CREATE I BAKE I DECORATE

All you need to make your own cakes SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

Picnic party DELICATE OMBRE

in the woods! WEDDING CAKE

Halloween Royal spread

of birthday biscuits
Neon Drip Cake
AMAZING FREE-FROM
12 TUTORIALS! RECIPES
New techniques and
on-trend textures

SUGAR FLOWERS
Seasonal conkers,
fir cones, rose hips
and big blooms Delicious and easy
chocolate orange
macaron pops
 TM

Everything you need for amazing cakes and fabulous food

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 6

welcome...
Happy new issue! We’re on the cusp of autumn here in the UK,
and are bringing you the best of the season. From gluten-free
and vegan recipes to colourful, creative treats and centrepieces.
Given the time of year, this issue contains projects pertaining to
some popular, autumnal holidays, which you’ll be enjoying before
the next issue hits the shelves. Vicky Teather’s back with another
neon drip cake, this time celebrating Halloween with super
bright colours and sweet modelled decorations. There’s also an
amazing Bonfire Night cake with vibrant isomalt flames and a
creamy chocolate ganache. Savour a slice and enjoy this cake by
the fire as well – you won’t be able to resist!
You can also celebrate the start of autumn with a gorgeous tiered
cake. This showstopper shows off seasonal conkers, fir cones
and rose hips, all paired with an elegant yellow bloom. The
colour palette of this cake compliments the time of year perfectly.
Or if you’re looking for something more fun, the modelled
woodland-themed cake on page 24 is very seasonal, as well as
being ideal for birthdays and baby showers.
38 50
A few exciting projects within this issue contain chocolate, a fun
and surprisingly easy medium to work with – in these tutorials at
least! Pamela McCaffrey has prepared a colourful garden-themed
cake using flavoured Cocoform for the decorations. Follow the
instructions starting on page 60 and try your hand at modelling
your own chocolate flowers and foliage to make your autumn
cake extra special.
Everyone knows chocolate and orange are an irresistible
combination. But if you’re looking for a new approach to this
classic, consider baking some delicious macarons. With fresh
orange and lemon zest, and dipped in a scrumptious milk and
dark chocolate glaze, Viktorija Siskova’s recipe makes the perfect
after dinner treat for both little ones and grown-ups.
Did you know that September is the most common month for
birthdays? Why not treat someone to a personalised, handmade
gift box of chocolates? They’ll go down a treat! And if you want
to make your celebrations even sweeter, have a go at preparing a 24 44
platter of rainbow royal iced birthday cookies created by cookie
artist Anne Yorks. There are three different designs, so you can
make the cookies as a set or just pick one to keep things simple.
Whether it’s as a gift or just to enjoy yourself, Emily Hankins’
hand-painted cakesicles should definitely be on your list of
things to try. You can even swap out the painted blackberries for
more butterflies or blossoms to enjoy them all year round.
Get inspired this season by all these beautifully crafted creations.
And make sure to send us a picture of what you come up with!

Connect with us @sugarcraftmag

If you’d like to keep up with the latest cake trends then subscribing is easy. To have Cakes & Sugarcraft magazine delivered
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 contents
Cakes & Sugarcraft is published bimonthly
by B. Dutton Publishing.
The Packhouse, Blackmoor Estate,
Blackmoor, Liss, Hampshire, GU33 6BP,
UK. Tel: +44 (0)330 223 4466
Email: enquiries@cakesandsugarcraft.com
Website: cakesandsugarcraft.com
18 60
© B. Dutton Publishing 1998–2021
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part
prohibited without permission. The Editor and Cakes
& Sugarcraft magazine do not hold themselves as
responsible for any opinions printed in this magazine and
cannot accept responsibility for errors in advertisements,
articles, photographs or illustrations.

CAKES & SUGARCRAFT TEAM

Publisher ............................................... Beverley Dutton

Editor .................................................... Stephanie Roker

Creative Director .......................................... Sarah Ryan

Photography ............................................. Alister Thorpe

Squires Kitchen Photography ....................... Rob Goves

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

Rachel Bevan Viktorija Siskova
Emily Hankins Lauren Grace Smy
Jennifer Jackson Vicky Teather
Pamela McCaffrey Anne Yorks PROJECTS
Trudy Mitchell
6 Hello Autumn! by Pamela McCaffrey Gorgeous
Printed in the UK by Pensord
tiered cake featuring seasonal sugar flowers
Distributed by Select Publisher Services, 62 Wimborne
Road, Bournemouth, BH3 7AR
All wallpapers supplied by wallpaperdirect.com
18 Chocolate Orange Macaron Pops by Viktorija
Siskova The perfect edible gift or after dinner treat
Cover cake by Vicky Teather

SPECIAL NOTE
24 Party In The Woods by Vicky Teather Themed
cake ideal for birthdays or baby showers
For health and hygiene reasons, we have not recommended the
use of raw egg white as a sticking agent in the past, advocating
instead the use of gum or sugar glue. The Food Standards 38 Butterflies & Blackberries by Emily Hankins
Agency recommends using only pasteurised egg in any food Pretty hand-painted cakesicles for all year round
that will not be cooked (or only lightly cooked). If you decide
to use fresh egg white always use eggs bearing the Lion mark,
44 Bloomin’ Great Bonfire Night by Jennifer
which guarantees that they have been produced to the highest
Jackson Moist chocolate sponge with chocolate
standards of food safety. All Lion Quality eggs come from British
hens vaccinated against salmonella, are fully traceable and have
ganache and vibrant isomalt flames
a ‘best before’ date on the shell as a guarantee of freshness. See
egginfo.co.uk for further advice and information. 50 Textured, Ombre Wedding Cake by Trudy There’s something
For health and hygiene reasons, removal of all jewellery, nail Mitchell Try a new take on texture with this cake
for everyone in this
varnish and false nails of any kind is recommended when

Cocoform Garden Cake by Pamela McCaffrey issue!

preparing edibles. Oven temperatures provided are based
60
Model your own chocolate flowers and foliage
on conventional ovens. For fan-assisted ovens, reduce the
temperature by around 20˚C.

FREE PRIZE DRAWS 66 Chic COCOL Chocolates by Rachel Bevan

For each prize draw, visit cakesandsugarcraft.com/cake-chat and
Coloured cake hearts great for any occasion
enter your name and address into the box on the relevant product
feature by midnight GMT on Wednesday 3rd November 2021. 72 A Happy Halloween! by Vicky Teather Easy drip
There will be a prize draw on Thursday 4th November 2021, unless cake with sweet, spooky modelled decorations
otherwise stated. Please note that offers are open to the UK only,
we can accept only one entry per person and per household, and
no cash alternative can be substituted for any prize. Winners will
80 Rainbow Birthday Cookies by Anne Yorks
be notified of the results within 28 days of the prize draw by email.
Over-the-top cookie set with vibrant colours and
The winners’ contact information shall be passed on to the fun sprinkle accents
relevant third parties, if necessary. A list of all winners will be
available from Cakes & Sugarcraft magazine upon request.
 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

50 72 35 80

71

RECIPES REGULARS
35 Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes Fluffy cupcakes full of 16 Favourite Finds Top notch baking and cake
Fairtrade cacao and natural food colouring decorating products

71 Gluten-Free Chocolate & Raspberry Cake Easy to 36 Talent Spotlight: Anne Yorks Shining a light on top
make and will quickly become a firm favourite cake and sugarcraft talent

48 Cake Chat The latest news from the world of cake

FEATURES 49 Slice Of Your News A few of our favourite reader

stories and pictures
34 Fairtrade and PSCPA: Teaching Good Practices
Case study of increasing sugar production amongst
79 Recommended Reads Our pick of the latest cake
co-op members and baking books

58 A Piece Of Cake Advice Consultant Lauren Grace

88 Contacts A selection of top cake decorating suppliers
Smy’s top tips for getting your baking business
visible offline 89 Next Issue A sneak peek of what’s coming up in the
November/December 2021 BUMPER issue!
70 Macmillan’s Coffee Morning 2021 Raise your mug
for Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual fundraiser
GIVEAWAYS
16 Product Giveaways Your
chance to win some of the
latest products

Visit cakesandsugarcraft.com to Cakes & Sugarcraft is

see Cakes & Sugarcraft’s available to enjoy on your
recommended list of basic edibles
and equipment for cake decorating,
smartphone, PC, iPad
as well as many more features, and Android™ tablet, see
competitions and free tutorials. page 91 for more info
 HELLO AUTUMN!
EDIBLES
SK Fairtrade Sugarpaste: 750g (1lb 101/2oz)
Bridal White and 750g (1lb 101/2oz) Coco
Brown
Round, filled sponge cakes, 15cm (6")
deep: 10cm (4") and 12.5cm (5") wide
Buttercream or ganache: 1.7kg (3lb 12oz)
SK Sugar Florist Paste (SFP): 145g (5oz)
White
SK Designer Paste Food Colours: Cream
and Olive
SK NeonzTM Paste Food Colours: Orange,
Red and Yellow
SK Essentials Edible Glue
Round cake boards: 10cm (4") and COVERING THE CAKE
12.5cm (5")
DRUM
Palette knife
FMM Multi Ribbon Cutter Knead together 750g (1lb 101/2oz) of
Safety razor blade
1 Coco Brown sugarpaste and 750g
Templates: page 86 (1lb 101/2oz) of Bridal White sugarpaste to
Food grade card make a light brown. You will be using this
brown paste throughout the project, so
PME Water Brush
make sure you keep all your trimmings and
Floral wires: 24- and 26-gauge dark green, wrap it up when not using it to prevent the
24- and 26-gauge Nile green, and 18-,
paste from drying out.
22-, 24-, 26- and 28-gauge white
Tweezers Roll out 250g (83/4oz) of the brown
Cream matt pointed head stamen: 16–20,
2 sugarpaste to a 3mm (1/8") thickness
small using spacers.

SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Dust: Full-width floral tape: brown, dark green
Use a pastry brush to lightly dampen
Orange and Nile green
Tape cutter
3 the top of the 20.5cm (8") cake drum
SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Paste:
with a little cooled, boiled water. Lay the
Brown Grooved, non-stick board
brown paste centrally over the drum, then
PME Edible Glaze Spray SK Multi Flower Cutter Set 1, Round
smooth and press it down with a smoother.
Petal/Leaf: nos. 1–10
SK Professional Dust Food Colours: Use a sharp knife to neatly trim the excess
Chestnut (Soft Beige), Leaf Green, Poppy Food-grade foam pad sugarpaste away from around the edges.
and Vine SK Modelling Tools: Medium Ball, Petal & Set the drum aside to firm overnight.
SK Professional Instant Mix Royal Icing: Leaf Shaper (Dresden)
100g (31/2oz) White Dimple foam drying tray Once firm, fix some 1.5cm (1/2")
SK High-Quality Paintbrush: no. 4
4 width Coco Brown ribbon around
the edge of the cake drum using a non-
EQUIPMENT Polystyrene balls: 2cm (3/4")
toxic glue stick, being careful not to come
Circle cutters: 2cm (3/4") and 3cm (11/8")
Spacers: 3mm (1/8") into contact with the sugarpaste. Set the
Orchard Products Six Petal Cutters: 1.4cm covered drum aside for later.
Non-stick rolling pin
(1/2") and 1.9cm (3/4")
Pastry brush
Fine Cut Horse Chestnut Leaf Cutters:
Round cake drum: 20.5cm (8") 4.9cm (2"), 5.9cm (23/8") and 6.5cm (21/2") PREPARING THE CAKES
Cake smoother SK-Gi Silicone Veiner Chestnut
1.5cm (1/2") width satin ribbon: 68cm (263/4") (Castanea): Medium Leaf Place the filled cakes centrally on
Coco Brown FMM Maple Leaf Cutters: 3cm (11/8") and
1 round cake boards of the same size.
5.5cm (21/4") The natural stickiness of the cakes means
Non-toxic glue stick
they will secure themselves to the boards.
SK-GI Silicone Veiner Maple – Silver:
Small Leaf
Take a palette knife and crumb
FMM Rose Leaf Cutters, Set of 3: 2.6cm 2 coat each cake with a layer of
(11/16"), 3.4cm (13/8") and 4.3cm (13/4")
buttercream or ganache. Give each cake
SK-GI Silicone Veiner Rose - Tea: Large
its final coat, being careful to create neat,
Leaf
crisp edges and smooth, level sides and
Cake dowels: 3 tops. Chill the cakes for at least 30 minutes
Ingenious Edibles Safety Seal before covering.

page 6 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

Get in the mood for
autumn with this
gorgeous tiered cake.
Featuring seasonal
conkers, fir cones and
rose hips paired with a
beautiful yellow bloom,
this cake will be sure to
rack up praise.

by Pamela McCaffrey
 A B
COVERING THE CAKES
To cover the top of the 10cm (4")
1 cake, roll out 75g (21/2oz) of the brown
sugarpaste you made earlier to a 3mm (1/8")
thickness. Now cut out a 12.5cm (5") disc
using a sharp knife.
Take a pastry brush and lightly brush
2 the top of the 10cm (4") wide cake
with a little cooled, boiled water. Place the
disc centrally on top of the cake and trim
away the excess from around the top edge
using a sharp knife.
To cover the side, roll out 400g (14oz)
3 of the brown sugarpaste to a 3mm
(1/8") thickness. Cut out a panel that is 34cm
x 16.5cm (133/8" x 61/2") in size.
Lightly dampen around the side
4 of the 10cm (4") cake with a little
cooled, boiled water. Roll up the panel of
sugarpaste and wrap it around the cake,
making sure it sits flush with the base. Use
a knife to trim the overlapping ends so that
they join neatly, then carefully trim away the
excess paste from the top of the cake.
Repeat steps 1–2 to cover the top of
5 the 12.5cm (5") cake, this time using
105g (33/4oz) of brown sugarpaste and
cutting out a 15cm (6") disc
Repeat steps 3–4 to cover the side of
6 the 12.5cm (5") cake. This time, roll
out 475g (1lb 3/4oz) of brown sugarpaste
and cut out a 42cm x 16.5cm (161/2" x 61/2")
rectangle. Once both cakes are covered,
leave them to dry overnight.
page 8 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
MAKING AND ATTACHING
THE STRIPS ON THE
BOTTOM CAKE
Roll out 140g (5oz) of the brown
1 Using a water brush pen, paint some
sugarpaste into a wide strip, at least
18cm (7") deep and about 2mm (1/16") thick.
Use a ribbon cutter to cut out at least
2 21 strips, which are all 1.1cm (7/16")
wide. Wrap up the unused paste for later.
TOP TIP
Cut some strips from thick card, such
as mount board, to use as spacers
when rolling out the strips.
Trim one end of each strip square
3 using a sharp knife or a razor blade.
Set the strips aside, making sure that they
are straight and let them firm up for at least
an hour – this makes them easier to handle.
TOP TIP
If you are finding the sugarpaste too
soft when cutting out the strips, you
can add a little CMC to firm it up.
Trace the spacing template onto a
4 piece of food-grade card and cut it
out. Fold the template at the dotted line,
taking care that the short section lines up
perfectly with the long section; this should
ensure that the fold is perpendicular.
C
Rest the short section of the spacer
5 on the top of the 12.5cm (5") cake
at the back, so the long section sits flush
down the side of the cake just to one side
of the join.
6 cooled, boiled water in a 1cm (3/8")
strip next to the guide.
Take a strip of sugarpaste and, with
7 the squared end at the bottom, press
it into place next to the guide, making sure
that it’s flush with the base of the cake. Use
a razor blade to trim the top of the strip level
with the top of the cake.
Move the guide and place it flush up
8 against the strip just applied. Repeat
steps 6–7 to add a second strip.
Repeat step 8 to continue adding
9 strips all the way around the cake
(A, B).
TOP TIP
The strips and spaces combination
may not fit exactly around your cake.
When you get to the last two or three
strips, space them by eye to make any
shortfall/excess of space less obvious.
This is a good reason for starting and
finishing at the back.
cakesandsugarcraft.com

