Edible gold leaf has a long and decadent history – it’s not known which was the earliest culture to indulge in eating gold, but as soon as any society learned to beat gold thinly enough to make gold leaf, you can probably bet that they ate food coated with a …
Sometimes the simplest things can have the greatest effect and spun sugar is just such a technique. The recipe is simple but the appearance of well-constructed spun sugar forms is magical and gravity-defying. Spun Sugar Tips and Hints There’s nothing easier than making the syrup for spun sugar work, but …
Constructing moulded fondant roses requires a certain amount of practise, but once you’ve perfected the technique, it’s a fantastic addition to your cake-baking skills and one that will win you many fans! Choosing Fondant Begin by making or buying some Mouldable Fondant. It’s easiest to start with white fondant as …
Pastillage is often confused with gumpaste, the sugar and gum traganath blend used to mould flowers and leaves for wedding cakes. While the two are similar, the techniques used in pastillage are quite different. Because it’s a form of Rolled Fondant that lacks the softening ingredients, such as glycerine, found …
Sometimes we see a cake so fragile and luminescent as to seem almost impossible to eat. Airy sugar creations leap away from the cake layers, shining as if dew has just fallen on them from the sky. This gleaming, apparently unsupported, edifice of decoration is achieved using confectioner’s varnish, which …
You’ve spent hours in the kitchen baking the perfect cake its fragrant aromas wafting gently through the house. Now the hard work is done, don’t let it go to waste by neglectful storage. Read our tips on successful storage to get the best from every cake you bake. Working Out …
Have you ever wondered how those masterpieces you see in cake shop windows are so smooth and lump free? Well read on to find out all about the perfect crumb coating. To get a really smooth icing finish on a cake, most experienced bakers will ‘crumb coat’ first. It’s a …
Sugarpaste piping, plaques, fondant and trellis: when did icing become so complicated? No wonder most of us avoid it, commissioning bespoke wedding or birthday cakes instead of decorating our own. Well, it’s time someone demystified the most unpopular icing techniques. If you’d like the confidence to try your hand at …
It’s a fairy land of gold leaf Labrador-shaped cutters and hologram glitter out there, if you know where to look. Want to find out where Nigella buys her tiny cupcake roses, or where to order festive marzipan models? Here’s how to make your cake a modern masterpiece, and where to …
From rhubarb to lavender from mocha to Baileys, there are a hundred and one icings to spread proudly on your cakes. Look around and you’ll find books dedicated to cupcake icing: techniques, flavours, tricks, and so much more. Here are some of our favourite icing flavours – but don’t stick …
