and away from direct sunlight. Storage life approx. 1 month.

Note: you can add more water if it gets to thick.

Happy Caking

Louise

I love sugar bows on cakes. I think it gives the cake a very feminine look and it is a necessity on beautiful gift cakes. So in this tutorial I will try to show you how to make a sugar bow. If you have not tried it before start by making a “medium large” sugar bow instead of a very small one. You can ad shimmer dust to your bow just by brushing shimmer on to the stripes before pleating and assembling the sugar bow.

Note: I find it best to use a mix consisting of 50% sugar paste and 50% flower paste. That way you will get a smoothe and flexible paste to work with.

This is what I use:
50/50 Sugar paste/flower paste
Rolling pin
Small spatular
Tylo glue
Artist brush
Polyesterfibre
2 sheets of kitchen roll
Cornstarch for dusting
1 Plastic bag
A pair of scissors

Step 1:
Take the plastic bag and cut up one of the sides.

Step 2:
Take some of the polyesterfibre and warp it in the kitchen roll:

Step 3:
Dust with cornstarch and roll out the paste thinly. Take the spatular and cut two long stripes and one short stripe. Place the three pieces in the plastic bag. To keep them for drying out.

Step 4:
Take one of the long stripes and make pleats in both ends. Brush the ends with tylo glue. Take the polyester roll and fold the ends together.

Step 5:
Gently press the ends. Set a side and repeat with the other long stripe.

Step 6:
Trim the ends so they have clean cuts. Brush with tylo glue and put them together.

Step 7:
Take the small stripe and make pleats. Brush the middle of the sugar bow with tylo glue.

Step 8:
Take the short stripe (maybe you need to cut it shorter) and wrap the ends around the middle of the sugar bow.

Step 9:
Now leave the sugar bow to dry. Note: If you want the sugar bow to stand up. You will do that now before it dries to much.

Step 10:
For the tails, roll out the excess paste and cut two long stripes.

Step 11:
Make pleates and cut the end. Place them on top of each other and brush with tylo glue and attache the sugar bow on top. Remove the polyester rolls when the bow is almost dry. Note: I find it best to cut out the tails just before they are applied to the cake. That way they are smoother and more flexible.

Happy Caking

Louise

I think when serving cupcakes or mini cakes they look so much better when served on a cake stand. In this tutorial I will show you how to make a cake stand that is very easy and quick to make. You can adapt it to the color or pattern on your cakes. I have used thick gift wrap paper to cover the cake boards. But you could ice your cake boards with rolled sugarpaste/fondant icing instead. Only remember to ice the cake board a few days in advanced so they can dry throughly.

Note: remember when you have assembled the cake stand with cakes on it, not to move it around too much.

This is what I have used:

Cake boards: 1×8″, 1×10″, 1×12″
Note: if you want one more tire on the stand. You will need 1×14″ cake board.Polysthyrene cake dummies 2″ high: 2X5″ and 2×6″
Note: You will need 2×7″ polysthyrene cake dummies for one more tire.

Satin ribbon for the cake board and the polysthyrene cake dummies

Thick paper or sugarpaste/rolled fondant icing

Glue stick and regular glue
Note: use school glue

Metal pins

Sharp scissor

pencil

Step 1:
Start by glue the dummies together. So they can dry completely.

Step 2:
Take your chosen ribbon, and attach it on the dummies with a metal pin.
Note: you can also glue the ribbon on. But I want to use the dummies again. So therefor I have not glued my ribbon on

Step 3:
When the dummies are dry, start by wrapping the ribbon around them so it slightly overlap all the way to the top.
Note: the metal pin on the picture, was only put in so I could take the picture.

Step 4:
Attach the ribbon with a metal pin.

Step 5:
Lay the cake boards on the choosen paper. Take your pencil and draw a line around the board on the paper. Cut out wih a pair of scissors.

Step 6:
Take the glue stick and add glue throughly all over the board.

Step 7:
Place the paper cirkel on the cake board and rub it lightly.

Step 8:
Now it is time to attache the ribbon to the side of the cake board. Add a metal pin to just keep the ribbon in place.

Step 9:
If you like you can rub a bit of glue on the side so the ribbon stays in place. End by taking the metal pin and attache it to the overlaps.

Step 10:
Now your cake stand is finished.
Note: I have not assembled my cake stand with glue, but you could do that for an extra safety. If you use iced cake boards you can use royal icing to fix it if you like.

On this cake stand I have used 7″, 10″, 13″ but I would recomend to use the cake board size’s above.

IMPORTANT!! If you are having problems finding the materials to make this cake stand. Then please take your time and read through the comment section as you will find links and answers on where to buy the materials.

If you have any problems with the cake stand then please let me know so I can help you out. Also I would love to see your cake stand when it is finished. Maybe completed with cupcakes or mini cakes? So please send a photo

See CakeJournal’s readers own cake stands in the cake stand gallery.

Happy Caking

Louise

Sugar roses can be made in many different ways. In this tutorial I will try to show you how to make a sugar rose.