D E
MAKING AND ATTACHING
THE STRIPS ON THE TOP
CAKE
Repeat steps 1–2 from ‘Making And
1 Attaching The Strips On The Bottom
Cake’, this time rolling out 55g (2oz) of
brown sugarpaste and cutting 18 strips that
are 1.1cm (7/16") wide.
2 The strips now need to be cut in
two, in varying proportions to make
enough strips to go around the cake. Use a
razor blade to divide the strips randomly, at
between a third and half of their length. This
will leave a selection of strips between one
third and two thirds of their original length.
Make sure that all of the ends are
3 trimmed square. Set the strips aside,
making sure that they are straight and leave
them to firm up for at least an hour.
Rest the spacing template on top of
4 the cake at the back.
Choose a strip and note where it
5 comes up to on the cake. Use a water
brush pen to brush some cooled, boiled
water in a 1cm (3/8") strip next to the guide
and up to the height of the chosen strip.
Take the chosen strip and press it into
6 place next to the guide, making sure
that it sits flush with the base of the cake.
Move the guide and place it flush up
7 against the strip just applied. Repeat
steps 5–6 to add a second strip.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
Repeat step 7 to continue adding
8 strips all the way around the cake –
make the heights of the strips random, but
try not to have too many of a similar height
next to each other.
MAKING THE YELLOW
FLOWER
Cut a 7.5cm (3") length of 18-gauge
1 white floral wire and bend a small
closed hook in one end.
Colour a 1cm (3/8") ball of White SFP
2 pale green using a little Olive paste
food colour.
Insert the hooked end of the wire into
3 the ball of paste and pinch the paste
closed around it to secure.
Use a pair of tweezers to pinch at
4 least five evenly spaced ridges, like
clock hands, around the top of the ball (C).
Now leave the flower centre to dry.
Cut two 7.5cm (3") lengths of
5 28-gauge white floral wire.
Take 8–10 small cream pointed head
6 stamens, fold 2.5cm (1") of the wire
over the middle of them and twist the wire
against itself to secure them (D).
Fold the stamens up into a bunch.
7 Bind the bottom 6mm (1/4") of the
stamens and down the length of the wire
with quarter-width Nile green floral tape. Use
a tape cutter to make yourself some quarter-
width floral tape from the full-width tape.
cakes & sugarcra f t
F
Repeat steps 6–7 to make a second
8 stamen piece.
Position a stamen piece either side
9 of the wired flower centre so that the
unbound part of the stamens is about 6mm
(1/4") below the base of the ball. Bind the
stamens to the centre’s wire with quarter-
width Nile green floral tape (E). Arrange the
stamen ends so they fan evenly around the
centre.
Cut 10 pieces of 24-gauge white
10 floral wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
Colour 25g (>3/4oz) of White SFP a rich
yellow using some Orange neon paste
food colour.
Roll a small piece of the orange
11 SFP out to about a 1mm (<1/16")
thickness over one of the grooves on a
non-stick board.
Cut out a petal using an
12 approximately 3.5cm (13/8") petal
cutter from the Multi Flower Cutter Set,
being careful that the cutter is centred over
the grooved channel. Using the angled end
of the petal cutter, cut out three nicks from
the top edge of the petal (F).
Dip the end of one of the cut wires
13 in edible glue and wipe off the
excess on a piece of kitchen paper. Hold
the base of the petal between your finger
and thumb and gently insert the glued end
of the wire up into the ridged channel.
On a foam pad, thin and stretch
14 out the edges of the petal with a
medium ball tool.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 9
 Drag a dresden tool from the top
15 edge of the petal towards the
base, easing the pressure as you go. Do
this across the width of the petal to give it
texture and shape (G). Now leave the petal
to dry on a dimple foam drying tray.
Repeat steps 11–15 to make two
16 more petals of the same size.
Repeat steps 11–15 again to make
17 three petals, this time using a
roughly 4.3cm (13/4") petal cutter from the
Multi Flower Cutter Set.
Repeat steps 11–15 again to
18 make four more petals using the
approximate 4.3cm (13/4") petal cutter. This
time, roll them slightly thicker and stretch
them out a bit further than with the previous
set to make them slightly larger.
Tape about 2.5cm (1") down the
19 length of the wire on each petal
with quarter-width Nile green floral tape.
Dust the lower half of each petal
20 with some Orange QFC dust and a
no. 4 paintbrush (H).
Position one of the small petals
21 against the flower centre so it
cups around it, and then bind it in place
with full-width Nile green floral tape (I).
Tape the remaining two small
22 petals to the centre in the same
way, making sure they are evenly spaced
around the ball (J).
Bend the wires on the three
23 medium petals down by about 45˚.
Next, position one of the medium petals
below the first three so that its centre is in
line with an edge of one of the small petals.
Now bind it in place with full-width Nile
green floral tape.
Add the remaining two medium
24 petals to the flower centre, evenly
spaced below the first three petals.
Bend the wires on the four large
25 petals down by about 90˚. Bind
the four petals to the flower with full-width
Nile green floral tape, making sure they are
page 10 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
all evenly spaced below the medium petals.
Set the flower aside for later.
MAKING THE HORSE
CHESTNUTS
To make the horse chestnuts
1 (conkers), cut three 7.5cm (3") lengths
of 22-gauge white floral wire.
Use a piece of the wire to poke a
2 hole about halfway into a 2cm (3/4")
polystyrene ball. Remove the wire, dip one
end in edible glue and then reinsert it into
the ball.
Repeat step 2 with two more
3 polystyrene balls, leaving the glue on
the wired balls to dry.
Colour a 1.5cm (1/2") ball of White
4 SFP a deep brown using a little
Brown QFC paste and a tiny bit of Red
neon paste to richen it up.
Roll the brown paste out to about a
5 1mm (<1/16") thickness. Now cut out
three discs using a 2cm (3/4") circle cutter.
TOP TIP
The wide ends of piping nozzles can
be used as alternatives to small circle
cutters.
Using the no. 4 paintbrush, paint
6 one side of a brown disc with a little
edible glue. Stick the disc on the top of a
wired ball and flatten it down to secure (K).
Do the same with the two remaining discs
and wired balls. Leave the discs to dry.
Once dry, spray each disc with some
7 edible glaze. Leave the glaze to dry
before giving them a second coat.
Colour a 2.5cm (1") ball of White
8 SFP green using some Olive paste
food colour. Next, very slightly tint another
2.5cm (1") ball of White SFP with a tiny bit
of Cream paste food colour.
Roll out one sixth of the green SFP
9 mixture to about a 1.5mm (1/16")
thickness. Now cut out a 3cm (11/8") circle
from the SFP. Keep all your offcuts! Use
a small rolling pin to roll the circle in one
direction to widen it to about 4cm (11/2").
Repeat step 9 to make another
10 circle, this time with the light cream
SFP mixture.
Brush one side of the green circle
11 with edible glue and stick the cream
circle directly on top so they are in line with
each other (L).
Use a razor blade to trim about
12 6mm (1/4") off of one of the long
sides of the combined pastes. Next, trim
about 6mm (1/4") off of the left and right
edges of the paste (M).
Brush the cream-coloured side of
13 the trimmed paste with a little edible
glue. Wrap it around one half of a wired ball,
making sure the trimmed, long edge is at the
top and that it just overlaps the brown disc
(N). Shape the lower half of the paste to the
ball and pinch in at the bottom.
Repeat steps 9–13 to cover the
14 other half of the horse chestnut.
Next, use a pair of tweezers to pick out
some spikes on the green outer paste (O).
Set aside to dry.
Repeat steps 9–14 to make two
15 more horse chestnuts.
Use the no. 4 paintbrush to lightly
16 dust the green part of the horse
chestnuts with Vine dust first, and then with
some Leaf Green dust. Finish by dusting
the spikes with a mixture of Leaf Green and
Chestnut (Soft Beige) dusts (P).
Bind down the length of the stems
17 of all three horse chestnuts with
quarter-width Nile green floral tape.
Take two horse chestnuts and
18 arrange them so that one is
positioned slightly above the other. Bind
together the bottom 4cm (11/2") of the two
stems with quarter-width Nile green floral
tape. Leave the third conker loose.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

G H I

J K

L M

N O P

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 11

 MAKING THE FIR CONES
Q
Cut four pieces of 24-gauge Nile green
1 floral wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
Bend a small, closed hook in one end of
each piece.

Colour 15g (1/2oz) of White SFP brown

2 using a little Brown QFC paste.

Take a small pea-sized piece of the

3 brown SFP and shape it like a rugby
ball. Insert the hooked end of a cut wire into
one of the tapered ends of the ball and pinch
the paste closed around it.

R Roll out a quarter of the brown SFP to

4 a thickness of about 1mm (<1/16"). Cut
six small petal sets from the paste using a
1.4cm (1/2") Six Petal cutter and three larger
petal sets using a 1.9cm (3/4") Six Petal
cutter. Wrap up the unused paste for later!
Press the dresden tool down the
5 inner part of each petal on each petal
set, leaving them looking like tiny canoe
hulls (Q).
Brush a bit of edible glue on the lower
6 half of the wired ball. Take one of the
S small petals pieces, with its concave petal
sides facing upwards, and insert the wire
through the centre. Slide the petal piece up
to the paste at the top (R). Gently close the
individual petals around the centre.
Brush some glue on the lower half
7 of the petal piece just added. Slide
a second small petal piece up the wire,
concave side up again, and close it up a little
bit around the previous piece.
Glue a third small petal piece below
8 the first two, but do not close up the
petals this time.
T Bend a small, closed hook in one end of
Next, add the three large petal pieces
9 one at a time, and then all the final
three small petal pieces one by one (S).
Repeat steps 3–9 to make four fir
10 cones in total.
butted up against the main wire and so
they are staggered on alternating sides,
about 4cm (11/2") apart.
Add several twigs to the wire by
12 folding 4cm (11/2") pieces of full-
width or quarter-width brown tape across
the main wire and twisting the resulting
2cm (3/4") piece against itself.
Repeat steps 11–12 to make a
13 second fir cone branch.
Add little bits of fir below each
14 cone by twisting short lengths
of dark green tape into cords and then
twisting two or three of them under each
cone.
MAKING THE ROSE HIPS
Cut five pieces of 26-gauge dark
1 green wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
each piece.
Colour a 2cm (3/4") ball of White SFP
2 red using a little Red neon paste
food colour. Divide the red SFP into five
equal pieces.

Bind two fir cones to an 18cm (7")
11 length of 24-gauge dark green
floral wire using full-width brown floral tape.
Position the cones so that their bases are
Take one of the red SFP pieces and
3 shape it into a ball. Roll the ball in
your palm so that it elongates and gently
tapers at one end.

page 12 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


Insert the unhooked end of a wire
4 centrally into the tapered end of the
SFP and pull it all the way through until the
hooked end disappears.
Use a pair of tweezers to pinch a small
5 ‘frill’ around the top of the SFP where
the wire has entered (T). Now very lightly
brush the pinched area with some Brown
QFC paste and the no. 4 paintbrush (U).
Repeat steps 3–5 to make four more
6 rose hips. Leave them all to dry.
Spray the five rose hips with edible
7 glaze and leave them to dry. Once
dry, give them a second coat of glaze and
let them dry once more.
Bind three rose hips to an 18cm (7")
8 length of 24-gauge dark green wire
using full-width brown tape. Position the
rose hips so that their bases are about
1cm (3/8") from the main wire and so
they are staggered on alternating sides,
approximately 2cm – 3cm (3/4" – 11/8")
apart (V).
Repeat step 12 from ‘Making The Fir
9 Cones’ to add twigs to the wire.
Repeat steps 8–9 to attach the
10 remaining two rose hips to a
second wire.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
MAKING THE HORSE
U
CHESTNUT LEAVES
Cut 10 pieces of 26-gauge Nile green
1 floral wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
Colour 35g (11/4oz) of White SFP light green
using a little Olive paste food colour.
Roll out a small piece of the light
2 green SFP to a 1mm (<1/16") thickness
over a groove on the non-stick board.
Cut out a leaf using a 4.9cm (2”)
3 Horse Chestnut Leaf cutter. Make
sure the cutter is placed centrally over the
ridge and remember that the thin end of the V
cutter is the base of the leaf! Wrap up the
unused paste for later.
Dip one end of a cut wire in edible
4 glue and wipe off the excess. Hold
the base of the leaf between your finger
and thumb and gently slide the wire about
1cm (3/8") into the ridge.
Place the leaf between the two
5 halves of a Medium Leaf Chestnut
(Castanea) veiner and press down firmly
(W). Transfer the leaf to a foam pad and thin
the edges using the medium ball tool. W
Set the leaf aside to dry. Leave it
6 relatively flat; horse chestnut leaves
don’t have too much movement in them.
Repeat steps 2–6 to make nine more
7 horse chestnut leaves: three more
4.9cm (2") leaves, four 5.9cm (23/8") leaves
and two 6.5cm (21/2") leaves using the
respective Horse Chestnut Leaf cutters.
Use a no. 4 paintbrush to dust all
8 over the face of each leaf with some
Vine dust. Next, dust the inner part of each
leaf with some Leaf Green dust. Lastly, X
lightly dust the edge of each leaf with a
little Chestnut (Soft Beige) dust (X). Once
dusted, spray each leaf with edible glaze.
Wrap some quarter-width Nile green
9 tape about 2.5cm (1”) down each
wire length, starting immediately below
each leaf.
Take one of the large leaves and
10 bind a medium leaf to the side of
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 13
 it with quarter-width Nile green tape. Make
Y sure the bases of the leaves are right next
to each other.
Bind a second medium leaf on the
11 opposite side of the large leaf to
the first medium leaf.
Finally, bind a small leaf below
12 each medium leaf, again making
sure that the bases of the leaves are butted
up against each other.
Finish off by arranging the leaves
13 into a flat fan – you want the small
leaves to be roughly horizontal, the large
Z leaf vertical and the medium leaves evenly
spaced in between (Y).
Repeat steps 10–13 to make the
14 second fan of horse chestnut
leaves. Set aside for later.
MAKING THE JAPANESE
MAPLE LEAVES
Cut six pieces of 26-gauge white
1 floral wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
Colour 16g (1/2oz) of White SFP light yellow
AA
using some Yellow neon paste food colour.
Roll out a small piece of the yellow
2 SFP to a 1mm (<1/16") thickness over
a groove on the non-stick board.
Cut out a leaf using a 5.5cm (21/4")
3 Maple Leaf cutter, making sure the
cutter is placed centrally over the ridge.
Wrap up the unused paste for later.
Thin the edges of the leaf on a foam
4 pad using a medium ball tool.
AB Dip one end of a cut wire in edible
5 glue and wipe off the excess. Hold
the base of the leaf between your finger
and thumb and slide the wire about 1cm
(3/8") into the ridge (Z).
Place the leaf between the two
6 halves of a Small Maple Leaf veiner
and press down firmly. Remove from the
veiner and use your fingers to give the leaf
a little movement, then set it aside to dry.
page 14 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Repeat steps 2–6 to make five more
7 maple leaves: two additional 5.5cm
(21/4") leaves and three 3cm (11/8") leaves
using the respective Maple Leaf cutters.
Use a no. 4 paintbrush to dust all but
8 the edges of each leaf with Orange
QFC dust. Next, dust the centre of each leaf
with a little Poppy dust (AA).
Bind down the stem of each leaf with
9 quarter-width brown floral tape.
Bind three maple leaves to an
10 18cm (7") length of 24-gauge dark
green wire using full-width brown floral tape.
Position the leaves so that their bases are
about 1.5cm (1/2") away from the main wire
and so they are staggered on alternating
sides, about 4cm (11/2") apart. Use a mixture
of sizes for this to make it look more realistic!
Repeat step 12 from ‘Making The
11 Fir Cones’ to add twigs to the wire.
Repeat steps 10–11 to make a
12 second maple leaf branch. Set the
branches aside.
MAKING THE BEECH
LEAVES
To prepare, cut 11 pieces of 26-gauge
1 white floral wire into 7.5cm (3")
lengths. Colour 15g (1/2oz) of White SFP
brown using a little Brown QFC paste and a
touch of Red neon paste. Colour 6g (<1/4oz)
of White SFP green using Olive paste food
colour.
Roll out a small piece of the brown
2 SFP to a 1mm (<1/16") thickness over
a groove on the non-stick board.
Cut out a leaf using a 4.3cm (13/4")
3 Rose Leaf cutter. Make sure the cutter
is placed centrally over the ridge (AB). Wrap
up the unused paste for later. Transfer the
leaf to a foam pad and thin the edges using
a medium ball tool.
Dip one end of a cut wire in edible
4 glue and wipe off the excess. Holding
the base of the leaf, slide the wire about
1cm (3/8") into the ridge.
cakesandsugarcraft.com

Place the leaf between the two halves
5 of a Rose - Tea Large Leaf veiner and
press down firmly. Remove from the veiner
and shape the leaf with your fingers to give
it some movement. Set aside to dry.
Repeat steps 2–5 to make seven
6 more brown beech leaves. Make them
in a selection of the following sizes using
the respective Rose Leaf cutters: 2.6cm
(11/16"), 3.4cm (13/8") and 4.3cm (13/4").
Using the green SFP, repeat steps 2–6
7 to make three green beech leaves in
at least two different sizes using the Rose
Leaf cutters.
Bind down the stem of each leaf with
8 quarter-width brown floral wire.
Repeat step 8 from ‘Making The
9 Horse Chestnut Leaves’ to dust the
green leaves. Once dusted, spray the leaves
with edible glaze and leave to dry.
Bind four brown leaves to an 18cm
10 (7") length of 24-gauge dark green
wire using full-width brown tape. Position
the leaves so that their bases are butted
up against the main wire and so they are
staggered on alternating sides, about 3cm
(11/8") apart. Start with a small leaf and then
vary the leaf sizes as you go.
Repeat step 12 from ‘Making The
11 Fir Cones’ to add twigs to the wire.
Repeat steps 10–11 to make two
12 shorter branches, each with two
brown leaves.
Repeat step 10 again, this time to
13 make a branch with the three
green leaves.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
Spread a little royal icing in the middle
1 of the cake drum. Place the 12.5cm
(5") cake centrally on the drum, making sure
the join at the back of the cake is in line with
the ribbon join on the drum.
Insert three cake dowels within a
2 10cm (4") circle into the top of the
12.5cm (5") cake, spacing them evenly.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
Remove, trim to size and reinsert. Spread
some royal icing over the dowelled area
and attach the 10cm (4") cake centrally on
top with its seam at the back.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Cut around six pieces of 18-gauge
1 white wire into 7.5cm (3") lengths.
Cover the length of each cut wire with
some brown floral tape.
Bend the wires into long 6mm (1/4")
2 U-shaped pins. Next, coat the ends
of all the pins, stems and branches with
some Safety Seal.
Arrange the components around a
3 point just to the right of the centre
and on top of the bottom tier. Use the
pins to hold items that cannot be directly
inserted into the cake.
Attach the horse chestnuts and
4 horse chestnut leaves so that one
leaf spray and the single horse chestnut
point right, and so the other spray and
the pair of horse chestnuts point left and
downwards.
Attach the maple leaf branches so
5 that one branch goes up and one
goes down; do the same with the rose hip
branches. Have the rose hips on the left of
the maples trailing upwards and the other
way round bending down.
Attach the long brown beech branch
6 so it climbs upwards on the cake.
Secure the two short brown branches so
that one points left and the other points
right, making sure they are facing slightly
upwards. Attach the green beech branch
pointing upwards and to the left.
Attach the fir cone branches to the
7 cake, with one pointing up and one
pointing left.
Finally, insert the yellow flower in the
8 centre of the foliage, covering all the
pins and insertion points. TOP TIP
Make extra components to use as
loose fillers anywhere on your cake
that needs a bit of balance.
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 15
 Favourite
Finds
PRODUCT PICKS AND GIVEAWAYS
I
n each issue we handpick our favourites from the latest
baking and cake decorating must-haves to help with your
sugarcraft projects. To be in with a chance of winning them,
visit cakesandsugarcraft.com and go to the Cake Chat page.
Handmade Chocolates
With A Difference
Decorate your chocolate the easy way with
Squires Kitchen's COCOL Cocoa Butter Colourings.
COCOL is a great way of decorating transfer sheets for chocolate
and perfect for adding dramatic colours to chocolate work.
The colourings are incredibly versatile and easy to use, making
it super simple to transform your hand-crafted chocolates into
pieces of edible art. Worth noting: a little goes a long way! Made
from coloured cocoa butter, simply heat the COCOL gently in the
microwave to melt the colour and shake or stir well before use.
Brush the melted COCOL over a chocolate mould or onto an acetate
sheet to create colourful designs that will transform your chocolate
work. The bright colours work best when mixed into tempered white
chocolate, producing a vibrant and eye-catching effect.
COCOL colours can also be used with an airbrush, and can be
flicked over chocolates for a contemporary speckled effect. You
could even paint personalised messages directly onto your chocolate
work, or add colour to white chocolate ganache for a fun cake filling.
The Warm Hues set contains five co-ordinating colours: Red, Yellow,
Orange, Pink and Gold. Each set contains five 15g (1/2oz) pots.
We have three SK COCOL Warm Hues kits,
worth £9.99 each, to give away!
page 16 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Over
£230
of giv
eawa
ys!
Calling All Mini Bakers!
Are you looking for ways to keep the kids busy over the weekends
or holidays? Then why not subscribe to Mini Bakers magazine and
get those little hands busy in the kitchen? Mini Bakers is a triannual
publication full of creative recipes and fun tutorials for children of all
ages, offering them the opportunity to create their own personalised
baked treats. What’s more, the Spring, Summer and Winter issues
all go on sale right before the longer holidays to match school term
times. Ideal!
Not only will they have fun, but bringing children into the kitchen can
also benefit them in a number of ways. As they weigh and measure
ingredients, children are developing maths skills without even
realising. Not only will they be using their addition and subtraction
skills, they will also be introduced to fractions and different units
of measurement. In the same vein, whether they read a recipe
themselves or follow an adult’s verbal instructions, following a
recipe can boost children’s listening and sequencing skills. It’s also
a great method of increasing language development. But that’s not
all! Mental health and wellbeing are essential to children’s physical,
educational, social, emotional and cognitive development. The
kitchen also provides children with opportunities to gain a sense of
accomplishment. And as they cook more their independence
will grow, which will consequently increase their
self-confidence and self-esteem.
All in all, baking and cake decorating is a great
way for kids to spend their weekends and holidays.
It's also probably one of the best and cheapest
activities out there. So an annual subscription to
Mini Bakers is the perfect solution. Win win!
We have five annual UK Mini Bakers print
subscriptions, worth £14 each, to give away!
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 Easy As Pie Embossing
Easily emboss lettering on all your cakes, bakes and
sugarcraft creations with Sweet Stamp. It's never been easier
and prettier to apply personalised messages and names to
your cakes and bakes. You can easily emboss and then get
straight to the fun part – decorating! No longer do you have to
mess around with frustrating and time-consuming cutters, or
worry about getting your shapes and designs perfect. It's so
easy, it's literally a piece of cake.

Create beautiful messaging on all your creations by choosing

from over 20 letter set designs and fonts to suit your style.
Sweet Stamp has a wide range of cake decoration supplies
and equipment, including cake stencils, embossers, moulds,
cutters and more. This giveaway includes Sweet Stamp’s
candy letter set, frosting letter set, as well as a large pick up
pad. Visit www.sweetstamp.online for more information.

We have one Sweet Stamp Embossing Bundle, worth £80, to give away!

