My recent cake is the 'Lavender Blossom Cake', named this because of it's little pink and lilac flowers. I want to apologise now - it is not perfect. I made it a little bit last minute so there is loads of room for improvement (it could definitely have used another crumb coat to smooth out the bumps!). But I want to show you how I did it because it is a striking cake and is really simple to decorate. Also it can be adapted to use other colours and flowers quite easily.
I first placed my cake onto the cake board and using butter icing I added my crumb coat. A crumb coat is a thin layer of butter icing which seals in the loose crumbs, keeps moisture in the cake and smooths out any lumps or bumps. If you have time (and have a cake which isn't smooth like mine) you can add another layer of butter icing after your initial crumb coat has been left to harden. Adding more layers of butter icing will add more flavour, however too much butter icing will make the cake slightly harder to decorate as it will be softer underneath.
I then added my white icing. I used ready to roll out icing to do this. I didn't use anything to stick the icing to the cake as the crumb coat will hold it in place.
Next I cut out the flowers, I used 2 different sized flower cutters with different petals to add variety to the cake, however you can use whatever cutters you have available. If you are making larger flowers, I would suggest having a few smaller ones to break it up and also add more colour and texture.
My pink flowers, or blossom, have been made using a small star shaped cutter (which has rounded edges). I pressed my finger slightly in the middle to give them a more realistic look and stuck red, white and blue balls in the centre for more colour and definition. I used edible glue to stick the balls in the centre as it dries clear and adds no flavour, unlike icing sugar.
The purple flowers, or lavender, are made using a small flower shaped plunger cutter. This added a little bit of definition to the flowers and because of their size, I left them as they were.
The leaves and stalks are made using a leave plunger cutter and I made the stalks by rolling icing into a strip and pressing slightly harder at one end to make it more narrow and have a point.
I placed the parts onto the cake where I wanted them to be and, using edible glue and a clean fine paintbrush, I stuck the parts in place.
To finish my cake I added a dark blue ribbon which I got from my local craft shop. Adding a ribbon is a really easy way of adding colour and covering up a messy edge cheaply and quickly. Most craft shops sell ribbon from 10p per metre, depending on its thickness and pattern. I have found using a simple mix of icing and water is best to hold the ribbon in place as edible glue just seems to seep through the material rather than stick it to the cake.
I hope this helps and, if you do make one yourself, please tweet me a picture!
Love
Melissa xx
Next I cut out the flowers, I used 2 different sized flower cutters with different petals to add variety to the cake, however you can use whatever cutters you have available. If you are making larger flowers, I would suggest having a few smaller ones to break it up and also add more colour and texture.
My pink flowers, or blossom, have been made using a small star shaped cutter (which has rounded edges). I pressed my finger slightly in the middle to give them a more realistic look and stuck red, white and blue balls in the centre for more colour and definition. I used edible glue to stick the balls in the centre as it dries clear and adds no flavour, unlike icing sugar.
The purple flowers, or lavender, are made using a small flower shaped plunger cutter. This added a little bit of definition to the flowers and because of their size, I left them as they were.
The leaves and stalks are made using a leave plunger cutter and I made the stalks by rolling icing into a strip and pressing slightly harder at one end to make it more narrow and have a point.
I placed the parts onto the cake where I wanted them to be and, using edible glue and a clean fine paintbrush, I stuck the parts in place.
To finish my cake I added a dark blue ribbon which I got from my local craft shop. Adding a ribbon is a really easy way of adding colour and covering up a messy edge cheaply and quickly. Most craft shops sell ribbon from 10p per metre, depending on its thickness and pattern. I have found using a simple mix of icing and water is best to hold the ribbon in place as edible glue just seems to seep through the material rather than stick it to the cake.
I hope this helps and, if you do make one yourself, please tweet me a picture!
Love
Melissa xx
No comments:
Post a Comment