Some fondant and sugarpaste accents only need a slight curve to them, for example daisies. Cake decorations like these would need something shallow to help form them and sometimes some unlikely items fit the bill. This weeks CAKE101 offers a tip that we use to set a little shape to more open flowers.
“To help form fondant flowers that only need a shallow curve to them the lids to miniature jam jars (the kind you find in hotels) are perfect! These are great for flowers that need a slight lift to the tips of the petals.”
Sometimes when you’re filling an order for 100 plus cupcakes that require softly curved fondant petals and leaves you’ll get to a point when you look around only to discover that you have no more room on your forming cups, waves or foam pads. This weeks CAKE101 offers a tip on some essential tools to keep in your tool kit for situations like this!
“To add shape to fondant petals or leaves why not sit them in the curves of paint palettes or even teaspoons. This is especially handy if you run out of space on forming cups, waves and foam pads!”
Using silicone moulds and tappits can be daunting and really test your patience as fondant and flowerpaste can get stuck into the details which is infuriating. This weeks CAKE101 cake decorating and baking tip is a quick trick to help your moulds easily pop out with minimal or no faults!
“When using moulds to create fondant and flowerpaste lace or jewels brush the mould very liberally with icing sugar or lustre dust. This stops the fondant from sticking to the mould when it’s time to remove your design.”
NOTE: You can also use cornstarch as well as icing sugar or lustre dust!
‘Tutorial Tuesday’ : How to make a sugarpaste/fondant bluebird!
In this week’s tutorial we will show you how to create your very own little bluebird. This simple sugarpaste model is quick, easy and fun to make and perfect for any occasion. Why not transform your bluebird into a robin, blackbird or sparrow? Simply custom-colour your sugarpaste to create a bird fit for your occasion. This cute, cartoon-like bluebird adds a touch of fun to the current wedding trend.
Step one: Take approx half of your sky blue sugarpaste and shape it into a ‘whale’ as seen above. Once happy with your shape take the Blade tool by PME and make four slices; this will create a ‘fan’ look for your bluebird’s tail.
Step two: Set your bluebird’s body to one side for the time being. Take a small amount of blue and shape them both into an oval ensuring you taper one end ever so slightly. On the tapered end make two incisions to create the feathers on your bluebird’s wings.
Step three: Take the white sugarpaste and roll it out using the small rolling pin by PME. Using the blade tool by PME cut a rough circle out. Discard the remaining white sugarpaste and begin working around the circle with the blade tool to ‘feather’ the bluebird’s chest. Using the edible glue by Squires Kitchen now attach your bluebird’s chest in place.
Step four: Using the remaining sky blue sugarpaste roll a ball and set it to one side. Gently push a cocktail stick behind the white chest of your bluebird ensuring you adjust it according to your bluebird’s height. Put a small amount of edible glue by Squires Kitchen around the cocktail stick and gently slide the head in place. Attach the wings using a small amount of edible glue spread evenly with a paintbrush.
Step five: Break off a small piece of cocktail stick and place it where you would like your bluebird’s beak. Shape a beak using the golden yellow sugarpaste and fix in place.
Step six: Using the end of the kebab stick simply dip it into the black colouring by Wilton and dot two eyes in place to complete your bluebird’s lovely little face.
If you have followed this tutorial now you will have your very own little bluebird! We would love to see what variations you can come up with by adjusting colour, shape and size.
In today’s tutorial we show you how to decorate a cupcake to create an lovely polar bear perfect for the holiday season! This tutorial is fun for adults and kids to both make and gobble up! You can also easily adapt the steps in this tutorial to make other adorable animals; such as making triangular ears, larger eyes and adding whiskers to whip up a little cat.
Step one: Roll out some white sugarpaste and cut out a circle with your 68mm cutter.
Step two: Take your cupcake smothered with buttercream and smooth your sugarpaste circle atop. Press lightly at the edges until the icing meets the edge. Dust with lustre dust if you would like some festive sparkle.
Step three: Cut out a small circle of sugarpaste using a small circle cutter. Using your edible glue attach this just low to the centre of your cupcake. Dust with lustre dust if you wish.