We Love Chocolate Orange

SK Modelling Cocoform is a versatile
modelling chocolate paste that’s made
with pure Belgian chocolate. Suitable
for any sugarcraft or cake decorating
project, Cocoform is ideal for making
delicious chocolate flowers, models and
Pretty In Pastelz
figures, ribbons, and so much more.
Following the success of the NeonzTM Paste
Even though Cocoform sets firm, Food Colours, Squires Kitchen has just
your chocolate creations always stay launched its amazing new PastelzTM Paste
soft enough to eat. And it’s even fully Food Colour range, perfect for professional
intermixable with other mediums, such as sugarpaste and marzipan. sugarcrafters, amateur cake makers, hobby
Why not mix up a 50:50 ratio for a delicious cake covering? bakers and mini bakers looking to add an
eye-catching pastel effect to their edible art.
The Orange Cocoform in particular is perfect for this time of year,
as it’s not only a vibrant colour but it tastes delicious as well. The The new Pastelz pastes are manufactured
smooth orange flavour really comes through, so if you’re a fan of the in the UK and are available in a beautiful
famous chocolate and orange pairing, this Cocoform is for you! selection of delicate colours. The eight colours
included in the set are Pink, Lilac, Blue, Aqua,
To use, simply take small amounts of the Cocoform and knead until
Green, Lemon, Peach and Cream. These
pliable. It can then be modelled, rolled out, frilled, cut and used
paste food colours can be used with a variety
with moulds. With an endless amount of options, you'll be able to
of mediums, such as sugarpaste, modelling
decorate all your cakes and bakes for any occasion.
paste, Sugar Florist Paste (SFP), royal icing,
buttercream, marzipan, and much more!

Extremely easy to use, merely knead the

colours into the paste, or mix into buttercream
and royal icing, to achieve a soft, muted shade
across all of your creations. The colours are
perfect for spring and summer showstoppers,
as well as for cooler, wintery-themed cakes.

We have three 150g packs of SK Orange We have two sets of SK Pastelz Paste Food
Cocoform, worth £6.99 each, to give away! Colours, worth £18.80 each, to give away!

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 17

 These elegant and irresistible macarons – fragrant with
fresh orange and lemon zest, and dipped in a scrumptious
milk and dark chocolate glaze – are the perfect edible gift
or after dinner treat for both little ones and grown-ups.

Chocolate Orange
MACARON POPS
EDIBLES DARK AND MILK CHOCOLATE
GLAZE
MACARON SHELLS
SK Belgian Couverture Chocolate: 200g
Almond Paste (7oz) Dark Chocolate and 100g (31/2oz)
Fine and dry almond flour: 195g (63/4oz) Milk Chocolate
Silver Spoon Royal Icing Sugar: 150g Corn oil: 65g (21/4oz)
(51/4oz) Callebaut Mycryo Cocoa Butter Powder:
Fresh egg whites: 62g (2oz), at room 5g (<1/4oz)
temperature Orange: 1
SK NeonzTM Paste Food Colour: Orange Lemon: 1

Italian Meringue
Fresh egg whites: 62g (2oz), at room EQUIPMENT
temperature
Silicone macaron baking mats: 3
SK Essentials Pure Albumen: 2g (1/16oz)
Aluminium, heavy-duty baking trays: 3
Silver Spoon Caster Sugar: 170g (53/4oz)
Template: page 86
Still water: 42g (11/2oz)
Piping bags: 3 large

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE Wilton Round Decorating Tips: nos. 12

and 2A
SK Belgian Couverture Chocolate: 266g
(93/8oz) Dark Chocolate Fine sieve

Double cream: 246g (8 /4oz) 3 Stainless steel or glass bowls: 3

Inverted sugar syrup: 26g (7/8oz) Digital kitchen scales

Orange zest: 8g ( /4oz)

1 Silicone spatulas: 3

Cointreau liqueur: 12g ( /8oz)

3 Saucepans: 3, small

Unsalted butter (82.5% fat): 80g (23/4oz)
ORANGE CONFITURE
Orange juice: 150g (51/4oz)
Caster sugar: 22g (3/4oz)
Fruit pectin NH: 3.5g ( /8oz)
1
Citric acid crystals: 1g (<1/16oz)
CND Digital Candy Thermometer
Eventek Non-Conduct Digital LCD Infrared
Thermometer
Stand mixer
Stainless steel ball whisks: 3
CND Multi-Mount Oven Thermometer
Heatproof bowl
The macaron shells recipe makes
Hand blender
a batch of approximately 60
Wooden lollipop sticks: 30 x 6cm (23/8") long
shells, equating to 30 filled and
Microplane grater sandwiched macarons

page 18 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

 PREPARING THE TRAYS
AND PIPING BAG

Place the silicone macaron mats on

1 individual baking trays (A). If your
mats don’t have guides for piping, then you
can trace the circle template onto individual
pieces of parchment paper and place one
underneath each mat.

TOP TIP
You can use laminated Teflon sheets if
you do not have a silicone macaron mat.

Cut off the tip of a piping bag and

2 drop in a no. 12 round piping nozzle.
Twist the end of the bag with the nozzle
and push it down into the tip itself – this will
form a dead end and keep the batter from
oozing out when you fill the bag (B).

Place the piping bag into a tall mug

3 (nozzle first), then fold the wide end
of the bag over the rim of the mug and set
aside. This will make it easy to fill the bag
later!

by Viktorija Siskova
@viktoris_sweet_and_small cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 19
 MAKING THE MACARON
C SHELLS
Almond Paste
Sieve the almond flour and icing
1 sugar into a mixing bowl and discard
any large pieces of almond remaining in
the sieve. Make sure you have the exact
amount of each ingredient.
Add the fresh egg whites and a little
2 Orange neon paste food colour into
your sugar and almond mixture. Take a
silicone spatula and start mixing all the
D ingredients together – it may seem dry
at first but keep mixing and eventually
everything will come together (C). You want
to end up with a deep orange-coloured
paste. Cover the bowl of almond paste with
cling film and set aside for later.
TOP TIP
When using the SK Neonz Paste Food
Colours a little goes a long way, so add
gradually and use sparingly!
E Italian meringue into the bowl. Gently fold
Italian Meringue
Add the water and caster sugar into
1 a small saucepan and carefully mix
the ingredients with a teaspoon. Attach a
digital candy thermometer to the saucepan
(it should be touching the bottom of the pot)
and then place the saucepan on the hob.
Do not turn the heat on just yet!
TOP TIP
You can use a foldback paper clip to
F attach the digital candy thermometer to
the pot, if necessary.
Add the fresh egg whites into the bowl
2 of your stand mixer. Add the albumen
(egg white) powder and gently mix with a fork
or a small whisk. There will be some clumps
but they will dissolve later (D).
Turn the hob on a medium
3 temperature and let the water and
page 20 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
sugar mixture start to simmer. By the time it
reaches 110˚C (230˚F), turn your stand mixer
on a medium speed.
Watch your egg whites and your
4 sugar syrup closely. You only want the
egg whites to get foamy; there should not
be any liquid left. And do not take them to
soft peaks! Your sugar syrup is only going to
get to 118˚C (244.4˚F). If your egg whites are
ready before your sugar syrup, just turn the
mixer down to low or turn it off completely.
Once your sugar syrup reaches 118˚C
5 (244.4˚F), remove the digital candy
thermometer, start your stand mixer if you
stopped it, and slowly pour the sugar syrup
into the foamy egg whites. As soon as all
the sugar syrup is added, set your timer
to five minutes and keep the same speed.
Make sure it is cool in your kitchen! The
meringue should cool down to 28˚C – 32˚C
(82.4˚F – 89.6˚F) within this set time – use
your non-contact thermometer to check the
temperature. Your meringue should be stiff
but elastic; the tip should be slightly falling
down (E).
Remove the cling film from your
6 almond paste and add half of your
it in until both parts are well combined and
you do not see any white streaks.
Add the rest of your meringue and
7 start gently folding in circular motions
without lifting the spatula. Scrape the batter
from the bottom up from time to time,
making sure all the batter gets folded well.
Do not deflate the batter! It should end up
being fluffy, voluminous and should slowly
fall down the spatula (F).
Piping The Shells
Pour all the batter gently into the
1 piping bag you prepared earlier.
Preheat the oven to 150˚C (300˚F/Gas
2 Mark 2). Place the oven thermometer
on the middle rack closer to the back of the
oven and leave it in there for 15–25 minutes.
Keep an eye on the thermometer; the
temperature inside your oven should reach
150˚C (300˚F/Gas Mark 2).
cakesandsugarcraft.com

Take the first baking tray and, using
3 the guides, pipe circles onto the
prepared mat. Holding the bag vertically,
gently squeeze the batter out until it fills
the circle, then release the pressure and
lift the bag up with a quick circular motion.
Move to the next circle and repeat for the
rest of the tray (G). Make sure to apply
equal pressure on all sides of the bag, so
it’s dispensing the same amount of batter at
the same time.
Once you have piped your first batch,
4 bang the tray down four to six times
on your worktop laid with a kitchen towel.
If you can see air bubbles, pop them with
a cocktail stick (H). Leave the rest of the
batter in the piping bag. Twist the end of
the bag to lock the batter and place it in a
cup with the nozzle up, then set it aside in
a cool place.
Depending on your climate and
5 Dark Chocolate Ganache
humidity, the drying time may vary.
Leave this batch to rest for 12–15 minutes
at least. Gently touch the top of the shells
and, if they do not stick to your finger, they
are ready to be baked. If they are still sticky,
leave the shells to dry for an extra five
minutes.
Once the oven temperature is 150˚C
6 (300˚F/Gas Mark 2), quickly and
carefully remove the thermometer from the
oven and place the tray on the middle rack.
Set the timer for 18 minutes.
Whist the first batch is baking, take
7 the same piping bag of batter and
repeat steps 3–4 to pipe the shells onto the
tray. Leave the shells to dry until the batter
does not stick to your finger.
By the time your first batch is baked,
8 the second batch should be ready for
baking. If you touch the side of a cooked
shell and it does not wiggle, the macarons
have baked well and are ready. Remove the
tray from the oven and let the shells cool
completely before attempting to remove
them from the mat. The shells should come
off easily, but you can bend the mat away
from the shell to help them come off easier.
Making sure the oven is at 150˚C
9 (300˚F/Gas Mark 2), repeat step 6
to bake the second batch. Once baked,
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
remove from the oven and allow the shells to
cool completely. Remove the cooled shells G
from the mat and set aside.
If you are using smaller trays, by
10 this point you will have some batter
left. Take the final tray and repeat steps 3–5
to pipe the rest of your batter in circles onto
a third silicone mat. Repeat step 6 and bake
the last batch of circle shells. Once baked,
remove the tray from the oven and allow the
shells to cool completely. Then remove the
shells from the mat and set aside.
H
Match up all the respective shells
11 and place them in an airtight
container until your filling is ready (I).
MAKING THE MACARON
FILLING
In a heatproof bowl, microwave the I
1 dark chocolate for 30 seconds. Take
the container out and give it a stir, then
place the bowl back into the microwave and
repeat the process for another 30 seconds
until all the chocolate has melted.
Pour the cream into a saucepan, add
2 the inverted sugar syrup and orange
zest, and then heat the cream on a medium
heat until it reaches 80˚C – 85˚C (176˚F –
185˚F). J
Pour the cream over the melted
3 chocolate and leave for 30 seconds.
Stir with a silicone spatula, then use a hand
blender and pulse the mixture a few times.
Cut the butter into cubes, then add
4 the butter into the chocolate mixture
and blend again until well combined (J).
Next, add the Cointreau liqueur and pulse
the mixture a few more times to make a silky
and smooth emulsion. K
Pour your ganache into a wider
5 container, cover with cling film and
leave to set in a fridge for a few hours. Make
sure the ganache is not fully set as it will be
hard to pipe it onto the shells; the ganache
should be half set (K). When it holds its
shape, it is ready to be piped!
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 21

Spoon the ganache into a piping bag
6 fit with a no. 2A nozzle once you are
ready to fill the macarons.
Orange Confiture
In a small bowl, mix the fruit pectin
1 GLAZE
NH and caster sugar together.
2 Heat the orange juice in a saucepan
on a medium heat until it reaches
35˚C – 40˚C (95˚F – 104˚F), but not higher
than 45˚C (113˚F). Whisking constantly,
gradually drizzle the sugar and pectin
mixture into the bowl and bring the juice to
boil. Simmer for 30 seconds to activate the
pectin, stirring constantly (L).
Remove the mixture from the heat
3 and add the citric acid crystals. Mix
well and then pour it into a separate bowl.
Leave the confiture to cool down completely
at room temperature or in a fridge.
Once the mixture has cooled down,
4 it will set and form a stable gel-like
consistency (M). Using a silicone spatula,
mash the confiture and transfer it into a
new piping bag. There is no need to fit the
bag with a nozzle as the tip of the piping
bag can just be cut instead. Refrigerate if
needed. You can store this for up to two
weeks in the fridge.
page 22 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
PIPING THE FILLING
Gather together the piping bags of
1 ganache and orange confiture you
prepared earlier (N). Place your matched-up
macaron shells on a silicone mat or a sheet
of parchment paper – one half with the flat
side facing down and the other half with the
flat side facing up.
Place a mini lollipop stick centrally
2 on top of the flat side of one
macaron half (O). Take your ganache and
pipe a circle around the perimeter of the
macaron’s flat side, making sure to pipe
over the stick as well (P). Next, pipe a little
confiture into the empty centre of the circle
(Q), then place the second half of the shell
on top to sandwich them together.
Repeat step 2 to sandwich all the
3 shells together (R), then leave the
macarons overnight in the fridge to soak up
the filling or for at least 3–4 hours to set and
cool down in a fridge before dipping into a
chocolate glaze. These filled macarons can
be stored up to four days in a fridge.
MAKING THE CHOCOLATE
Using a microplane grater, zest one
1 lemon and one orange. You want to
end up with approximately 16g (1/2oz) of
both lemon and orange zest. Mix both zests
together and set aside.
TOP TIP
If there are some oils coming out from
the zest, cover it with a paper towel
and gently press down to remove the
excess oils. Repeat if needed.
In a heatproof bowl, microwave the
2 chocolate for 30 seconds. Take the
bowl out and give it a stir, then place the
container back into the microwave and
repeat for another 30 seconds until the
chocolate has fully melted.
Add the cocoa butter powder to
3 the melted chocolate and, using a
silicone spatula, mix until it melts fully and
there are no grains left.
Add the corn oil to the melted
4 chocolate and mix together with the
spatula. Next, use a hand blender to pulse
the glaze a few times until well combined
(S). Let the chocolate glaze cool down to
28˚C – 32˚C (82.4˚F – 89.6˚F). Make sure to
stir the mixture a few times before using it.
DIPPING THE MACARONS
Lay some cling film over a flat plate or
1 board and take your filled macarons
out of the fridge. Make sure your bowl of
glaze is deep enough to be able to dip your
macarons; if not, transfer the glaze to a tall,
wide mug or glass.
Take a macaron and, holding it by the
2 lollipop stick, dip it into the chocolate
glaze until the macaron is fully submerged
(T). Pull it up gently and wait until the glaze
stops dripping (U). You can also carefully
shake off the excess glaze, if necessary.
Still holding the macaron by the
3 lollipop stick, sprinkle the zest
mixture around the edges and sides of the
glazed macaron. The wet glaze will make
the zest stick to the macaron (V). To finish,
stand the macaron up on the plate you
prepared earlier, making sure the lollipop
stick is pointing upwards.
Repeat steps 2–3 to glaze all your
4 macarons. Make sure you leave some
space around each dipped macaron when
setting them down (W). Place the macarons
in the fridge to finish setting the glaze,
ideally overnight.
TOP TIPS
Glazed macarons can also be frozen
in an airtight container for up to two
weeks. When ready to thaw, take the
container from the freezer and place it
in the fridge. Leave for an hour or two
with a closed lid.
If you have leftover glaze, cover it with
cling film and store in a fridge for up to
two weeks. Reuse by simply melting.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

L M N

O P Q

R S T

U V W

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 23

 Party In The Woods
This woodland-themed cake is ideal for birthdays, baby showers and autumnal
celebrations. The cute characters and fun decorations are all modelled using simple tools
and techniques, so you can be confident this project will be a walk in the park!
EDIBLES
Vanilla buttercream: 1kg (2lb 31/4oz)
Round, vanilla sponge cakes, 12.5cm
(5") deep: 12.5cm (5") and 17.5cm (7")
wide
Jam filling: 175g (6oz)
SK Fairtrade Sugarpaste: 1.25kg
(2lb 12oz) Iced Mint and 750g
(1lb 101/2oz) Lullaby Blue
SK Professional Instant Mix Royal Icing:
40g (11/2oz) White
SK Professional Edible Food Colour
Pen: Black
SK HD Sugar Modelling Paste: 20g
(3/4oz) Beige, 25g (>3/4oz) Black, 420g
(143/4oz) Brown, 100g (31/2oz) Green,
77g (23/4oz) Orange, 5g (<1/4oz) Pink, 5g
(<11/4oz) Turquoise, 400g (14oz) White
and 5g (<1/4oz) Yellow
SK Essentials Edible Glue
SK Professional Dust Food Colours:
Berberis and Edelweiss (White)
Clear alcohol, i.e., vodka or gin
SK Essentials CMC Cellulose Gum
page 24 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
EQUIPMENT COVERING THE CAKE
Round cake cards: 12.5cm (5") and AND DRUM
17.5cm (7")
Spread 1tbsp of buttercream centrally
Cake leveller 1 onto the 17.5cm (7") and 12.5cm (5")
Palette knife cake cards.
Cake scraper
Cut the 17.5cm (7") wide cake into
Pastry brush 2 three equal layers using a leveller.
Non-stick rolling pin Next, stack and fill the layers centrally on
Cake smoother the corresponding cake card using some
Craft knife buttercream and a jam filling of your choice.
Round cake drums: 2 x 25.5cm (10")
Use a palette knife to crumb coat the
Dowels: 3 3 17.5cm (7") wide cake in buttercream.
SK Modelling Tools: Small and Medium Ball, Spread the buttercream on with the knife,
Metal Ball, Dresden (Petal & Leaf Shaper) then use a cake scraper to scrape all
SK High-Quality Paintbrushes: nos. 2 and 4 around the side and top of the cake to even
PME Scribing Needle out the surface.
Cocktail sticks: 4
Repeat steps 2–3 with the 12.5cm
1cm (3/8") double-sided tape: 1m (40") 4 (5") cake and corresponding card.
2.5cm (1") width ribbon: 80cm (311/2") Refrigerate both cakes for around four
Iced Mint hours.
Brush a thin layer of cooled, boiled
5 water over the surface of the 17.5cm
(7") wide crumb-coated cake using a
pastry brush.
Roll out 900g (2lb) of the Iced Mint
6 sugarpaste to a 4mm (3/16") thickness.
Gently lift the paste and place it centrally
over the 17.5cm (7") cake until covered.
Use your hands to carefully smooth the
paste around the side of the cake. Finish
with a cake smoother to achieve a smooth
surface. Trim away the excess sugarpaste
around the base with a sharp knife. Make
sure you wrap and keep all your trimmings!
cakesandsugarcraft.com
by Vicky Teather
 A B
Repeat steps 5–6 to cover the 12.5cm
7 (5") wide cake, this time using 750g
(1lb 101/2oz) of Lullaby Blue sugarpaste.
Brush a little cooled, boiled water
8 over the surface of the 25.5cm (10")
cake drum. Roll out 400g (14oz) of Iced Mint
sugarpaste to a 5mm (1/4") thickness. Gently
lift and place the sugarpaste centrally
onto the drum, and use your hands and a
smoother to smooth the surface. Trim away
the excess sugarpaste with a sharp knife
and wrap up all your offcuts for later use.
Set aside the cakes and covered drum for
24 hours until firm.
TOP TIP
Keep and wrap up all your paste
trimmings, as you may need this extra
paste throughout the project!
STACKING THE CAKE
Carefully secure the 17.5cm (7") wide
1 cake centrally to the back of the
covered drum using half of the royal icing.
Insert three evenly spaced dowels
2 towards the back of the 17.5cm (7")
cake. Use a black edible food colour pen to
mark where they exit the cake, remove, trim
to size and reinsert into their original holes.
Spread the remaining royal icing
3 over the top of the cake and place
the 12.5cm (5") wide cake centrally on top.
Gently press down on the top of the cake to
bond the two tiers together.
page 26 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
TREES
Combine 14g (1/2oz) of White
1 modelling paste with 6g (<1/4oz) of
Brown modelling paste to create a pale
brown shade.
Roll out the pale brown paste to a
2 1mm (<1/16") thickness and use the
craft knife to cut out 10 tree trunk shapes
that are around 8cm (31/8") in height. Vary
the shape of each trunk to create an organic
finish. Use the dresden tool to draw wood
grain patterns down the length of each tree
trunk (A).
Dip the no. 2 paintbrush into edible
3 glue and wipe off the excess on a
piece of kitchen paper. One at a time, paint
some glue onto the back of each tree trunk
and attach to the sides of the cake. Two
should sit on the front of the top tier, 10cm
(4") apart. Two more of the trees should be
attached to the bottom tier, just to the right
of the centre of the cake. A single trunk
should be attached to the left side of the
bottom tier. The remaining trunks should be
used to decorate the back of both tiers.
To make the leaves, combine 220g
4 (73/4oz) of White modelling paste
with 50g (13/4oz) of Green modelling paste
to make a mid-green shade. Combine 25g
(>3/4oz) of the mid-green paste with 25g
(>3/4oz) of White modelling paste to create a
pale green. You will also need 40g (11/2oz) of
Green modelling paste.
Working on one tree at a time, take
5 four balls of the mid-green modelling
paste: one 25g (>3/4oz) ball, one 16g (1/2oz)
C
ball, one 8g (1/4oz) ball and one 2.5g (1/16oz)
ball. You will also need one 10g (1/4oz) ball
of the pale green paste. One by one, place
the balls into your hand and gently press
down with your palms to flatten them into
shallow dome shapes.
Glue the pale green dome onto the
6 cake, so that it is overlapping the
tree trunk at the middle of the bottom tier.
Glue the 25g (>3/4oz) dome to the right and
attach the remaining three domes to the
right and overlapping each other.
Repeat steps 5–6 using varying sized
7 balls of the different green pastes to
add leaves to the tops of each of the tree
trunks (B). You should end up with about
20g (3/4oz) of pale green and mid-green
pastes leftover, which you'll be using later.
Once the leaves are attached, use
8 the metal and medium ball tools
to add a dimpled texture to each of the
domes.
Mix some Edelweiss (White) dust
9 colour with a little clear alcohol to
form a paint. Using the no. 4 paintbrush,
paint an arc between the two trees on the
top tier and between the trees on the front
left of the cake.
Roll out 5g (<1/4oz) of Green,
10 Orange, Pink, Turquoise and
Yellow modelling pastes thinly. Use a
craft knife to cut out two triangles from
each colour. Use a little glue to attach the
triangles to the bottom edge of the painted
lines to create the bunting (C). Keep your
offcuts for later use!
cakesandsugarcraft.com

