This weekend I started on the decorations for the Christening cake as well as covering the cake board. It wasn't until I amassed all of the equipment I would need for the day that I realised exactly how much I had collected over the last couple of years! However, I'm sure that anyone who is into cake making and decorating will tell you, the right equipment and tools for the job is essential.
Tip: Get all of the equipment out that you will need before you start, then you won't have to stop and look for something right when you're at a crucial stage
The first task of the day was to cover the cake board, and as I am edging it with ribbon, I decided to trim the icing right to the edge. Once the icing has hardened, you can then attach small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to the board so you can attach the ribbon. I have tried using icing and edible tylose glue to do this, but it has always shown through, so I have come to the conclusion that tape is indeed the best way of doing this.
Tip: If your icing has a few imperfections in it, do not despair. Don't forget that your cake will sit on top of this so choose the best bit for display and cover the bit that you're not so proud of with the cake!
Next came the letters for the cake. When doing this I always make two of each letter, just in case one breaks or doesn't come out as well as the other. I also kneaded some tylose powder into my sugar paste so that it would dry quicker and harder to make it easier to work with when I assemble the cake.
The third task was the part I was most looking forward to, the icing Bible! The first step was the white icing for the pages and the cross. I cut out the templates, rolled out the icing and then cut around them. I stacked the pages to make sure that they were the required height for the book, then stuck them together using the edible glue.
Mini Kilner jars are the perfect size to make your tylo glue in
Next was the cover in the green icing. I cut around my template and then positioned the pages to check the fit. Once I was happy I painted the cover with the glue and positioned it around the pages. The cross was now nearly dry, so I painted the back with glue and stuck it to the front. Next was adding the pearls around the edge (which is always my favourite bit!) so I painted glue around parts of the cross and gently rolled the pearls into place, pressing them gently into the icing to make sure that they stuck.
I had also done a bit of research on bibles, particularly small ones, and noticed that many of them had gold edges to the pages, so I decided to mix up some gold shimmer into a paste and paint it onto the sides of the pages, which has really lifted the whole design.
The last step was to make the buttons to go around the ribbon at the base of the cake. I bought a Button silicone mould earlier in the year and I have been looking for an excuse to use it for ages! I followed the instructions carefully, as they said dust with icing sugar, press the sugar paste in, trim the excess and then flex the mould a couple of times and they should fall out. However when I came to remove the buttons from the mould, it did not go well. In fact I ended up with little mangled pieces of icing that nobody would want to take a picture of! So, I reverted to plan B. Using two different circle plunger cutters and a cocktail stick, I made over 100 little shirt buttons, which I think are perfect for a little boys cake. It took a little while but I'm really pleased with the outcome.
However, after a little research on t'internet regarding the icing mould, I have persevered. I added more tylose powder to the icing and then paid extra attention to pushing the icing into all of the mould. Once I had done that, (ignoring the instructions here!) I used a knife to trim off the excess icing, adding a little more to the buttons if they looked a little empty. I then put the whole mould into a plastic bag and put it in the freezer for 45 minutes. After that, I have been able to peel the icing out of the mould and put them on the foam to dry. This seems to be the best way to do it, so if you need a lot of buttons for something you are making, I would suggest you leave yourself a lot of time, and have something else to do at the same time! Once they have dried completely, put them in an airtight box and then keep until you need them.
If you want to have a go at making your own pretty vintage buttons, you can buy the icing mould from Lakeland. If you find a better and quicker way of doing it, please let me know!
No comments:
Post a Comment