The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating Read Online Free PDF

pair of snips as it creates a clean, level break in the dowel.

    6 Re-insert each of the snapped dowels into the cake.

    7 Spread a little royal icing or buttercream in the centre of the cake between the dowels.

    8 The next tier must be mounted onto a cake card or board and be ready covered. Place the next tier on top of the first. You can repeat this method to create three, four or even five tiered cakes (though as we’re busy girls, two tiers will suffice!).

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TIP
    If there is a slight gap between the two tiers, this can easily be covered by clever positioning of a ribbon or by adding decorations.
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Making a wired cake topper
    To create the wired fountains that adorn many beautiful cakes you will need a posy pick. These are pointed plastic holders that come in a variety of sizes and are safe to use with cakes. Never push wires directly into cake, as they will corrode and contaminate the cake.
    1 Take lengths of florists’ wire and create the fountain you require. Secure the wires at their base using a further piece of wire wound around them.

    2 Insert the wires into the posy pick. If they don’t sit in there securely, take a small ball of sugarpaste (rolled fondant) and insert into the posy pick followed by the wires. This should hold it steady.

    3 Constructing the fountain can be tricky – to hold it still, try inserting it into an apple or potato with the base cut level so that it sits steadily on your work surface.
    4 When it’s ready to be put into the cake, push the posy pick down vertically into the centre of your cake.

Embossing
    Embossing sugarpaste (rolled fondant) involves pressing textured objects into the surface to leave an imprint. It is a simple yet effective way of texturing paste, creating intricate designs. The technique needs to be done on fresh sugarpaste, not dried.
    1 Make sure your chosen object is either brand new or spotlessly clean and absolutely dry before use.
    2 Lightly dust your chosen object with a little icing (confectioners’) sugar – using a duster is ideal (see Equipment ).
    3 Press the object gently onto freshly rolled-out sugarpaste and then lift away. You should be left with a perfectly embossed design.

    4 Dust the embossed pattern with edible lustre dust to highlight the design if desired.
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TIP
    Practise embossing on a piece of excess sugarpaste first to get a feel for the correct amount of pressure required.
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Making a rolled rose
    These simple and effective flowers are very quick and pretty for impromptu decorations.

    1 Take a ball of sugarpaste (rolled fondant) approximately 7cm (2 3 ⁄ 4 in) in diameter and shape by hand into a rough sausage shape.
    2 Roll the shape out thinly on your work surface dusted lightly with icing (confectioners’) sugar to stop it sticking. Once it is in a long rectangle, fold it in half widthways. Lightly press the two edges together leaving the top fold slightly puffy.

    3 Still on the work surface, start to roll the flower up from one end. Once the roll is started, lift it up and hold it with your hands as you continue to roll up the flower.

    4 Pinch off the excess sugarpaste from the base of the flower and set it aside.

Now Get Busy!
Twenty-five projects to motivate and inspire you...

EVENING WHIP-UPS
(to make in an hour or less)

Butterfly Kisses
Building a 3D design
    These pastel butterfly cookies are stunning and easy to make too – why not whip up a batch for someone special?

Get it together…
    12 butterfly cookies
    Sugarpaste: romantic colours of your choice e.g. peach, pale peach and pink
    Cutters: butterfly cookie and small butterfly
    Edible gold lustre dust
    Basic equipment (see Equipment )
    1 Roll out your chosen colours of sugarpaste to a 3mm ( 1 ⁄ 8 in) thickness. Using the butterfly cookie cutter, cut out 12 butterflies in different shades.
    2 Brush the top of each cookie with a little water and attach the sugarpaste butterfly in place, pressing down lightly to