TOP TIP
If you make a mistake with the paint,
dip a cotton bud in some clear alcohol
and gently rub over the area you need
to remove. Repeat until the mistake
has been removed.
OWL
Combine 20g (3/4oz) of White
1 modelling paste with 10g (1/4oz) of
Brown modelling paste to make a light
brown. Roll the paste into a ball and then
into a short cylinder. Press the end of the
rolling pin into one end of the cylinder to
make a shallow well. This will be the tree
trunk for the owl to sit on.
Shape 2.5g (1/16oz) of Beige
2 modelling paste into a circle and
glue it inside the well. Use the dresden
tool to mark woodgrain patterns down
the sides of the tree trunk and a circular
pattern onto the Beige circle to resemble
the growth rings of the tree (D).
Mix 39g (13/8oz) of Brown modelling
3 paste with 2g (1/16oz) of Black
modelling paste to make a mid-brown.
Add 1g (<1/16oz) of the mid-brown
4 modelling paste to 12g (>1/2oz) of
Beige modelling paste to make a pale
brown colour.
Combine 12g (<1/2oz) of Brown
5 modelling paste with 5g (<1/4oz)
of Black modelling paste to make a dark
brown colour.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
D E
Roll 20g (3/4oz) of the mid-brown F
6 paste into a ball. Shape 1.5g (<1/16oz)
of the pale brown paste into a circle and
glue in place on the front of the ball. Use
the scribing needle to mark in a feathered
pattern on the pale brown circle (E).
To make the feet, take six very small
7 balls of the dark brown paste and
roll each into a teardrop shape. Glue them
together in groups of three with a little
edible glue, making sure the points of each
teardrop are touching.
Use a little glue to attach the feet to
8 the base of the body. Make sure the
G
rounded ends are facing outwards (F). Next,
glue the body to the top of the tree trunk.
For the head, take the remaining
9 mid-brown paste and roll it into a ball.
Place your thumbs or a ball tool just below
the middle and on either side of the ball to
create the eye sockets.
Fill the eye sockets with two 0.5g
10 (<1/16oz) balls of pale brown paste,
using a little glue to secure in place. Use
your fingers to smooth and blend the paste
into the head (G).
Press the small end of the metal
11 ball tool into the pale brown circles.
The tool should be placed slightly closer to
the inner side of each circle.
Take two small balls of Yellow
12 modelling paste and secure them to
the inner side of each eye using a little glue.
Press the large end of the small
13 ball tool into the inner edge of each
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 27
 yellow ball to create the hole for the pupils
(H). Fill the holes with two small balls of
Black modelling paste. Press down on each
ball with your fingers to flatten them and
secure them in place.
Roll 2.5g (1/16oz) of the dark brown
14 paste into an 8cm (31/8") long
sausage. Halfway along the sausage, bend
the paste into a V-shape. Glue the sausage
to the head, with the pointed centre sitting
between the eyes and with the ends on
either side of the head. Bend each end into
a triangular shape (I).
Use the scribing needle to mark
15 lines along the length of the
sausage to give it some texture.
For the beak, take a small ball of
16 Yellow modelling paste and roll
it into a cone. Glue the cone to the face
just below the point of the sausage. Next,
combine a little of Berberis dust with some
clear alcohol to form a paint. Then use the
no. 4 paintbrush and paint around the top
half of each eye.
For the wings, take a 1.8g (1/16oz)
17 ball of dark brown paste and roll it
into a long teardrop shape. Repeat this step
using a 1.2g (<1/16oz), 0.8g (<1/16oz), 0.5g
(<1/16oz) and 0.3g (<1/16oz) ball.
Attach the five teardrops together
18 using a little edible glue. Make
sure the points of each teardrop are
touching and that they are positioned in
order of size (J).
Use the scribing needle to draw
19 feather lines along the outer edge
of each teardrop. Draw a line down the
centre of each teardrop.
Repeat steps 17–19 to create a
20 second wing. Attach the wings
to the side of the body using a little edible
glue. The smaller teardrops should be
towards the front of the body and the larger
to the back.
Push a cocktail stick centrally into
21 the body and the tree trunk. Paint
a little glue around the stick and then attach
the head. You may need to trim the stick
before attaching the head (K).
page 28 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
BIG BEAR
For the body, roll 170g (53/4oz) of
1 Brown modelling paste into a ball.
Roll the ball back and forth between your
hands to elongate it into a pear shape (L).
Place the side of your finger around
2 1cm (3/8") in from the wider end of
the body. Gently push your finger into the
paste to create a groove that runs from the
bottom of the body upwards and towards
the side. Repeat this step on the other side
of the body to create the haunches (M).
Shape 8g (1/4oz) of Brown modelling
3 paste into an egg shape. Cut the egg
in half with a sharp knife, then press the
scribing tool into the wider end of the paste
twice to create the toes. Glue both feet onto
the base of the body – position one foot on
its side and the other on its heel in front of
the haunches.
For the arms, roll 18g (5/8oz) of
4 Brown modelling paste into a 6cm
(23/8") long sausage, with one end wider
than the other. Use the sharp knife to cut
the sausage in half lengthways. Use your
fingers to bend one of the halves into a
right angle and then bend the wide end
downwards (N). Use the scribing tool to
mark in two fingers at the wider end of the
sausage. Glue the arm in place on the right
side of the body.
Add a pinch of CMC to the other half
5 of the sausage from step 4. Roll it into
a 6cm (23/8") long sausage, with one end
thinner than the other. Flatten the wider end
using your fingers and use the scribing tool
to add the fingers. Bend the arm into a right
angle and then leave it to set for an hour.
Press the small end of the metal ball
6 tool into the top left side of the body
to create a well. Insert a cocktail stick into
the well and then attach the arm by gently
threading the paste centrally onto the stick
(O). Leave the body to set overnight before
adding the head.
For the head, roll 75g (21/2oz) of
7 Brown modelling paste into a ball.
Use your fingers to flatten one side of the
ball so that the head is dome-like. Press
your fingers into the paste 2cm (3/4") above
the base of the head and on either side to
create the eye sockets.
For the muzzle, take 7.5g (1/4oz) of
8 the pale brown paste leftover from
making the owl and roll it into an egg
shape. Use a sharp knife to remove the
widest end of the egg to give the shape a
flat base. Press the scribing tool centrally
into the top of the paste to create a short
vertical line. Press the wide end of the
dresden tool into the base of the line and
push downwards to open the mouth into a
smile (P).
Use the scribing tool to add a short,
9 upwards curved line from the top
corners of the mouth. Press the small end
of the small ball tool into the ends of the
lines to create the dimples.
Take a small ball of the dark brown
10 paste leftover from making the owl
and shape it into a triangular nose with your
fingers. Attach the nose to the top of the
line on the muzzle with a little edible glue,
making sure the pointed end is positioned
downwards. Press the small end of the
small ball tool into the bottom of the nose
on either side to create the nostrils.
Attach the muzzle to the head with
11 a little glue, positioned centrally
and beneath the eye sockets. Use your
fingers to press down on either side of the
mouth to widen and shape the cheeks.
Press the top edge of the muzzle upwards
to sit directly between the eyes (Q).
For the eyes, press the large end
12 of the small ball tool into the head
on the lower, inner area of the eye sockets.
Fill each hole with a small ball of White
modelling paste.
Press the small end of the medium
13 ball tool into the inner, lower corner
of each white eye. Fill each hole with a
small ball of Black modelling paste for the
pupils. Add a small ball of White modelling
paste to the upper, right corner of each
pupil to act as a highlight.
For the eyelashes, take two very
14 small balls of Black modelling
paste and roll into taper-ended sausages.
Paint a little glue around the top and outer
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

H I J

K L

M N

O P Q

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 29

 R S T

U V

W X

Y Z AA

page 30 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


side of each eye. Place the tapered sausage
in position and use a dry paintbrush to fit it
around the eyes (R).
To make the ears, take two 1g
15 (<1/16oz) balls of Brown modelling
paste and push the rounded end of the
cone tool into the centre of each to create
a channel. Pinch the ends of the channel
together into a point (S). Paint a little glue on
one side of each ear and secure them to the
top of the head.
Add a small piece of Black
16 modelling paste to the open
mouth and use the dresden tool to fit it into
position. Next, add a small piece of Pink
modelling paste on top for the tongue, and
gently press down with the dresden tool to
flatten and secure in place (T).
Push a cocktail stick into the neck
17 of the model and paint a little
edible glue around it. Attach the head at an
angle on top of the body. Attach the bear
centrally to the very top of the cake with a
little edible glue.
SCAREDY BEAR
Follow steps 7–15 from making the
1 Big Bear to make the scared bear’s
head, this time using 30g (1oz) of Brown
modelling paste for the head and 1.5g
(<1/16oz) of the leftover pale brown paste for
the mouth. The pupils should be placed on
the lower, right side of each eye. The ears
are made using two small balls of Brown
modelling paste. Draw an inverted Y-shape
for the mouth with the scribing tool.
For the body, roll 18g (5/8oz) of Brown
2 modelling paste into a ball. Place your
hand halfway over the ball and roll back and
forth to thin out the paste (U).
Take two 1g (<1/16oz) balls of Brown
3 paste and roll into short sausages.
Use the scribing tool to mark on the two
toes on each foot. Glue the feet together
with a little edible glue. Repeat this process
to create an additional foot using a smaller
ball of Brown paste, attaching it to the back
of the body on the left side. Add a small
teardrop of Brown paste to the base of the
spine to create the tail (V).
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
Glue the body on top of the 17.5cm
4 (7") cake to the left side of the tree
trunk. Paint a little glue on top of the feet
and on the neck of the body. Now attach
the head, with the chin resting on the paws.
CHEEKY RACCOON
Combine 50g (13/4oz) of White paste
1 with 5g (<1/4oz) of Black paste to
make a mid-grey colour. To make the body,
take 25g (>3/4oz) of the mid-grey colour and
roll it into an egg shape. Use the side of a
paintbrush to create the haunches on either
side of the body (W).
Combine 8.5g (1/4oz) of White paste
2 with a very small pinch of Black paste
to create a pale grey. Take 2.5g (1/16oz) of the
pale grey paste and roll it into a sausage.
Use your fingers to begin to stretch and
flatten the sausage. Paint a little glue on the
front of the body, then use your fingers to
blend and fit the paste in place (X). Gently
press the paintbrush into the mid-section
of the body to create a curved line that
accentuates the belly of the raccoon.
Combine 5.5g (<1/4oz) of White paste
3 with 4.5g (<1/4oz) of Black paste to
create a dark grey. Shape 1g (<1/16oz) of
the dark grey paste into a long teardrop.
Cut the teardrop in half down its length.
Use the scribing tool to add the toes on
each teardrop half. Glue the feet in place
on the body, with the narrow end sitting
underneath the haunches.
For the tail, roll 7.5g (1/4oz) of mid-
4 grey and 7.5g (11/4oz) of dark grey
paste into two taper-ended sausages, 6cm
(23/8") in length. Next, use a sharp knife to
cut each tapered sausage into six pieces,
taking care to match the cuts on each piece
of paste.
Use a little glue to attach the pieces
5 of paste together using alternate
colours, starting with the dark grey tip (Y).
Gently roll the finished tail between your
hands to bind the two coloured pastes
together. Bend the tail into a light curve and
set aside.
To make the arm, take 1g (<1/16oz)
6 of the mid-grey paste and roll it into
cakes & sugarcra f t
a 3cm (11/8") long sausage, with one end
thinner than the other. Bend the arm in the
centre and then lightly bend the widest end
in the opposite direction. Glue in place on
the top right side of the body.
Roll 18g (5/8oz) of the mid-grey paste
7 into a ball. Lightly roll the ball on one
side to create a slight point. Repeat to make
another point on the opposing side.
Press your fingers into the paste
8 twice to create two wells to
accommodate the eyes. The eye sockets
should extend over the lower side of the
head and to the points. Press you finger
directly beneath and in between the eyes
for the muzzle.
Roll 6g (<1/4oz) of the pale grey paste
9 into a rugby ball shape. From one of
the wide edges, gently pinch and pull out
two semicircles, which should be roughly
the same size as the wells for the eye
sockets (Z).
Paint a little glue in the wells on
10 the face. Fit the two semicircles
into the wells and secure with your fingers.
Stretch the pointed ends of the paste to fit
the pointed section of the head. Next, work
the middle of the pale grey paste into a
cone shape using your fingers.
Press the dresden tool into the
11 paste to create two teardrop-
shaped wells in the eye sockets (AA). Make
sure you leave a gap of pale grey paste
above each teardrop shape to make it look
more raccoon-like.
Draw a short vertical line coming
12 from the tip of the cone. Press the
dresden tool into the base
of the line and push
downwards to open
the mouth into a
smile. Extend
the ends of the
smile with the
scribing tool, and
then use the small
end of the small
ball tool to add
dimples at the
ends of the
smile.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 31
 AB
Roll two small teardrops from
13 the dark grey paste. Paint a little
glue into the wells created in step 11 and
place the teardrops inside. Use your fingers
to blend the dark grey paste so they fit
snug inside the wells. Fill the mouth with a
small ball of Black modelling paste, using
the dresden tool to press the paste into
position.
Press the large end of the small
14 ball tool into the inner edge of the
eye sockets. Fill with two small balls of
White modelling paste. Press the small end
of the medium ball tool into the left side of
each eye. Fill the holes with two small balls
of Black paste, and then add a tiny ball of
White paste to the upper, right corner of
each eye to act as a highlight. Finish by
adding two small, tapered sausages of
Black paste around the top and outer edge
of each eye for the eyelashes.
For the nose, take a small ball of
15 dark grey paste and shape it into
a triangle. Attach to the tip of the cone,
making sure the pointed end is positioned
downwards.
Roll a small cone of Pink modelling
16 paste and glue the pointed end
inside the mouth. Use the dresden tool to
press the tongue flat and secure it in place.
For the ears, roll two 1g (<1/16oz)
17 balls of the mid-grey paste into
cones. Roll two smaller balls of Pink paste
into cones. Glue the pink cones centrally on
top of the grey cones. One at a time, press
the rounded cone tool into the cones and
fit the paste around the tool. Remove the
page 32 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
AC
paste from the tool and trim away the wide
base so you have a straight edge. Apply a
little glue to the straight edges of the ears
and secure them on top of the head on
either side.
Take a small piece of mid-grey
18 paste and roll it into a short
sausage. Curl it with your fingers and glue
to the top of the head for the hair.
Attach the head to the body using
19 a cocktail stick for support. Make
an arm by rolling 1g (<1/16oz) of the mid-
grey paste into a 3cm (11/8") long sausage,
with one end thinner than the other. Attach
the thin end to the raccoon’s shoulder and
the wide end to the cheek (AB). Glue the
body on top of the bottom tier on the right
side of cake, then glue the tail in place
behind it.
HUNGRY SQUIRREL
Mix 72g (21/2oz) of Orange modelling
1 paste with 15g (1/2oz) of Brown paste
to make a burnt orange. Roll 35g (11/4oz) of
the burnt orange paste into a pear shape.
Press the handle of a paintbrush on either
side of the paste to add the haunches.
Combine 10g (1/4oz) of White paste
2 with a pinch of the burnt orange
paste to create a pale peach colour. Take
3g (<1/8oz) of the pale peach paste and roll
it into a short sausage. Use your fingers to
stretch and flatten the paste, then attach
it to the front of the body with a little glue.
Use your fingers to blend the edges of the
paste into the body. Use the paintbrush
handle to mark a groove across the front of
the body to accentuate the belly. Finish by
smoothing away any tool marks with your
fingers.
For the feet, roll 2.5g (1/16oz) of the
3 burnt orange paste into a 2.5cm
(1") long teardrop. Cut the paste in half
lengthways, then use the scribing tool to
add two marks at the wide end of each
piece for the toes. Attach the narrow end of
the feet to the base of the body using some
edible glue. Lightly bend the wide end of
the feet into a curve so they are pointing
downwards.
For the tail, take 24g (>3/4oz) of the
4 burnt orange paste and roll it into a
10cm (4") long taper-ended sausage. Roll
one end of the paste into a spiral shape and
set aside for later.
To make the acorns, add a small
5 amount of Brown and Black
modelling paste to 4g (<1/4oz) of Beige
paste to create a mid-brown colour. Roll
1g (<1/16oz) of the mid-brown paste into an
egg shape. Use a sharp knife to cut off the
wide end so you have a flat edge. Repeat
to create two more acorns.
Add a little more Brown and Black
6 modelling paste to your mid-brown
paste to achieve a dark brown. Take three
small balls of dark brown paste and lightly
flatten them into chunky discs with your
fingers. Glue to the cut edge of the acorns.
Press the small end of the small ball
7 tool over the surface of the darker
brown paste to create a dimpled texture
cakesandsugarcraft.com