Step four: Cut out two circles from your rolled out white sugarpaste and indent them with your ball tool to make your bear’s ears. Dust with lustre dust.
Step five: To affix the ears dab some edible glue atop your cupcake on either side then lightly press the ears on top.
Step six: To make your polar bear smile use the scallop tool to indent both sides of the mouth into the muzzle.
Step seven: Create a tiny nose from some black sugarpaste and glue this above the mouth.
Step eight: Finally to make the eyes make two small black balls and lightly flatten. Glue these above the polar bear’s muzzle. Then create two tiny white balls, indent the blacks with the end of your paintbrush and glue the tiny white balls in.
Hurrah! You now have a lovely little polar bear cupcake to enjoy in the holiday season. Merry Christmas and happy baking from Juniper Cakery!
Step one: Roll out your white icing on a smooth non-stick (or icing sugar coated surface) until it becomes 1 or 2 mm thick.
Step two: Select the appropriately sized cookie cutter from the Tala set (or a glass/cup from the cupboard). This design will translate well on any cupcake and the size depends on persoanl preference.
Step three: Now you have your icing circle discard the remaining white icing placing your icing circle safely to one side. Take your spatula and spread your buttercream atop of the cupcake making it as smooth as possible. (If your cupcake is flat use the buttercream to create a ‘dome’ shape). You can be as generous as you like when applying the buttercream so long as your icing circle can still reach the sides of the cupcake case.
Step four: Take your icing circle and lay it atop the cupcake to nestle in to the buttercream. Gently spread the icing circle down toward the sides of the cupcake case ensuring it meets; smooth the icing down from the middle until it looks like the above picture.
Step five: Set your iced cupcake aside and roll out the green fondant icing. Once this is 1mm thick use the holly plunger cutter by PME to cut out your decoration.
Step six: Lay the holly aside and take the red fondant icing. Take very small, berry-sized, pieces of the red icing and roll it between your index finger and your thumb. Repeat this three times and you will have your holly berries!
Step seven: With a clean paintbrush smooth the lustre dust by Sugarflair around the whites of your cupcake to give it a frosty shimmer.
Step seven: Using a small amount of edible glue by Squires Kitchen and the paintbrush wet the surfact of your cupcake and place the holly leaves and berries atop.
Now you have your festive fondant/flat iced cupcake! Merry Christmas from Juniper Cakery
Here’s a really playful bicycle themed cake we created! It’s a classic Victoria Sponge cake with the large boulder as a second tier. The cake is covered with custom coloured icing and decorated with various edible sugarpaste modellings. We had lots of fun making this cake!
What you will need:
PME Shell tool
PME Blade tool
PME Ball tool
Various sugarpaste colours
Thin paintbrush
Toothpicks
Water and icing sugar (to make edible glue)
Step one: Knead your main sugarpaste colour and form into two somewhat pear shaped pieces. The large will be your mouse’s body and the smaller will be the head.
Step two: Insert a toothpick into the mouse’s body, paint some edible glue onto the neck and around the top of the toothpick. Place the smaller piece onto the body.
Step three: To make your mouse’s tummy roll out some contrasting sugarpaste in an oblong shape and glue to your mouse.
Step four: Now for you mouse’s ears! Make a small oblong shape with your main sugarpaste colour and stick a smaller oblong in a contrasting colour on top. Next cut in half.
Step five: Paint glue onto the sides of the head and attach the ears.
Step six: For the nose use the smaller end of the ball tool to make an indentation where the nose should be. Make a tiny ball of contrasting sugarpaste, paint on some edible glue and stick the little nose in place.
Step seven: Using some contrasting sugarpaste shape some tiny little hands and feet (they can be balls, oblonges or triangular shaped). To make cute little toes and fingers on your mouse use the shell tool!
Step eight: For the tail it best that the majority of it stick to the body as it is delicate and may snap off. Using the smaller ball tool make a large-ish indentation in the mouse’s bum. Roll out about 2 inches of contrasting sugarpaste into a tail shape and attach to the bum.
Step nine: Finally, using the small ball tool make some eyes. Yay! Now you have your own adorable little sugar paste mouse!
Coming soon! A tutorial on how to create the lovely little sugarpaste cupcake on which our mice are about to nibble!
