12/14/09

Wedding Cakes: 3 tier Wedding Cake








Wedding Cakes: Basket Weave practical




Wedding Cakes: 2 tier cake with gum paste flowers












Wedding Cakes: Gum Paste Flowers and Royal Icing Piping

Gum Paste Flowers
-use corn starch when making flowers
-cut wires about 5-6” long, for a large calla lily cut to 7”
-center of calla lily- yellow paste dipped in cornmeal, 18 gage wire
-dip wire tip in egg white
-make ball, put on top
-roll into thin oval with point at top, very thin and straight
-brush with egg whites and dip in cornmeal
Rose centers:
-cone in teardrop, Hershey kiss shape
-for wire- turn just tip with pliers
-is more supportive


Making roses:
#1- center on wire
#2- first petal wrapped around pre-made center- tight and overlaps onto itself. Don’t want to see center through middle. Using egg white as glue, roll the petal very tightly around like a towel rolled around a head
#3- 3 small petals wrap around center petal, overlapping each other, about half way over each petal. Should be tight around center still, slightly above the past row
#4- 5 medium size petals, overlapping again but raised up slightly, go slightly above and glue down, just barely open up petals and pull the tips back
#5- add outer larger petals, if want to make super full- can add extra large petals. Roll some out, leave the end thicker- where the wire goes, use 24 gage wire, thin the edges of the petal out. Dip wire in egg white, thread into base and let dry over night

curl edges of petals out and give them movement, this makes the rose appear more natural. Manipulate petals- bend or pinch

pre-color the gum paste
can use petal dust to highlight edges of petals
once the paste is rolled out, cover with plastic so doesn’t dry out, cut out with petal cutters
Rose petals- roll as thin as possible with ball tool, to the outside edge of petal
If getting dry use shortening to roll it out

3-5-7 rule works, but go for a natural look, use what petals it takes to get a natural look and fill out the rose. Should be a gradual increase in petal sizes

making flowers is labor intensive and having them on the cake can increase its selling cost by $300




Stephanotis: filler flower
32 gage wire
make a little sausage- dip the wire in egg white, take the wood modeling stick and make an indentation in the center and make 5 snips for the petals. Begin to open up with fingers, thin top out a little bit, the base is kind of bulbous, flatten out the petal, use cornstarch on your finger and point out the edge of each petal

Calla lily- array of colors, mini and full size, can use heart shaped cutter to make flower
Thin out outside edge from center out
Vein it with tool stick down center deeply and down sides
Glue on base of petal, spiral/ ravel over stamen on wire
Hang upside down to dry, as dries curl back edges to open up


Stargazers/Asiatic lily: petals wired separately
One end thicker when roll out
Don’t hook wire- keep straight, thin out outside edges of petals
Vein with tool
Rest and let dry, over rolling pin if want curved
Center stamen and 6 pistils
Make stamen darker, brown burgundy
Mini sausage, 32 gage, stamen thin, top more bulbous
Divide top into 3 sections
Pistils- ½ size of tic tac
Stick in egg white then in center of tic tac piece, bend down edges a little

Using floral tape- gather stamen and pistils; wrap around and pull as wrap down
Arrange 3 petals around center
Wrap tape around, come back and fit other on

Leaves: use thinnest wire, unhooked
Make green and brown paste for leaves
Roll out, make base thicker for wire
Thin with ball tool, vein it
Add movement, as it dries angle it, move it and pinch it

Cymbidium orchid: center- hook wire, make sausage
Make indent wit crochet tool, looks like cobra fanning its head
Make little ball and put it in center
Make slit down middle, looks like teeth or butt
Make 5 petals with veins
Make center- throat- special cutter for it; thin it out with ball tool
Brush egg white around base, wrap around center of cobra, let dry
Arrange 5 petals around it
Fondant decorations:
Draping: want to roll very thin, tuck edges under
Free form, bring together
Place on cake- make it taught, have some pull

Band: around cake, roll thin, measure and cut- want exact
To apply, roll up on itself then unroll it onto cake
Use royal icing or shortening to affix to cake

Marbling: blend/ fold two colors together a little and roll out
Royal Icing:
Stringwork: #1 tip, suspended from 1 end to 1 end
Not piped directly on cake

Cornelli lace: should be as tight as possible, #1 tip, swirl around surface directly but not overlapping

Sotas: #1 tip, overlapping cornelli, from the Philippines

Piped embroidery: pipe outline of design and using small paint brush and egg white as liquid, paint in toward center

Can also use royal icing and plastic stencil to create desired pattern and effect
Practice Cake fondant coated, with gum paste flowers and piped embroidery