AD
(AC). Add a tiny sausage of the darker
brown paste to the top of each acorn for
the stalk. Glue one acorn to the chest of the
squirrel and set the other two aside.
Roll 1g (<1/16oz) of burnt orange paste
8 into a 3cm (11/8") long sausage, with
one end narrower than the other. Press the
scribing tool into the wide end to create
the fingers. Glue the narrow end to the left
shoulder and the paw to the acorn. Repeat
to create a second arm, bending this one at
the elbow and gluing to the right shoulder
and the paw on the acorn (AD).
For the head, roll 20g (3/4oz) of burnt
9 orange paste into a ball. Press the
large end of the medium ball tool into the
paste twice, just below the halfway point, to
make the eye sockets.
Take two small balls of the pale
10 peach paste and flatten into circles
with your fingers. Paint a little glue inside
the sockets, then use the ball tool to flatten
and fit the pale peach circles in place.
Press the large end of the small
11 ball tool into the inner corner to
create the holes for the eyes and glue on
two small balls of White modelling paste.
Press the small end of the medium ball
tool into the lower, inner corner of each
eye, and fill each hole with a small ball of
Black modelling paste for the pupils. Add
a small ball of White modelling paste to the
top right of each pupil to act as a highlight.
Finish the eyes by gluing a tiny tapered
sausage of Black modelling paste around
the top and outer edge of each eye.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
AE
For the muzzle, roll 5g (<1/4oz) of
12 the pale peach paste into a ball.
Roll your finger back and forth a third of
the way along the ball to extrude a short
sausage. Repeat on the opposite side of
the ball (AE). Pinch a small, flat triangle of
paste from the centre of the shape.
Glue the muzzle to the face, with
13 the triangle in between the eyes.
Shape the paste to fit underneath the eyes
and to the side of the face. Pinch and roll
the centre to create a mound for the snout.
Use the scribing tool to add a
14 short vertical line coming from the
tip of the nose. Press the wide end of the
dresden tool into the base of the line and
push downwards to open the mouth. Use
the scribing tool to extend the smile, and
press the small end of the small ball into
the ends of the lines to create the dimples.
Add a small piece of Black
15 modelling paste into the mouth
and use the dresden tool to fit it into
position. Add a small piece of Pink
modelling paste to the bottom of the open
mouth for the tongue. Next, roll a small ball
of Black paste into a triangle and glue to
the tip of the snout for the nose.
Take a small oblong of White paste
16 and use the scribing tool to mark a
line down the centre – this will be the teeth!
Glue in place at the top of the mouth (AF).
For the ears, take two 1g (<1/16oz)
17 balls of burnt orange paste and
roll into cones. Press the cone tool into the
centre of the cones and press down so it
cakes & sugarcra f t
AF
curves slightly. Glue the wide end of the ears
on top of the head with a little edible glue.
Glue three long cones of burnt
18 orange paste to the top of the head
for some hair. Now glue the head to the
body – you don’t need a cocktail stick for
this model. Glue the squirrel to the right side
of the drum in front of the cake and attach
the tail behind it. Glue your leftover acorns
on the cake drum in front of the squirrel.
FINISHING TOUCHES
To make the grass, take 20g (3/4oz) of
1 the pale green paste and 20g (3/4oz) of
the mid-green paste you used for the trees.
Split each colour into small balls and roll
them into long cone shapes. Glue together
in bunches of three and attach them to the
cake and drum.
For the flowers, split 2g (1/16oz) of
2 White modelling paste into five
equally sized balls. Roll each ball into a
teardrop shape and lightly pinch between
your fingers to flatten. Glue the teardrops
together with the points in the centre. Add
a tiny ball of Yellow modelling paste to the
middle of the flower for the centre and attach
randomly to the cake. Repeat to create
another five flowers, gluing them all around
the drum and cake.
Use 20cm (8") of the double-sided
3 tape to join the two cake drums to
each other, leaving you with a double
height drum. Attach the 2.5cm (1") wide Iced
Mint ribbon to the edge of the drum using
the double-sided tape.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 33
 .................. .......
.................. .......
.
Fairtrade and....PSCPA . . . . . . . . . . . .
.. ............ .......
.. ................ .......
Teaching Good Practices
.. ................ .......
T . . . . . . . .. . .
.................. ........
he following case study comes from the Progressive
Sugar Cane Producers Association (PSCPA) – a Fairtrade
sugar co-operative in Belize. The co-op began in 2015
with the vision of increasing sugar production amongst its
members. The founders began with the mission to produce
sugar cane of the highest quality by implementing better
agronomical practices through environmentally friendly,
systematic and sustainable methods.

and where need was the greatest. The pilot
project focused on two key areas: family
health awareness and financial literacy.
The 60 women participated enthusiastically
and expressed interest in poverty alleviation
through business entrepreneurship, as well
as addressing child labour issues. The main
takeaway from the pilot project was the
effect the climate crisis is having on farmers
in the northern region of Belize. Solutions to
the challenges created by climate change
will require major behavioural shifts at every
level of the sugar supply chain to ensure that
A group of 15 vulnerable youths, aged
farmers have the tools to proactively tackle
between 12–17, and 12 women were
this crisis. As such, the overall goal is for
invited to take part in a new diversification
young people and women to exercise their
programme as part of an intervention
autonomy when it comes to climate change
opportunity. The programme is situated
adaption and to meaningfully engage in
within two acres of the Progressive Sugar
climate smart agroecological practices.
Cane Producers Association’s (PSCPA) land
and provides service for the five zones from
Orange Walk and Corozal Districts.
Speaking about the diversification
programme, co-op member Joan Trejo
said: “I never thought at my 15 years of
age I would get to learn a lot of important
things, such as creating my own
biofertiliser, transplanting seedlings and
how organic materials can help us protect
the environment. We learned to work
together as a family. And I am very happy
to be part of the project.”
Fellow co-op member Diana Camal said:
“I have learnt a lot and I discovered new
crops that I did not know before. I have
always liked gardening, but I did need
some capacity training, especially to learn
other alternatives that are safer to our
health and environment. We are grateful
for this opportunity.”

This project will hopefully benefit more

youths and women in the future, whom will
be guided by the first group. This project
was divided into two main phases:
Phase 1: Initiation and Capacity
Phase 2: Executing and Implementing

The idea for this official programme came

about after a trial programme was carried
out by PSCPA in 2017. PSCPA, using the
Fairtrade Premium, piloted a project with 60
women from seven communities to better
understand the problems the women faced

page 34 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

.... .....
.... ......
.......
.... .....
.... ......
.......
.... .....
.... ......
These light and fluffy red velvet cupcakes are vegan, jam-packed with Fairtrade cacao

.......
and a natural pink-red food colouring. Top these cupcakes with thick and creamy vegan

.... .....
.... ......
.......
buttercream and some sugar cookies for a simple and impressive treat!

.... .....
....
Vegan ......
.......
Red Velvet Cupcakes
.... .....
.... ......
.......
.... .....
EDIBLES
Cupcakes ......
.... .......
Almond milk: 180ml (6fl oz)
Lemon juice: 1tsp
You can make
these cupcakes
gluten-free by simply
substituting the plain
Sunflower oil: 80ml (51/2tbsp) flour with a gluten-free
Fairtrade caster sugar: 80g (23/4oz) alternative!
Fairtrade vanilla essence: 1tsp
Plain flour: 150g (51/4oz)
Divine Cocoa Powder: 25g (>3/4oz)
Baking powder: 1/2tsp
Bicarbonate of soda: 1/2tsp
Salt: a pinch
Beetroot powder: 2tsp

Buttercream
Vegan butter: 100g (31/2oz)
Fairtrade icing sugar: 300g (101/2oz)
Almond milk: 2tbsp
Fairtrade vanilla essence: 1/2tsp

EQUIPMENT
Cupcake tray
Cupcake cases: 9
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Piping bag

Makes nine cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F/
1 Gas Mark 4) and line a cupcake tin
with cupcake cases.
Stir together the almond milk and
2 lemon juice in a jug or small bowl,
then leave for five minutes to curdle. Now
whisk in the sunflower oil, sugar and
vanilla essence.
In large mixing bowl, sieve in the
3 flour, cocoa powder, baking powder
and bicarbonate of soda and stir together.
Add in the salt, beetroot powder and mix.
Next, pour the wet ingredients into the bowl
and stir to a smooth batter.
Divide the batter between the cases,
4 filling them about three quarters full.
Bake in the oven for 17–18 minutes
5 or until a skewer inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes
to cool in the tin for five minutes, then
transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Prepare the buttercream by beating
6 the vegan butter in a mixing bowl
until smooth. Gradually add in the icing
sugar and almond milk whilst still beating
until you end up with a thick and smooth
buttercream. Spoon the buttercream into a
piping bag and cut off the end.
Once the cupcakes are cooled
7 entirely, pipe a swirl over each
cupcake and decorate as you like. This
could be with heart sugar cookies,
sprinkles or even chopped chocolate!

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 35

 TALENT SPOTLIGHT
Anne Yorks
flourbox.com
elf-taught baker and cookie artist
S Anne is the founder of The Flour Box,
one of the top online resources for
cookie decorating supplies and tutorials in
the USA. Anne’s passionate about helping
home bakers find joy and purpose through
cookies. Read on to hear all about her
cookie journey!
I started baking at a young age with my
mum. We loved spending time in the kitchen
together. We made delicious cut-out cookies
and did basic decorating, spreading icing
with a butter knife and adding sprinkles. I
discovered my love for royal icing and hand
decorated cookies when I made my own
baby shower cookie favours. It was love at
first ‘bite’ and I never turned back!
I’m a self-taught baker and cookie decorator.
Early into my decorating career I plugged
into a small group of budding cookie artists,
and we shared our cookie trials, successes
and tips. These friendships still last today
and we have all grown businesses from our
initial cookie hobbies. It’s amazing how a
community can lift each other up and not
look at each other as competition. I am now
the founder of The Flour Box, one of the
top online resources for cookie decorating
supplies and tutorials in the USA, am the
instructor of three in-depth Craftsy classes,
teach monthly online classes and also host
in-person classes.
page 36 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Photo credits: Elise Cellucci
I have always been a creative, silly self-starter.
Running a creative business taps into so
many of the skills I love: creating, planning,
organising and teaching. I started very small
and have since continued to grow my skills
and business for more than 13 years. There’s
always something new to learn!
The main purpose of my decorating style
is to design with the intention of other
artists recreating my cookies. I love to get
whimsical. I always try to add one or two
interesting details even to a simple design.
My favourite cookies to decorate? I love
to design celebratory cookies for life’s big
events. Bring on the baby showers, weddings,
and birthdays! I also love, love, love adding
the piped details to my cookies. This is the
moment when the cookie comes to life. There
is something so satisfying about completing a
cookie project.
My greatest cookie triumph is a set of cookies
I created in memory of my mum. For this
project, I decorated a set of vintage bathing
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 FEATURE

beauties sitting on colourful beach balls. They

were based on a set of figurines my mum and
I would admire in the front window of a shop
in our favourite beach town.
“
Something else I’m proud of is that I have
started designing my own line of cookie
cutters. This has been a goal for several years
and I’m so excited to unleash my creativity
into a new set of designs!

Over my 13 year cookie career, I have learned

that this experience is often about more than
just cookies. Whether contributing something
sweet and personal to a celebration or
connecting with another artist over our
shared passion for cookie decorating, I have
truly found so much joy and purpose in my
cookie journey.

To those starting their cookie adventure, I

would encourage them to jump in head first!
There is room for so many more creative
people. Often new decorators can compare
themselves to others that have more than
10 years of experience, but that isn’t helpful.
Allow yourself room to learn and grow
into your own decorating style. Don’t let
comparison steal your cookie joy!

Maintaining creativity throughout the year

can be really hard. Over the years, I’ve
learned that taking breaks to renew my
creative juices can really help. I find sketching
and brainstorming to be a fun activity to
come up with new ideas – I save all the
sketches in a book and will revisit and revise
until they are ready to be turned into a
cookie. It’s all trial and error, but it’s important
to figure out what works best for you.

When it comes to trends, I see so many

neutrals in the stores these days and I
can see that transcending massively into
the cookie world. Leafy greens are also
everywhere at right now, and so are playful
textures on cookies. These design trends are
hot right now, but I think they will really boom
over the next few months. Watch this space!

If you’re interested in Anne’s cookie designs, check out her

amazing rainbow birthday cookie tutorial on page 80!

cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 37

 Butterflies
& Blackberries
Learn how to create and hand paint these pretty little autumn cakesicles!
You could even get creative and swap out the blackberries for more
butterflies or blossoms to enjoy them all year round.

EDIBLES TEMPERING THE DARK COUVERTURE CHOCOLATE

SK Belgian Couverture Chocolate: 200g Tip all 200g (7oz) of the dark chocolate couverture into a heatproof bowl. Use
(7oz) Dark Chocolate
1 a microwave to heat the chocolate in two second bursts, stirring the chocolate
Chocolate cake offcuts: 80g (23/4oz) thoroughly as it melts. Monitor the temperature using your thermometer between each
burst. Do not let the chocolate temperature go above 32˚C (89.6˚F)! This is the working
Dark or milk chocolate ganache: 50g
temperature for dark chocolate – by heating the chocolate gently like this you aren't taking
(13/4oz)
it out of temper, which means your chocolate will set hard and glossy. If you don't have a
Blackberry jam: 2tbsp microwave, you can use the bain marie method instead.
SK Cocoa Butter: 10g (1/4oz)
SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Dusts:
Black, Extra White and Orange MAKING THE CAKESICLES
SK Professional Dust Food Colours:
Make sure your silicone ice cream mould is clean and dry. Spoon the melted,
Blackberry (Black), Chestnut (Soft Beige), 1 tempered chocolate immediately into each of the four indentations and give it a swirl
Holly/Ivy (Dark Green), Leaf Green, Rose
around to make sure the sides of each hole are covered.
and Thrift

Hold the mould over your bowl of tempered chocolate and quickly turn it over to
EQUIPMENT 2 empty any excess chocolate out of the indentations. Use a palette knife to scrape
off any drips of chocolate on the top surface of the mould, and then pop it in the fridge for
Heatproof bowl
about 10 minutes or until the chocolate has set.
Sugar or chocolate thermometer
Once set, take some of the remaining melted chocolate and use a no. 10 paintbrush
Silikomart Mini Ice Cream Silicone Bar
Mould Set, Classic
3 or your palette knife to give the walls of each cakesicle shell a second chocolate coat
(A). Do not make the shell too thick!
Palette knife
SK High-Quality Paintbrushes: nos. 1, 2
and 10
Lollipop sticks: 4, small A
Mixing bowl
Piping bag
Side plate
Cereal bowl
Template: page 86

Makes four cakesicles

page 38 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

by Emily Hankins
 At this point, you want to attach the
4 lollipop sticks – you can use some
of the melted chocolate to secure them in
place, if needed (B). Pop the mould back
in the fridge to set again for another 10
minutes.
Prepare your cakesicle filling by
5 crumbling 80g (23/4oz) of chocolate
cake offcuts into a mixing bowl. Add about
1tbsp of the chocolate ganache and use
your hands to knead the mixture together
until it forms a dough. If the mixture is still
crumbly, you might need to add a little more
ganache. Form four small balls of dough,
each weighing 20g (3/4oz).
Remove your set mould from the
6 fridge. Form one of the balls of cake
mix into an oval shape and push it into
the first indentation, being careful not to
dislodge the lollipop stick (C). Repeat with
the other three balls.
Use a clean finger to make a deep
7 well in the middle of each cakesicle
(D). Cut off the tip of a piping bag and
spoon in some blackberry jam. Pipe some
blackberry jam inside each well of the
cakesicles (E). Cover the jam with a little
circle of leftover cake mixture (F).
Spoon the remaining melted,
8 tempered chocolate over the top of
each cakesicle (G) and use a palette knife to
smooth it out. Give the mould a few gentle
taps down on your worktop to remove any
air bubbles, then scrape away any excess
chocolate with your palette knife (H). Pop
the mould back in the fridge for 10 minutes
to set.
Once set, gently manipulate the
9 mould so the cakesicles start to pop
page 40 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
out. This should happen very easily at this
stage, but if it doesn’t, put the mould back
in the fridge for another five minutes. Pop
each of the cakesicles out, taking care not
to dislodge the sticks. Try not to touch the
surface of the cakesicles, as you will dull the
shine and leave fingerprints.
TOP TIP
If you’re having trouble removing the
cakesicles from the mould, you can
put it in the freezer for a few minutes to
harden even more. This can really help
demould the cakesicles!
PREPARING YOUR
COCOA BUTTER PAINT
1 Carefully pour some boiling water into
a cereal bowl and sit the side plate on
top. Place a few callets of cocoa butter into
the centre of the side plate to melt.
TOP TIP
Keep replacing the boiling water as it
cools to make sure the cocoa butter
stays fluid. Be careful as everything
will be hot.
PAINTING THE
BLACKBERRY FLOWERS
Tip a small amount of Extra White
1 QFC dust onto your side plate and
mix to a smooth paint using the melted
cocoa butter. You want your paint to be a
similar thickness to an acrylic paint.
Use the no. 2 paintbrush to paint
2 a circular flower shape onto each
cakesicle. You want the flowers to have
five heart-shaped petals all radiating out
from a circular centre. You can paint one or
two flowers on each cakesicle as you wish,
positioning the flowers wherever you like (I).
Tip a small amount of Rose dust
3 onto your plate and mix a little with
some of the white paint to make a pale
pink colour. Use this pale pink paint to start
adding shading to each flower, applying
the paint to the base of every petal and
blending up to the tip (J).
Darken the pink paint slightly with a
4 little more Rose dust and intensify
the shading towards the centre of each
flower (K).
Tip a little Leaf Green dust onto your
5 plate. Mix some of the green with the
melted cocoa butter and a touch of white
to make a thick, lighter green paint. Add a
dot of this paint to the very centre of each
flower (L).
Tip a small amount of Chestnut (Soft
6 Beige) dust onto your plate and mix
to a smooth paint using the melted cocoa
butter. Use a no. 1 paintbrush to paint
some fine radiating lines around each of
the green flower centres, finishing each one
with a dot at the tip (M).
TOP TIP
Clean your brush thoroughly between
colours using very hot water and
washing up liquid. Make sure you rinse
it thoroughly.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