This is what I use:

Flower paste or sugar paste (In green and the color you want your rose)
CMC/Tylo powder (when using sugar paste)
Corn starch duster
Styrofoam or cake dummie
Flower pad (Orchard products)
Dogbone tool
Small spatula
sugar glue/water
Small brushes
Toothpicks
Rolling pin
Non-stick board
7 teaspoons
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

I use either flower paste or sugar paste mixed with a small amount af CMC/Tylo powder. The kind of paste I use, depends of the type of sugar flower I am making. I use flower paste when making delicate sugar flowers and sugar paste when creating less detailed ones. When I am using sugar paste I find it easiest to first color the paste and then add the CMC/Tylo powder (less than 1/4 tsp for 100 gr sugar paste). You can feel if you have used too much CMC/Tylo powder, as the paste gets dry. If that happens you can add a small amount of white vegetable fat. I only use CMC/Tylo powder for the rose petals and rose leaves not for the calyx.

Note: If you are using sugar paste then make only a small amount at the time as it will harden quite fast and then be useless. Also remember to keep your flower paste/sugar paste well wrapped in a plastic bag when not using it.

I use 1 or 2 sizes of petal cutters when making sugar roses. The sizes of cutters generally depends on the size of the cones I am making.

Step 1, the cone:

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

Step 2, small sugar rose:

Roll out your flower paste/sugar paste thinly and cut out three petals. Use your dogbone tool on the flower pad and carefully thin the edge of the petal so it get slightly frilly. Put the petals gently in a plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. Brush the cone with sugar glue and then wrap a petal tight around it, so that the pointed end is covered (no. 2 on picture in step 1). Brush with sugar 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 on picture in step 1). Make “movements” on the petals with your fingers and leave them to dry for approx. 30 minutes. While you wait for the patals to dry you cut out three more petals, just like the ones you made to begin with. When the 30 minutes has passed then brush the petals lightly with sugar glue and arrange the next 3 petals so that they overlap each other (no. 4 on picture in step 1). Again make “movements” on the petals and leave your small sugar rose to dry comepletly.

Step 3, medium sugar rose:

If you want a larger sugar rose you can do as follows. Roll out your flower paste/sugar paste thinly and this time cut out five petals with the next size of cutter so it is slightly bigger. Use your dogbone tool on all five petals, as in step 2. Take five teaspoons and dust them with your corn starch duster. Put the petals on the teaspoons and let the petals goes over the top of the edge of the spoones (as in picture above to the left). Let the petals dry in the spoons for arround 15-20 minutes. Then brush the lower half of the petals with sugar glue/water and arrange the petals arround the small rose so they overlap each other. Set the medium sugar rose aside to dry completely.

Step 4, large sugar rose:

If you want an even larger sugar rose you cut out seven petals and put them on teaspoons, as in step 3. You fasten the petals, as in step 3, but this time you gently put the sugar rose upside down as the petals can be heavy. Let the large sugar rose dry completly.

Step 5, the calyx:

When your rose is dry roll out the green flower paste/sugar paste and cut out a calyx to fit the rose. Brush the calyx with sugar glue and attache it to the bottom of the rose. When making small sugar roses, put a small ball of green flower paste/sugar paste on the rose buds after the calyx as well. Let it dry before adding to a cake. If you like, you can gently brush some eidble petal dust on the dry roses and carefully steam the roses over hot water. When dry, your sugar rose are ready to become cake decoration.

Note: Remember to remove the toothpicks from the roses. If you let them stay on the toothpicks then remove the roses with toothpicks before cutting the cake.

If you want to learn and read more on sugar roses and other sugar flowers then take a look in my cake book store where I have found some of the best books on making sugar flowers UK and US

Happy Caking

Louise

I have been asked alot about the sugar flowers on this cupcake. In this tutorial I will try to show you how to make a sugar flower like the ones on the cupcake.

This is what I use:

Small 5-petal flower cutters
Corn starch duster
Flower veiner
Non stick Board
Rolling pin
Painter’s palette (small)
Sugar paste/fondant icing
CMC/Tylo powder
Royal icing (optional)

1. Roll out your sugar paste/fondant icing and cut out the sugar flowers. You can add some Tylo powder to the paste and knead well. That way the flower will harden as it dries and it will keep the shape if you would like to save the flowers in a box.

2. Dust the veiners with corn starch.

3. Place the sugar flower in the veiner and place the pointed veiner half on top and give it a light push with the palm of your hand.

4. Remove the pointed veiner part and your sugar flower should now look like this.

5. Gently lift the sugar flower off the veiner and place it ind a small painters palette and let it dry. When it is dry you can add a small dot of sugar paste/fondant icing or royal icing i the middle and then it is ready to use.

Here are some other examples on how these sugar flowers can be used as decoration on cakes:

Petunia flower cake
Heartshaped cake
Barbie princess birthday cake

Happy Caking

Louise

In this tutorial I will show you how to make a corn starch dusting bag. This is what you need to create it:

1. A foam washcloth
2. A rubberband
3. Corn starch

1. Put a pile of corn starch on the washcloth.

2. Take the four corners and put them together. Then tighten them together with the rubberband.

3. Now you have a handy dusting bag which is useful when you roll out your sugar paste (fondant icing)

Happy Caking

Louise