B C D

E F G

H I J

K L M

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 41

 N O P Q

R S T U

V W X

Y Z AA

page 42 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


PAINTING THE LEAVES
1 Mix up some light green paint using
some Leaf Green dust and the white
paint you previously mixed. If you have
run out, mix some more up now! Use the
no. 2 paintbrush to paint a few simple leaf
shapes flowing out from the flowers on each
cakesicle (N).
Darken the green paint using a little
2 more Leaf Green dust. Use this dark
green paint to add some shading to the
leaves, concentrating the colour at the base
of each leaf where there would be shade
from the flowers (O).
Tip a small amount of Holly/Ivy (Dark
3 Green) dust onto your plate and use a
little to darken the dark green paint further.
Use this to darken the shading on each leaf,
really making them pop (P).
PAINTING THE BERRIES
Tip some Blackberry (Black) dust onto
1 your plate and mix to a smooth paint
using the melted cocoa butter. Add a touch
of white to lighten it slightly until you have a
blackberry colour. Use this paint to outline
the darkest areas of the blackberries, using
dabs of colour to add texture (Q). Paint
some blackberries in the empty spaces
on each cakesicle, but make sure you
leave enough room on one or more of the
cakesicles to paint a butterfly later on!
Lighten the dark blackberry paint
2 slightly using a little white. Add some
dabs of this lighter colour on top of the dark
blackberry paint to start adding shape to
each berry (R).
Tip a small amount of Thrift dust
3 onto your plate. Lighten the lighter
blackberry paint a little more using the white
and add a touch of Thrift to make a pinky-
purple colour. Paint more dabs of this pinky-
purple colour onto each berry, concentrating
this lighter paint on the opposite side of the
berries to the darkest colour you painted
first (S).
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
NEW SETS AVAILABLE
Finally, dab some plain white paint
4 over each of the berries to add
highlights (T). Mix some Leaf Green dust
with the melted cocoa butter and paint
a thin green stem from each berry to the
Paint
flowers so it looks like they are attached (U).
like a
Professional
PAINTING THE
BUTTERFLY
1 Use a little pure white paint and the Paint your cakes and bakes like
template to mark out the butterfly
shape on the designated cakesicle(s), filling
a professional with these
in the wings completely using the no. 2 2 NEW dust colour sets!
paintbrush (V).
Tip a little Orange QFC dust onto
2 your plate and mix some of it with the
white paint to make a pale orange colour.
Add some pale orange shading to the
base of the butterfly wings, blending it out
towards the tip from the body (W).
Darken the pale orange paint slightly
3 by mixing in some of the pure Orange
QFC dust. Now deepen the shading,
focusing on the inner corners of the butterfly
wings (X).
Add a little Black QFC dust to your
As recommended by
4
plate and mix to a smooth paint using
your melted cocoa butter. Use the no. 1 Emily Hankins
paintbrush to paint some scalloped edges
around each of the butterfly wings (Y). You
can also add a few black spots on the
petals to add further interest (Z).
Lighten the black paint slightly with a
5 little white and finish by painting the
butterfly’s body (AA). Don’t forget to add the
antenna at the top!
In partnership with Emily, these Squires
TOP TIP Kitchen dust sets include all the colours
you'll need to paint botanical scenes – Set 1
You could present the cakesicles for flowers and Set 2 for leaves.
nestled in some tissue paper in one
Pair the dusts with some melted Cocoa
of the Squires Kitchen cupcake boxes
Butter and create your own beautiful, hand-
with the clear window, wrapped with
some dusky pink ribbon! painted decorations.
What's more, you can mix each of these
dusts with some white dust food colour and
your options become endless!
These sets will provide you with almost
everything you need to get started on
your hand-painted cake creations.
www.squires-shop.com
 BLOOMIN’ GREAT
Bonfire Night
MAKING THE
CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preheat your oven to 180˚C (350˚F/

1 Gas Mark 4). Line and grease three
15cm (6") deep sandwich tins.

Blend the cocoa powder, boiling

2 water and instant coffee together in
a bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Fit your stand mixer with a beater

3 attachment. Cream the butter and
sugars together in a stand mixer on a
medium speed until you achieve a light
and fluffy consistency. This should take
about three minutes. If you don’t have a
EDIBLES Decoration
stand mixer, you can use an electric hand
Cake Recipe Buttercream: 250g (8¾oz) mixer instead.
SK Chocolate Ganache Mix: 250g (8¾oz)
SK Cocoa Powder Extra Brute: 70g
SK Ready-Tempered Isomalt: 25g (>¾oz) Add the cooled chocolate mixture
(2½oz)
Red, 25g (>¾oz) Orange and 25g (>¾oz)
4 to the butter and sugar, and then
Instant coffee: 1tsp
Yellow mix until thoroughly combined.
Boiling water: 8tbsp
Chocolate sticks
Unsalted butter: 135g (4¾oz), softened In another bowl, combine the flour,
Light brown sugar: 90g (3oz)
Chocolate curls 5 baking powder and salt together.
Chocolate sprinkles
Caster sugar: 280g (9¾oz)
In a new small bowl, use a fork to
Eggs: 4, large
EQUIPMENT
6 beat your eggs. Add half of the
SK Professional Self Raising Flour: 235g beaten egg and half of the flour mix to
(8¼oz) Sandwich tins: 3 x 15cm (6") your chocolate mixture, and then mix on
SK Baking Powder: 1½tsp Mixing bowls a low speed until just combined. Repeat
Salt: ½tsp Silicone spatula until all the egg and flour is incorporated
into the mixture.
Buttermilk: 30ml (2tbsp) Stand mixer
Milk: 40ml (2¾tbsp) Cake leveller Combine the buttermilk and milk
Palette knives: small and medium 7 together and add it to your mixture.
Cake board Mix on a medium speed for about 20
Cake scraper seconds until all combined.

Baking tray
Evenly distribute the mix into your
Greaseproof paper 8 prepared tins and bake in the oven
Cocktail sticks for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted
in the centre comes out clean.
Makes a 15cm (6") cake

page 44 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

This rich, indulgent bonfire-themed cake is perfect for celebrating Guy
Fawkes Night or for an evening in beside the fire. With vibrant isomalt
flames, creamy chocolate ganache icing and a moist, squidgy chocolate
sponge, you won’t be able to resist another slice!

by Jennifer Jackson
 Allow to cool for a couple of minutes
A
9 in the tins, then turn out onto a wire
rack to cool completely.
10 Wrap each sponge in cling film
and allow to rest (ideally overnight)
before levelling, stacking and decorating.
COVERING THE CAKE
Make your chocolate ganache
1 following the instructions on the
packet. You will use this ganache to cover
the entire cake, so you will need to chill it
to achieve the right consistency. Once the
B mix has melted and you have a smooth,
shiny, runny ganache, put it straight in the
fridge to chill. Remove every 10 minutes
to stir until it’s cooled to a buttercream
consistency – it needs to hold its shape
and be spreadable. I chilled mine for 40
minutes, but each refrigerator will vary so
keep your eye on it and remember to stir
every 10 minutes.
While your ganache is chilling, level
2 your cooled, baked sponges. Either
use a cake leveller (or a long sharp serrated
knife) to remove any dome off the top of
C your sponges (A). You want to end up with
lovely flat, even layers. Hold the leveller/
knife parallel to the top of the cake with one
hand and hold the sponge with the other.
Slowly and carefully spin the cake as you
cut through it, this will ensure your sponge
is as level as possible. Use slow sawing
motions to achieve clean cuts (B).
TOP TIP
I always use sandwich tins to bake my
cakes rather than slicing deeper cakes
into two halves – baking time is less
D and I find you achieve a much more
reliable bake!
Attach your bottom sponge layer to
3 the cake board (or on a flat serving
plate) with a little buttercream. Use a
palette knife to spread a thick layer of
buttercream over the top of the first layer,
before securing the second layer centrally
on top. Repeat this to carefully fill and stack
the third and final sponge layer on top of
page 46 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
the second (C). Then cover and chill your
stacked cake for 30 minutes.
TOP TIP
For the top layer, I always flip the
sponge over when I place it on top so
the bottom of the sponge becomes the
very top of the cake. This has a crumb
formed from where it was in contact
with the tin when baking, and so it's
easier to apply your icing when you
decorate.
Once your ganache has reached the
4 right consistency, take it out of the
fridge and whip it using your stand mixer or
a hand whisk for about five minutes (until it’s
doubled in size and has lightened in colour).
Set aside until your stacked sponges have
chilled.
Apply the first layer of your whipped
5 ganache to your chilled, stacked
sponges to crumb coat it. To do this, use
a palette knife and spread your whipped
ganache on the top of the cake first,
levelling it out as much as possible.
Next, apply the ganache to the sides,
6 gently pushing it into any uneven
sections. Try to achieve nice straight,
smooth sides. Smooth around the cake with
your palette knife, or if you have one, use a
turntable and cake scraper to remove any
excess off the sides and top to achieve a
really smooth finish (D). This layer of icing
does not need to be perfect, just smooth
and straight to provide a great base for your
final layer of icing. Wipe around the edge of
your board/plate and chill for 30 minutes.
MAKING THE FLAMES
While your cake is chilling, make the
1 isomalt flames. To do this, preheat
your oven to 180˚C (350˚F/Gas Mark 4)
and line a baking tray with a sheet of
greaseproof paper.
Place your isomalt pastilles into
2 flame-like shapes of different sizes
on your baking tray, making sure you have
clusters consisting of all three colours.
cakesandsugarcraft.com

E First, apply another layer of ganache to the
TOP TIP
Please take great care when handling
isomalt; it gets extremely hot and will
burn you if you touch it when hot.
Each cluster should have some Red isomalt
pastilles at the bottom, then Orange isomalt
pastilles in the middle, and finishing with a
few Yellow isomalt pastilles at the top (E).
Place the tray in the oven for four
3 minutes until the pastilles have all
melted and the colours have blended
together (F). Make sure you keep an eye on
this as it melts!
Once melted, very carefully remove
4 the tray from the oven and use a
cocktail stick to drag the colours upwards
to create flame shapes on the paper (G).
Now allow the melted isomalt to cool
completely before handling. They will peel
off the greaseproof paper easily once cool,
don’t worry (H).
TOP TIP
You can make these decorations in
advance, but you will need to store
them in an airtight container on
greaseproof paper and lightly cover in
cling film to limit exposure to the air. If
left out they will absorb the humidity
in the air, become sticky and lose their
lovely glossy shine.
FINISHING TOUCHES
Now you can start decorating the
1 cake. Remove your cake from the
fridge and apply the final coat of ganache.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
top of your cake using the palette knife, F
smoothing it out as much as possible. Then
roughly apply an even layer of ganache to
the sides of the cake in the same way.
Once fully covered, use a clean
2 palette knife to drag the ganache
from the bottom of the cake upwards.
Repeat in relatively straight but random
patterns to achieve a rustic tree trunk
effect, making sure you clean off your
palette knife each time. Work your way
around the whole of the cake and wipe
around the edge of your board once you’ve
finished (I).
G
Take your chocolate curls and
3 chocolate sprinkles and scatter them
on top of the cake to create a ‘leaf litter’
effect.
Take your chocolate sticks and
4 arrange them in a tepee design to
create the ‘bonfire’.
Finally, carefully pick up your isomalt
5 flames and wedge them in between
the chocolate sticks to really bring your
bonfire to life!
H
TOP TIP
I have three must-try chocolate cake-
changing top tips for the most perfect
chocolate sponge!
Buttermilk
I only use a small amount, but it makes
the sponge velvety smooth once it’s
baked and does a great job at keeping
the sponge moist for days afterwards.
Instant Coffee
I
This won’t make your sponge taste like
coffee, but it will bring out the flavours
of the chocolate, creating a richer,
more indulgent taste.
Blooming Your Cocoa
This is another technique you can use
to develop the chocolate flavours to
their fullest. Simply mix the cocoa with
boiling water before adding to your
mixture.
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 47
 Love t!
tha
Yay
Sweet
If you have a collaboration or story to share or details of an event you would like
us to mention, please email enquiries@cakesandsugarcraft.com.
Keep Your Eyes Peeled!
The Creepy World cake collaboration, hosted by
cake artist Brenda Salcedo in partnership with
The Cake Collective, is coming back this year to
give you shivers down your spine! Last year this
Halloween collaboration was a blast, reuniting
80 awesome cake artists around the world. And
this year, they’re coming back for more.
The group has now grown – more than 120
artists around the globe and from more of 34
nationalities are creating edible horror for next
30th October reveal date, and they promise
to show you everything that’s been in your
nightmares. They have carte blanche for
choosing their own inspiration and letting their
imagination run free. Their one and only rule is
to make it creepy and edible, so you won’t find
any cute Halloween cakes here, it’s a promise!
Organiser Brenda said: “I’m happy and excited
to be hosting the collaboration this year again,
but mainly because I have the artists’ trust to
put their work out there in the best way I can,
so thank you for that.”
Xelene La Merced Orduña
page 48 cakes & sugarcra f t
WOW!
Hello
Illustration: Natalie Bull
Cool
Cake Chat
Claire Cowburn
Angelique van Veenendaal
Claudia Kapers
Ninfa Tripudio
Tribal Culture Around The World
Rodica Bunea
Tribal people’s symbiotic relationship with nature is inspiring and
humbling. Tribal societies put the community before the individual,
sharing and exchanging possessions rather than amassing personal
wealth, and they possess an unparalleled understanding of some of
the world’s most unique animals and ecosystems. Yet, they’re often
shunned and outcast just because their ways are different and often
better. Organiser Aaisha Sumbul set this theme as a way to pay
respects and sensitise the world of their culture in the best way she
knew how – through cake!
On 9th August – the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
– around 95 sugar artists worldwide paid homage to tribal culture with
their sugary delights. The collaboration featured all sorts of techniques,
ranging from sculpted wonders and painted tributes to cookies and
Tanya Shengarova
edible flower formations. The artists took inspiration from different tribes
from around the world and the finished pieces were impressing and
diverse, almost as diverse as the tribal communities!
Sonia Porcú
Anna Kowalik
Patricia Morales
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
 Wendy George Farwe

Eser Iden
Stars To Remember
This is the third time Sharon Siriwardena has organised the Gone
But Not Forgotten collaboration, paying tribute to celebrities we have
lost due to mental health issues, accidents and natural causes. This

Ionela Velniceriu
particular theme was inspired after the deaths of Robin Williams,
Chef Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade. With time, the theme that
initially focused on mental health issues developed into accidents and
natural causes, so sugar artists had the opportunity pay tribute to the
stars we lost in these areas too. The response was mind-blowing.
Eve Eggers

Jennifer Reese

Kelly Fincham
This year saw sugar artists lean more towards creating breathtaking
paintings on cakes, as well as mind blowing masterpieces using
cookies and royal icing. Some outstanding pieces in this collaboration
included a painting of Elvis and Audrey Hepburn by Gülçin Tekkaş,
where she very skillfully used a sugarpaste covered plate to layer the
paints in order to give her paintings a watercolor effect. Márkusné
Illyés Gabriella created Van Goghs Almond Blossom painting on
a cookie. Kelly Fincham too had done a breathtaking painting of
Caroline Flack, where she used edible paints and sable brushes to
layer and build up the skin tones and facial features. Eser Iden’s
gravity defying piece of Eddie Van Halen has an inner wire structure
Gülçin Tekkaş

Susanne Reese

Clarinda Mansfield
and foil to support the figurine. A variety of techniques from royal
icing to edible fabrics have been used to create that absolute
breathtaking movement in space.

Overall, this collaboration was a great success, as all the sugar artists
really outdid themselves to send out a very powerful message to the
world. The collaboration is scheduled to go live on 5th September
2021 and the pieces can be viewed via Facebook:

www.facebook.com/Gone-but-not-forgotten-A-Cake-Collective-
Collaboration-102598782104302

A SLICE OF YOUR NEWS

I was inspired by the four seasons in Canada for this four tiered
wedding cake, which took me 86 hours to make. I recreated the
seasons all around the cake, one season per level. The top of
the cake was spring, with its sugar branches of apple blossoms.
Summer was represented by the
different shades of green and its
abundant flora, trees and different
kinds of mushrooms, all made in
fondant. Autumn can be seen with its
colourful leaves in fondant and hand-
painted Canadian animals such as
deer and moose. And finally winter,
all covered with royal icing snow
and the hand-painted northern lights I have admired Vicky Teather’s work
in the background. The river and for a while now. As soon as I saw that
waterfall are made from isomalt, and the ‘Making Waves’ tutorial from the
the hole of quartz crystals are made July/August 2021 issue was by one of
from rock candy. A mixture of many my favourite cake artists, I instantly fell
colours, textures and techniques in love and had to recreate it – with my
were used in this cake. own twist of course!

Sabrina Sigouin Helen Grant

Quebec, Canada Warrington, Cheshire

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 49

 Textured Ombre
WEDDING CAKE
Looking to try a new technique? This cake uses coloured, ground wafer paper
sheets for a new take on texture.
EDIBLES
Round, filled sponge cake, 12.5cm (5")
deep: 10cm (4") wide
Round, filled sponge cake, 15cm (6") deep:
15cm (6") wide
Round, filled sponge cake, 18cm (7") deep:
20.5cm (8") wide
Buttercream: 1kg (2lb 31/4oz)
Dark or white chocolate ganache: 2.5kg
(5lb 81/4oz)
SK Fairtrade Sugarpaste: 1.8kg
(3lb 151/2oz) Bridal White
SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Paste: Pink
SK Designer Paste Food Colours: Cream
and Dark Forest
SK Professional Paste Food Colour: Mint
(Xmas Green)
SK Edible Wafer Paper Sheets: 4, White
SK Professional Dust Food Colour: Mint
(Xmas Green)
SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Dusts: Pink
and Extra White
PME Piping Gel
SK Sugar Florist Paste (SFP): 200g (7oz)
White and 25g (>3/4oz) Holly/Ivy (Dark
Green)
SK Essentials Edible Glue
SK Professional Instant Mix Royal Icing:
100g (31/2oz) White
1 a little buttercream or ganache. Now place the cakes in the fridge to firm up for
page 50 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
EQUIPMENT Floral wires: 18- and 28- gauge green, and
24- and 30-gauge white
Round cake boards, 3mm (1/8"): 10cm (4"),
Wire cutters
15cm (6") and 20.5cm (8")
SK Modelling Tools: Dresden, Medium and
Palette knife
Large Ball
Acrylic ganache plates: 10cm (4"), 15cm
Food grade foam pad
(6") and 20.5cm (8")
Valley Cutter Company Hydrangea Small
Ganache scraper
Petal Cutter: 2.7cm x 2.7cm (1" x 1")
Spirit level
SK-GI Silicone Veiner Hydrangea, Small
Sharp knife Petal: 3.5cm (13/8")
Cake scraper Dimple foam drying tray
Pastry brush
Sugar Art Studio Gio’s Collection
Non-stick rolling pins: small and large Hydrangea Cutter: 4.5cm x 4cm (13/4"
Non-stick board x 11/2")
Cake smoother Half-width floral tape: Nile green
Bellissimo Flexi Smoothers: small and Polystyrene dummy
medium Dusting brush
Sterilised pin Rose leaf cutter: approximately 3.5cm x
Round cake drum: 30.5cm (12") 5.5cm (13/8" x 21/4")
Non-toxic glue stick SK-GI Silicone Veiner Hydrangea, Large
1.5cm ( /2") width ribbon: 1m (39 /2") Pale
1 1 Leaf: 6.5cm (21/2")
Green Dowels: 12
Coffee grinder Posy picks: 5–10, various sizes
SK High-Quality Paintbrush: no. 10 Angled tweezers
COVERING THE CAKES AND DRUM
Place each cake on their corresponding cake boards, securing them in place with
15 minutes. Once chilled, trim around the sides of each cake with a serrated knife to leave
a gap approximately 0.3mm – 0.4mm (<1/16”) in from the edge of the boards and the acrylic
ganache plates when placed on top of the respective cakes.
Working on the 20.5cm (8”) cake first, smooth a layer of ganache over the top of the
2 cake using a palette knife. Generously wet one side of the 20.5cm (8”) ganache plate
with some cooled, boiled water, then place the wet side centrally on top of the ganache.
Run the ganache smoother around the side of the cake, pressing against the plate and
the base board to ensure they are sitting straight to each other. Place a spirit level on the
ganache plate to ensure the top is level. Apply some ganache to the sides of the cake,
smoothing quite firmly to eliminate any air bubbles, and filling the areas in between the
cakesandsugarcraft.com
A softly textured wafer
paper pastel pink and
green wedding cake,
complimented with a
blousy hydrangea bloom.

by Trudy Mitchell
 board and plate. Continue around the cake
A until the sides are completely covered in
ganache. Next, take your ganache smoother
and run it around the cake several times,
scraping off the excess from the smoother
and the top of the ganache plate as you go.
Fill in any gaps and continue to smooth the
sides until you are happy with the finish.
Place the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes
to harden up. When the ganache is set, take
a sharp knife and run it around the edge of
the ganache plate, gently easing it off of the
cake. Fill in any gaps with ganache and use
the palette knife to smooth over the top to
give a neat finish. Repeat for the other two
cakes, then set them all aside in a cool place
B for 12–24 hours!
Colour 900g (2lb) of Bridal White
3 sugarpaste a very pale pink using a
small amount of Pink QFC paste food colour
and a tiny amount of Cream paste colour.
Roll out the sugarpaste a 4mm (3/16")
4 thickness. Lightly brush the 20.5cm
(8") wide cake with cooled, boiled water and
lay the sugarpaste centrally on the cake,
smoothing it over the top and side with your
hands and a cake smoother. Trim away any
excess paste from the base of the cake
C using a sharp knife. Wrap up and keep your
offcuts.
Using a pair of Flexi Smoothers,
5 smooth over the cake and gently
rub the smoothers together against the top
edge of the cake until a crisp edge appears.
Continue working around the top of the cake
until you are happy with the finish, using a
sterilised pin to remove any air bubbles.
Colour the remaining 900g (2lb) of
6 Bridal White sugarpaste a very pale
green using a little Mint (Xmas Green) paste
food colour. Repeat steps 4–5 to cover and
D smooth the remaining cakes. Use 500g
(1lb 13/4oz) of the pale green sugarpaste for
the 15cm (6") wide cake and 400g (14oz) for
the 10cm (4") wide cake.
Roll out the leftover pale pink
7 sugarpaste to a 3mm (1/8") thickness.
Brush the 30.5cm (12") cake drum with
a little cooled, boiled water and lay the
sugarpaste centrally over the top. Smooth
the paste down with a cake smoother and
trim away any excess with a sharp knife.
page 52 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Use a non-toxic glue to fix the 1.5cm
8 (1/2") Pale Green ribbon around the
edge of the cake drum, being careful not
to come into contact with the sugarpaste.
Set the cakes and drum aside to firm for
24 hours.
CREATING THE TEXTURE
Take two sheets of wafer paper and
1 cut them up into strips. Cut the strips
into small square pieces, roughly 2cm (3/4")
in size (A). Place the pieces into a coffee
grinder (B) and add a very small amount
of Mint (Xmas Green) dust – you only need
a tiny amount. Grind the wafer paper for
approximately one minute (C). Once the
paper resembles fine dust, stop and check
the colour. If it is too pale, add a little more
dust and continue to grind until mixed. The
colour needs to be as close to the green
cake as possible! Remove and set aside.
Repeat step 1 to grind two more
2 sheets of wafer paper, this time using
the Pink QFC dust to achieve a colour as
close to the pink cake as possible.
Place 2tsp of piping gel and 2tsp of
3 water into a bowl and mix together to
form a loose paste. Paint the gel onto the
side of the 20.5cm (8") cake using a no. 10
paintbrush. Ensure you have covered all
areas and the gel is as smooth as possible.
TOP TIP
If you add too much colouring, you
can add some white dust to lighten
the colour. Or you can take out a few
spoonfuls of the ground paper and add
another couple strips of the plain wafer
paper and grind again.
Tip some of the pink ground wafer
4 paper into the palm of your hand and
press it gently onto the side of the cake.
Move around the side of the cake, covering
all areas until the ground paper completely
covers the sugarpaste.
Once covered, very gently rub over
5 the sides of the cake with your palm,
brushing over the ground paper to ensure
cakesandsugarcraft.com

it is adhered to the cake and also to remove
any excess. If you have missed any areas,
apply a little extra piping gel and gently
press on some more ground paper.
Finish by painting the gel about 4cm
6 (11/2") inwards on the top surface of
the cake and covering with the pink ground
paper. Don’t go any further into the centre
of the cake with the ground paper, as it will
prevent the royal icing from sticking when
stacking the cakes.
Repeat steps 3–6 to coat and cover
7 the 10cm (4") wide tier with the green
ground wafer paper. This time, make sure
the entire top of the cake is completely
covered with the paper.
For the middle 15cm (6") wide cake
8 tier, we need to create an ombre
effect between the pink and green ground
paper. Firstly, paint the entire side of the
cake with piping gel and apply the pink
ground paper to the base of the cake, only
going approximately 5cm (2") up the side of
the cake. Try not to do this in a very straight
line – the more uneven it is, the better the
ombre/graduation of colour will look.
Randomly dot small amounts of pink
9 paper immediately above the line of
pink around the sides, then lightly brush
across the pink to remove some of the
excess. This will create a more blended line
with the green paper.
Cover the remainder of the tier with
10 the green ground paper, brushing
and merging it slightly into the pink so that
you don’t have a distinct line between the
two colours (D, E).
11 Cover the top surface of the cake
with a 4cm (11/2") strip of piping
gel. Cover the area with some green paper
and brush to remove any excess. Set the
cakes aside to dry.
MAKING THE
HYDRANGEA CENTRES
Colour 90g (3oz) of White SFP with a
1 small amount of Pink QFC paste and
a tiny amount of Cream paste food colour to
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
achieve a pale pink similar in colour to the
pink cake. E
Colour the remaining 90g (3oz) of
2 White SFP with a little Mint (Xmas
Green) paste to achieve a colour that is
similar to the green cake.
Cut 13 lengths of 24-gauge white
3 wire into quarter pieces to give
you at least 50 pieces of wire in total,
approximately 9cm (31/2") long.
Form a hook at one end of a
4 cut 24-gauge white wire. Roll
a very small ball of the pale pink SFP,
approximately 3mm (1/8").
Dip the hook into edible glue and
5 wipe off the excess on a piece of
kitchen paper. Push the SFP ball onto the
wire, making sure it doesn’t pass through
the other end. Lightly roll the base of the
ball in between your fingers to secure it to
the wire.
Using the sharp end of a dresden
6 tool, divide the ball into four even
segments (F). Make sure the marks are
quite firmly made.
Repeat steps 4–6 to make 25 pink
7 and 25 green hydrangea centres in
total. Set all the centres aside to dry for
24 hours. Wrap up and keep both SFP
colours as you'll be using them throughout
the project.
MAKING THE
HYDRANGEA PETALS
Cut 40 lengths of 30-gauge white
1 wire into fifths so you end up with
200 pieces, approximately 7cm (23/4") long. F
We are going to make 200 hydrangea
2 petals in total, with four petals per
flower. This will give us 50 hydrangea
bracts in total – 25 of these will be pale pink
and 25 will be pale green. I am using two
different sizes of petal cutters so there will
be 25 large and 25 small bracts, but you
can of course just use one size if preferred,
to make 50 in total.
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 53

G TOP TIP
If you only have a four-petal
hydrangea cutter, you can simply cut
apart the petals and use these instead
of a larger single petal cutter. You may
need to make a few more as they will
be slightly smaller, but this will work
just as well!
Divide the pale pink SFP you made in
3 ‘Making The Hydrangea Centres’ in
half. Wrap and set one half aside for later.
H Roll out the other half of the pale pink
4 SFP to a thickness of approximately
3mm (1/8").
Cut out a petal using the 2.7cm x
5 2.7cm (1" x 1") Hydrangea Petal cutter
(G). Cover the rest of the rolled out SFP with
cling film to keep it from drying out.
Dip the end of a piece of cut
6 30-gauge white wire into edible glue
and wipe off the excess. Holding the petal
between your thumb and forefinger, thread
the wire up into the centre of the petal,
approximately 1cm (3/8") up the length.
I
Place the petal on a foam pad and
7 use a medium ball tool to smooth out
the edges of the petal, avoiding the centre
where the wire sits.
Place the petal in between both parts
8 of the Hydrangea Petal veiner and
press together firmly (H). Hydrangea petals
are mostly flat, but you can give them a little
bit of movement by laying them on a dimple
foam drying tray to dry.
J TOP TIP
When veining, if you need to you can
dust the veiners with a little cornflour in
advance. This will help the SFP to not
stick to the veiner.
Using the same half of SFP, repeat
9 steps 5–8 to make 52 large pale pink
petals in total. Leave them all to dry for
24 hours. You may need to re-roll your SFP
page 54 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
to a 3mm (1/8") thickness to make all the
petals, so keep your trimmings!
Roll out the remaining half of
10 pale pink SFP that you set aside
earlier to a 3mm (1/8") thickness.
For the smaller hydrangea petals,
11 cut out a petal using the 4.5cm
x 4cm (13/4" x 11/2") Hydrangea cutter.
Now, cut each of the petal sections into
four small individual petals (I). We will only
be using the two largest petals for this
project; we aren’t using the smaller two so
they can be rewrapped to roll out again.
Lay the two petals under cling film to keep
them from drying out whilst you work.
One at a time, repeat steps 6–8 to
12 wire and vein both petals. Leave
to dry on the foam pad for 24 hours.
Repeat the steps 10–12 to make
13 48 small pale pink petals in total.
14 Using the pale green SFP you
made in ‘Making The Hydrangea
Centres’, repeat the techniques from steps
3–12 to make 48 large and 52 small pale
green petals. Leave to dry for 24 hours.
Once all your petals have dried,
15 take a piece of half-width green
floral tape and tape down the wire length
of each hydrangea centre.
Take one large petal and tape
16 it to the same coloured centre,
allowing the centre to sit approximately
2mm (1/16") above the base of the petal.
Repeat with a second large petal to sit
directly opposite the first, then tape the
last two large petals so that they sit central
to the joins formed by the first two (J, K).
Hydrangea petals open up in many ways,
so if you want to tape the four petals
slightly differently or if they fit together
better in a different formation that’s
absolutely fine. Tape down to the base
of the wires and push into a polystyrene
dummy whilst you do the remainder.
Repeat step 16 for each of the
17 centres. You want to end up with
13 large and 12 small pale pink bracts,
and 12 large and 13 small pale green
bracts.
cakesandsugarcraft.com

DUSTING THE HYDRANGEA
Lay out some kitchen paper or
1 greaseproof paper; this will be used to
mix your dust colours. Tip a small amount
of Pink and Extra White QFC dusts onto
the paper and use a dusting brush to mix
the colours together to achieve a pale pink.
Also mix together the Mint (Xmas Green)
dust and Extra White QFC to achieve a pale
green. Try to match the colours as closely
as possible to the hydrangea flowers.
Taking inspiration from a real pink
2 and green bloom of hydrangea, the
colours can be very varied so there is no
strict method to dusting the bracts. Start by
dusting some pink bracts with just the pale
pink dust and some with just the pale green
dust. Make sure you vary the amount of
dust you use. Include a few with larger areas
of green dust and others with just green tips
or centres.
Repeat step 2 to dust the green
3 bracts. Dust a few with just the pale
green dust and the rest with varying degrees
of pink dust over the petals (L, M). The
more random you are the more natural the
finished bloom will look. You can also use
some of the neat Pink QFC dust to give a
slightly darker pink to a few of the pink and
green bracts.
MAKING THE HYDRANGEA
LEAVES
Cut a piece of 28-gauge green wire
1 into five equal pieces.
Take 25g (>3/4") of Holly/Ivy (Dark
2 Green) SFP and mix in a little Dark
Forest paste food colour to achieve a dark
green SFP.
Roll out the dark green SFP to about
3 3mm – 4mm (1/8" – 3/16") thick and cut
out five leaves using the rose leaf cutter.
Cover with cling film to prevent the leaves
from drying out as you work.
Dip one end of a piece of cut wire into
4 edible glue and wipe off the excess.
Next, hold one leaf between your thumb
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
and forefinger and push the glued end
of the wire up into the centre of the leaf, K
approximately 2cm (3/4") deep. Squeeze
the base of the leaf lightly to secure it to
the wire.
On the foam pad, use a large ball
5 tool to smooth and shape the leaf
to enlarge it, smoothing over the edges to
thin it but avoiding the centre where the
wire sits.
TOP TIP
I try to repurpose as many cutters as
I can to save the expense of buying a L
cutter for every flower or leaf. For the
hydrangea leaf, I used a large rose
petal cutter and rolled the paste a little
thicker so that I could use the ball tool
to make it larger and shape it to look
like a hydrangea leaf. But if you have
a rose leaf cutter that’s a similar size
then use that!
Place the leaf in the Hydrangea Leaf
6 veiner and press down on the two
pieces firmly to mark (N). Remove from the
veiner and place the leaf on a dimple foam M
drying tray to dry.
Repeat steps 4–6 to wire, shape and
7 vein the remaining four leaves.
ASSEMBLING THE
BLOOM
To form the hydrangea bloom we
1 need to tape groups of the bracts
together in four or five bunches rather than
one large bunch. We then need to arrange
them on the cake so they sit nicely together N
and form that large blousy bloom. Begin
by cutting two pieces of 18-gauge green
wire in half, and then cut one of the halves
in half again. Next, tape down the entire
length of each of the five pieces of wire
using half-width green tape.
To create the first of the larger two
2 arrangements, tape together about
15 bracts with half-width green tape. When
taping, start underneath the petals and
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 55

SUGAR FLORIST PASTE
For realistic sugar
petals and leaves
● Can be rolled paper-thin and gives
a perfectly smooth finish
● Comes in a resealable foil pouch
and can be frozen for months
● The ideal consistency for use with
intricate moulds and cutters
● Perfect for all levels of ability with
consistent results
The No. 1 Choice
for over 30 years
Available from all good cake
decorating shops and
www.squires-shop.com
O P
work your way down the wires (O). The
arrangement needs to be around 10cm
– 12cm (4" – 5") wide and shaped like a
low dome. Keep four or five bracts around
the centre of the arrangement at the same
height, before starting to lower the next
petals when working your way around (P).
Repeat step 2 to make another large
3 arrangement with another 15 bracts.
When grouping and taping the hydrangea
bracts together, you can choose to keep
similar colours together or have a random
colour arrangement!
Repeat step 2 again, this time making
4 two smaller domed arrangements
using approximately 5–7 bracts for each.
Keep a few back as, when they are
arranged on the cake, they may be needed
as fillers to complete the bloom.
TOP TIP
Don’t be afraid to push the bracts
together when taping them into the
arrangements. As they are individually
wired, they are easier to arrange and
it’s more natural looking to have some
very open bracts and some sitting
more tightly together.
STACKING THE CAKE
Spread a small amount of royal icing
1 onto the centre of the covered drum
and place the 20.5cm (8") wide base tier
centrally on top, measuring to ensure the
cake sits evenly on the drum.
Insert seven evenly distributed cake
2 dowels into the base tier. Mark the
dowels level with the top of the cake,
remove them, cut them to size and reinsert
them into their original positions. Spread a
small amount of royal icing over the top of
the dowelled areas (avoiding the textured
area) and then place the 15cm (6") wide
cake tier centrally on top.
Repeat step 2 to dowel the 15cm (6")
3 wide cake, this time using five cake
dowels. Once dowelled, secure the 10cm
wide (4") cake centrally on top with some
royal icing. Leave for 1–2 hours to set.
During this time, you can fix any obvious
gaps between the tiers. To do this, pipe a
little royal icing in the gaps and immediately
sprinkle some leftover pink or green ground
paper around the base of the cake. Using
the no. 10 paintbrush, gently push the
paper against the royal icing and then
lightly brush away any excess to neaten.
TOP TIP
If you use royal icing to secure
the flowers or leaves to the cake,
remember to gently scrape away the
ground paper in the area you want to
secure the flower to. This will ensure
the royal icing adheres to the cake.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

ARRANGING THE
FLOWERS

Once the cake has set, secure the

1 wires of each set of bracts and the
leaves into individual posy picks using royal
icing or sugarpaste.

The arrangement will sit on the side

2 of the cake, centred just above the
base of the middle tier. Start by securing
the two larger arrangements onto the
side of the cake – one sitting just below
the top of the base tier and the other just
above the base of the middle tier. Ensure
that where they join in the middle they are
pushed gently against each other to form
a cohesive dome. But leave them slightly
proud of the cake initially.

Take the five leaves and insert them

3 into the cake. Place the leaves
around the bloom however you like, but so
that only around half of each leaf is visible.
I used two leaves at the bottom, one on the
top and one either side of the bloom (Q).

Using a pair of angled tweezers,

4 push the two large arrangements
further into the cake so that they almost
touch the sides of the cake and sit nicely
together.

Secure the two smaller arrangements

5 either side of the centre to complete
the head of the hydrangea. If there are
any spaces, use the spare bracts to fill the
gaps, securing with royal icing or securing
the wires into small posy picks before
pushing into the cake.

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 57

 A PIECE OF CAKE ADVICE!

Alicia Ewin Photography

Owner of The Honey Bee Wedding Cake
Company and Lauren Grace Consulting,
Lauren Grace Smy offers ambitious cake
makers advice to boost their business
potential.
No matter how delicious or jaw-droppingly
beautiful your bakes are, unless you’re getting
your business in front of your target market, you
just won’t be making as many sales as you could.

In this second article of her two-part series, Lauren

shares some invaluable ideas on how wedding and
celebration cake businesses can get visible offline.

PART TWO – OFFLINE VISIBILITY

1 NETWORKING
Caroline Opacic Photography

Cake making can be

a lonely business.
Making connections with other event
DA Photography

professionals and local businesses

is great for creating a community
around you, as well as providing
opportunities to refer and gain work. By
building these relationships you will be
recommended to their customers, and
Terri & Lori Photography and Film Studio

by reciprocating, you’re also helping

your own customers. Remember to
include other local cake makers in your
network – you can pass work to each
other when you’re fully booked or if
you have enquiries that don’t suit your
style, as well as help each other out in
emergencies.

Look out for local business networking

events; some allow you to attend the
first one for free so you can see if it’s
the right fit for you. Build authentic
relationships, with no expectations, and
only recommend other suppliers if you
can truly vouch for their work.

page 58 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


2 STYLED SHOOTS
One of the objectives of
collaborating on these is
to submit the images to blogs. This not
only increases your online visibility, but
you can also use them to help increase
your offline visibility too. Speak to all
the suppliers who are there on the day,
and most importantly, take some cake
along for people to eat – it’s a great way
to help them remember and recommend
you! Also introduce yourself to the venue
owner, as this could be the first step to
getting on their preferred suppliers list.
“ And most importantly,
take some cake along for
”
people to eat
3
WEDDING FAIRS
A fantastic way for couples
to meet you face to face,
fairs offer excellent offline visibility. Have
your branding on display and plenty of
leaflets or business cards, so people can
look you up again once they get home.
Really interact with the visitors, show
off your best work in your display cakes
and take some tasty samples for them
to try! If they seem keen, ask for their
email addresses and follow up with them
the next day. Also use it as a networking
opportunity – take time to chat to the
other suppliers and maintain those
connections after the fair has ended.
juliaandyou.com
cakesandsugarcraft.com
AKP Branding Stories
4
MARKETS AND
FETES
Ensure the market style
represents that of your ideal client, and
as well as an opportunity to make cash
on the day, they can be a great way
to get your name out there with local
customers. Provide plenty of flyers so
customers who enjoy your tasty bakes
on the day can order their bespoke
cakes from you in future.
5
OFFER INCENTIVES
FOR REFERRALS
Consider offering small
discounts or little extras to your
loyal customers if you get an order
which has come through them. No
advertising can compete with a personal
recommendation!
6
BE DISCOVERED BY
YOUR IDEAL CLIENT
Where do they hang
out? Where do they shop? Take a
walk around your local towns and
villages, and speak to the shop and
hospitality owners and ask if you can
leave business cards or leaflets in the
places that your potential customers
will be. Offer to provide cakes for
grand openings and/or birthdays (as
long as there are plenty of promotion
Ria Mishaal Photography
opportunities!) and get your product
right in front of your ideal client.
“ Ask if you can leave
business cards or leaflets in
the places that your
potential customers will be
”
If you didn’t read Part 1 of this series, you can check it out in the July/
August 2021 issue and learn all about online visibility for your business!
Why not join Lauren’s free Facebook group for more hints and tips?
Search ‘Honey Bee Cake Hive’ on Facebook and visit her website for
more information: laurengraceconsulting.co.uk
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 59
 p p
Garden Cake
Get your gardening gloves on and create some chocolaty decorations using Cocoform.
Model your own chocolate flowers and foliage to make your autumn cake extra special.
This project uses classic Dark, Milk and White Cocoform, as well as delicious Strawberry,
Orange and Green Cocoform colours.
EDIBLES
SK Modelling Cocoform: 550g
(1lb 31/2oz) Dark, 80g (23/4oz) Green, 80g
(23/4oz) Milk, 80g (23/4oz) Orange, 80g
(23/4oz) Strawberry and 20g (3/4oz) White
SK Fairtrade Sugarpaste: 530g
(1lb 23/4oz) Coco Brown
Round, filled sponge cake, 18cm (7")
deep: 15cm (6") wide
Buttercream or ganache: 950g
(2lb 11/2oz)
SK Essentials Edible Glue
SK Professional Instant Mix Royal Icing:
100g (31/2oz) White
page 60 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
COCOFORM
EQUIPMENT
Non-stick board
Non-stick rolling pin
Spacers: 3mm (1/8")
Pastry brush
Round cake drum: 23cm (9")
Sharp knife
1.5cm (1/2") width satin ribbon: 76cm
(30") Coco Brown
Non-toxic glue stick
Round cake board: 15cm (6")
Palette knife
PME Daisy Plunger Cutters: 2cm (3/4")
and 2.7cm (11/16")
SK Modelling Tools: Small Ball, Petal
& Leaf Shaper (Dresden)
Food-grade foam pad
SK High-Quality Paintbrush: no. 4
PME Sunflower/Gerbera Plunger
Cutters: 4.5cm (13/4") and 5.6cm (21/4")
SK Multi Flower Cutter Set 1, Round
Petal/Leaf: nos. 1–10
PME Forget-Me-Not Blossom Plunger
Cutters: 9mm (3/8") and 1.3cm (1/2")
Leaf cutters: various sizes
Leaf veiners: various sizes (optional)
Floral wire: 28-gauge (optional)
COVERING THE CAKE
DRUM
Knead together 150g (51/4oz) of Dark
1 Cocoform and 150g (51/4oz) of Coco
Brown sugarpaste.
TOP TIP
Cocoform can be quite hard to begin
with, so it’s easier to soften it up in
small amounts and then combine the
pieces when they are more pliable.
On a non-stick board, roll out all of
2 the 50:50 brown paste mixture to a
3mm (11/8") thickness using spacers.
Use a pastry brush to lightly
3 dampen the 23cm (9") cake drum
with a little cooled, boiled water. Lay the
rolled out brown paste centrally over the
drum and smooth over it gently with your
hands to flatten. Use a sharp knife to
neatly trim the excess paste away from
around the edges. Keep and wrap up
your trimmings.
Once the paste is firm, fix some
4 Coco Brown ribbon around the
edge of the drum using a non-toxic glue
stick, being careful not to come into
contact with the paste.
PREPARING THE CAKE
Place the filled cake centrally on a
1 round cake board of the same size.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
by Pamela McCaffrey
 The natural stickiness of the cake means it
will secure itself to the board.
Take a palette knife and coat the
2 entire cake with a layer of buttercream
or ganache, being careful to create neat,
crisp edges and smooth, level sides and
top. You may need to coat the cake with
a few layers of buttercream or ganache
to get the desired finish, chilling the cake
in between each layer to harden. Once
finished, chill the cake for at least 30
minutes before covering.
COVERING THE CAKE
For the top, knead together 70g
1 (21/2oz) of Dark Cocoform and 70g
1
(2 /2oz) of Coco Brown sugarpaste.
TOP TIP
Cocoform can also be combined with
marzipan when covering a cake. The
marzipan can be coloured to match
the Cocoform, if desired.
Roll out the entire 140g (5oz) of the
2 50:50 brown paste to a 3mm (1/8")
thickness. Cut out an 18cm (7") disc from
the paste using a sharp knife. Keep and
wrap up your trimmings.
Lightly dampen the top of the cake
3 with a little cooled, boiled water.
Place the disc centrally on top of the cake
and trim away the excess from around the
edge using a sharp knife.
For the side of the cake, knead
4 together 310g (103/4oz) of Dark
Cocoform and 310g (103/4oz) of Coco
Brown sugarpaste.
Roll out the entire 620g (1lb 57/8oz)
5 of the 50:50 brown paste to a 3mm
(1/8"). Use a sharp knife to cut out a panel
that is 50cm x 19cm (193/4" x 71/2") in size.
Keep and wrap up your trimmings.
Lightly dampen around the side of the
6 cake with a little cooled, boiled water.
Roll up the panel of Cocoform and carefully
wrap it around the cake so it sits flush with
the base.
page 62 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Use a knife to trim the overlapping
7 ends on the side so that they join up
neatly. Carefully trim away the excess from
the top of the cake. Now leave the cake to
firm up overnight.
MAKING THE LARGE
DAISIES
1 Roll out 10g (1/4oz) of Orange
Cocoform to a thickness of about
2mm (1/16"). Leave the Cocoform to firm
up for about 10 minutes. Leaving the
Cocoform to firm up for a little while before
cutting it makes it easier to remove from
cutters, especially those with intricate or
small features.
Use the 5.6cm (21/4") Daisy plunger
2 cutter to cut out a single flower (A).
Check the underside of the cutter to make
sure it has cut all the way through. Use your
fingers to gently press through any uncut
petals (B).
On a food-grade foam pad, drag the
3 dresden tool (petal and leaf shaper
tool) over the surface of each individual
petal to slightly flatten them down (C).
Curl all the petals up a little bit using
4 your hands. Next, give the flower
some shape and movement by further
curling up the petals on one side of the
flower (D).
Flatten a pea-sized ball of Milk
5 Cocoform into a domed disc for the
daisy centre.
Use the end of the no. 4 paintbrush
6 to lightly stipple dents into the dome
to give it some texture.
Dip the no. 4 paintbrush into edible
7 glue and wipe off the excess on a
piece of kitchen paper. Paint a little glue on
TOP TIP
For a bit of variety you could make
double daises. Roll each set of petals
thinner so as not to make the daisy
too heavy.
the middle of the daisy and attach the flower
centre in place. Set aside for later.
Using Orange Cocoform again, repeat
8 steps 1–7 to make more orange
daisies. Make another large daisy, as well
as two medium and two small using the
respective 2.7cm (11/16") and 4.5cm (13/4")
Sunflower/Gerbera plunger cutters.
Roll out 30g (1oz) of Strawberry
9 Cocoform and repeat steps 1–7 to
make some pink daisies. You want to make
six or seven daises using the 2.7cm (11/16")
Daisy plunger cutter, and one or two daisies
using the 4.5cm (13/4") Sunflower/Gerbera
plunger cutter.
MAKING ANGLED DAISIES
Roll out 10g (1/4oz) of Orange
1 Cocoform to a 2mm (1/16") thickness.
Cut out a daisy using the 5.6cm (21/4")
Sunflower/Gerbera plunger cutter and then
leave it to firm up for about 10 minutes.
The angled daisies need to be
2 trimmed to an oval shape to mimic
foreshortening. To achieve this, place the cut
daisy in front of you so that there is a petal
on the left and right sides, as opposed to the
gaps between two petals being at the sides.
Position the rounded petal cutter
3 from the Multi Flower Set 1 that is
approximately 6.5cm (21/2") over the daisy
so that it rests on the far side petals, but
just misses the petals on the extreme left
and right (E). Press the cutter down to trim
the tips.
Turn the petal 180˚ and repeat step 3
4 to trim the tips on the other side (F).
Pinch the cut tips back into gentle
5 points (G). Next, on a food-grade foam
pad, use the dresden tool to slightly flatten
each individual petal (H).
Take a pea-sized ball of Milk
6 Cocoform for the daisy centre. Roll
it into an oval shape, similar to that of the
trimmed daisy.
Flatten the oval slightly using your
7 hand so it’s domed, then texture it
using the end of the no. 4 paintbrush.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

A B C

D E

F G

H I

cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 63

 J K L

M N Q

O P

page 64 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


Stick the flower centre into the middle
8 of the daisy with a little edible glue.
Slightly curl up the trimmed petals
9 on one side of the daisy using your
fingers (I, see page 63).
Repeat steps 1–9 using more
10 Orange Cocoform to make two
additional angled daisies. Use the 2.7cm
(11/16") Daisy plunger cutter for one, and the
4.5cm (13/4") Sunflower/Gerbera plunger
cutter for the second flower. To make the
angles, use the Multi Flower Set 1 cutters
that are about 1cm (3/8") larger than each
daisy to trim the petals. Set aside for later.
MAKING THE SMALL
DAISIES
1 Roll out a 20g (3/4oz) piece of White
Cocoform to a thickness of about
1.5mm (1/16").
Cut out approximately 12 daisies
2 using the 2cm (3/4") Daisy plunger
cutter. You will also need to cut out five or
six blossoms using the 1.3cm (1/2") Forget-
Me-Not Blossom plunger cutter, as well as
another five or six blossoms using the 9mm
(3/8") Forget-Me-Not Blossom cutter.
One at a time, place each daisy or
3 blossom on the foam pad and gently
press the centre down with a small ball tool
to cup them slightly. Press down harder or
softer to give greater or lesser degrees of
curl.
Roll out small balls of Green
4 Cocoform, slightly bigger than the
size of a round headed pin, to use as
centres for the flowers. Attach a centre to
each flower using a little edible glue. Set
aside for later.
TOP TIP
Cocoform, unlike Sugar Florist Paste
(SFP), can be re-kneaded even
after it has been shaped and left to
firm up, so you can make plenty of
pieces and then re-knead and reuse
those that are surplus.
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
MAKING THE LEAVES
Roll out 80g (23/4oz) of Green
1 Cocoform to a 1.5mm (1/16") thickness.
Use a selection of leaf cutters in a
2 variety of shapes and sizes to cut out
multiple different leaves (J). You will need to
make around 40 leaves in total. Re-knead and
wrap up the unused Cocoform for later use.
If you have some leaf veiners, use
3 these now to texture and vein all your
leaves (K). If you don’t have a veiner, you
can use a floral wire to press a central vein
up the length of the leaves (L). You can then
add some angled veins either side of the
central vein in the same way, or use the wire
to make veins that fan out from the base of
the leaf (M).
In addition to the green leaves, repeat
4 steps 1–3 to make five or six brown
leaves using 30g (1oz) of Milk Cocoform. Set
your leaves aside for later.
TOP TIP
Cocoforms blend well together;
you could mix either White or Milk
Cocoform with Green Cocoform to get
leaves of different shades.
MAKING THE STEMS
Roll out a piece of Green Cocoform
1 into a rope, approximately 18cm (7")
long and 4mm (3/16") in diameter. Make
around six stems in total.
Roll out 9–10 rope pieces of both Milk
2 and Dark Cocoform, approximately
12.5cm (5") long and 3mm (1/8") in diameter.
Use these as scrolls to go in the gaps
between the flowers and leaves.
cakes & sugarcra f t
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
Spread a little royal icing in the
1 middle of the cake drum. Place the
cake centrally on the drum, making sure
that the joins on both the cake and the
ribbon are at the back.
This is a fairly loose design so use
2 your preference to add or omit pieces
as suits you. Start with one of the main
orange daisies – dab a tiny bit of edible
glue on the back of the daisy and attach it
to the cake just below the top edge (N).
TOP TIP
If your flowers start to slip when you
attach them, leave them for a minute
to let the glue get a bit tackier.
Next, add a green stem for the daisy.
3 Chamfer the top end of the stem to
help it slide under the petals. Dab a little
bit of edible glue to the back of the stem,
gently press it in place and trim it at the
bottom where it meets the drum.
Using a little edible glue, add some
4 leaves down the entire flower stem.
Start adding green stems either side
5 of the first stem around the front of
the cake, both long and short. Then add
whichever orange daisies suit best from
your selection (O).
Add a couple of strawberry daises on
6 the shorter stems to the right of the
orange daisies (P). Now attach couple of
Milk and Dark Cocoform scrolls in between
the flowers at the base of the cake and
curling upwards.
Next, glue a stem of small daisies
7 and blossoms with some small
leaves, followed by more scrolls and more
strawberry daisies in between (Q).
Add assorted leaves along the
8 bottom of the cake that overlap onto
the cake drum (R). Using the remaining
Cocoform decorations, continue adding to
the design until you have gone all the way
round the cake.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 65
 Chic COCOL Chocolates
Cake hearts are a fun
and easy bake, which are
suitable for any occasion.

EDIBLES
Clear alcohol, i.e., vodka or gin
SK Belgian Couverture Chocolate: 500g
(1lb 13/4oz) White and 50g (13/4oz) Dark
SK Professional COCOL Chocolate
Colouring: Blue, Green, Gold, Orange,
Pink, Purple, Red, White and Yellow
Cupcakes: 8
Buttercream: 60g (2oz)

EQUIPMENT
Geometric cake heart moulds: 3 x 6-hole
Absorbent cloth
Heatproof bowls: small, 9
Microwave
Thermometer, optional
Palette knife: small
Non-stick board
SK High-Quality Paintbrush: no. 4

Makes 16 cake hearts

Add even more glamour to

all your chocolates with the
NEW metallic COCOL colours!
Coming soon!

page 66 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

 These on-trend geometric cake hearts look great in the bright rainbow COCOL
colours and with a magnificently marbled effect.

PREPARE THE MOULD

Ensure the heart mould has been

1 carefully washed in warm soapy
water and left to dry completely.

Moisten a clean absorbent cloth

2 with some clear alcohol and wipe
inside each cavity of the mould to remove
any residual grease or particles (A). This is
important as it will ensure a clean finish on
your chocolates!

PREPARING THE COCOL

Gently heat each of the COCOL
1 bottles in the microwave on a
medium setting. To do this, remove the lid
and heat for 20–30 second bursts until the
COCOL has fully melted. Replace the lid
and shake each bottle between bursts to
help distribute the heat.

TEMPERING THE
CHOCOLATE

You will be making eight pairs of

1 cake hearts in total. To start, you
will need approximately 50g (13/4oz) of
white couverture chocolate for each pair
of coloured cake hearts. To keep the
chocolate at the correct temperature, its
best to work with one colour at a time.

by Rachel Bevan cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 67

 Place two thirds of the chocolate,
2 approximately 30g (1oz), into a
small heatproof bowl and melt on medium
power in the microwave for 30 second
bursts, stirring between each burst. When
fully melted, add the remaining third of
chocolate, approximately 20g (3/4oz), and
stir until melted (B).
Repeat steps 1–2 for a second
3 bowl of white chocolate. If you
have a thermometer, you can check the
temperature: it should be 29˚C – 30˚C
(84.2˚F – 86˚F) for white chocolate and 31˚C
– 32˚C (87.8˚F – 89.6˚F) for dark chocolate.
COLOURING THE
CHOCOLATE
1 Take one of the melted COCOL
colours and add four or five drops into
the first bowl of white chocolate and stir to
mix (C). I started with the Red COCOL.
Add four or five drops of the melted
2 White COCOL into the second bowl
of white chocolate and stir to mix. You will
be using this white chocolate throughout
the project, not just for one pair of hearts.
FILLING THE MOULD
Using a teaspoon, spoon 1tsp or 2tsp
1 of the coloured chocolate into one of
the mould cavities (D). Use the back of the
spoon to spread the chocolate up the sides
of the mould.
Swirl the chocolate inside the mould
2 to ensure all the shape is covered (E).
Tilt the mould and pour the excess
3 chocolate back into the bowl. Using a
small palette knife, scrape over the surface
of the mould to clean up the edges (F).
page 68 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
MARBLING THE
CHOCOLATE
Add a few more drops of melted
1 COCOL (the same colour) to the
coloured bowl of chocolate. Use a spoon
to swirl the colour around, but don't stir it in
completely. This will create a darker tone.
Take a small teaspoon of the white
2 chocolate and swirl it around the
coloured chocolate, but don't mix it in
completely. This will add a paler tone and
create the marbled effect (G).
Repeat the steps from ‘Filling The
3 Mould’ to make the marbled heart in
the second cavity (H).
Follow the instructions from
4 ‘Preparing The COCOL’, steps 1–2
in ‘Tempering The Chocolate’, step 1 in
‘Colouring The Chocolate’ and ‘Filling The
Mould’ to make a heart of each melted
COCOL colour, except Gold and White. If
you need to prepare some more melted
White COCOL chocolate, use the leftover
white couverture.
Repeat steps 1–3 to marble the
5 second coloured heart in each pair
(I, J). At this point, you will have 14 hearts.
For the final pair of hearts, repeat
6 step 2 in ‘Tempering The Chocolate’
to melt all the dark couverture chocolate.
There's no need to colour this. Repeat the
steps from 'Filling The Mould’ for the plain
dark chocolate heart, and then repeat steps
2–3 to marble the second heart in the pair.
You'll now have 16 hearts – pairs of red,
orange, yellow, blue, green, purple, pink
and the dark chocolate. Place the moulds
in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes. Don't
get rid of any of the bowls of chocolate!
MAKING THE FILLING &
COVERING
Crumble the cupcakes (or cake) into
1 a bowl to resemble breadcrumbs.
Add enough buttercream to the bowl and
mix until well combined and it looks dough-
like.
TOP TIP
If you don’t have a cupcake tin to make
the cupcakes for the filling, you can use
a 320g (111/4oz) cake instead.
Remove the moulds from the fridge.
2 Spoon out a heaped teaspoon of
filling and roll it into a ball approximately
2.5cm (1") in diameter using clean/gloved
hands. Gently shape the ball into a heart
shape using your fingers (K).
Gently press the heart shape into
3 one of the mould cavities. Leave a
small gap at the top to allow you to seal it
in chocolate. Repeat steps 2–3 to fill each
cavity (L).
Using the remaining chocolate
4 of each colour, spoon a heaped
teaspoon on top of each matching heart.
The bowls of chocolate you will be using
here will be the marblling colours, but you
can mix the chocolate colours within each
bowl together until you achieve a single
shade if you want – this will be the bottom
of the cake hearts so it won’t be visible.
If the chocolate has become too thick,
gently heat in the microwave on medium
for 20–30 seconds. Use the palette knife
to push the chocolate around to fully cover
the shape, and wipe over to remove any
excess and clean the edges (M, N). Place
back in the fridge to set for 10–15 minutes.
FINISHING TOUCHES
When set, gently peel the mould
1 away from the hearts and place them
on a non-stick board or some baking paper
ready to decorate (O).
If necessary, reheat the Gold
2 COCOL following the instructions in
‘Preparing The COCOL’.
Dip a no. 4 paintbrush into the
3 melted Gold COCOL pot and gently
tap the brush to create a splatter effect on
all the hearts (P).
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

B C D

E F G

H I J

K L M

N O P

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 69


MACMILLAN’S Coffee Morning 2021
Raise your mug for
Macmillan Cancer Support’s
annual fundraiser: Coffee
Morning 2021!
Macmillan Cancer Support’s Coffee Morning
is back this September and bigger than ever!
The fundraising event that brings people
together over a cuppa to raise vital funds
for people living with cancer takes place
officially on Friday 24th September 2021.
Macmillan is working tirelessly to do
whatever it takes to help people with
cancer live life as fully as they can. However,
they need the help of the UK public now
more than ever to ensure people living with
cancer get the emotional, physical and
financial support they need.
What is Coffee Morning?
Macmillan’s Coffee Morning is considered
as somewhat of an institution, bringing
together millions of people for a cake and
coffee since its inception in 1990! What’s
better is that it’s all in the name of a very
important cause.
Cancer does not stop for Covid-19. Before
the pandemic, many patients told Macmillan
that being diagnosed with cancer and going
page 70 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
through treatment was the scariest thing
that they could imagine. These anxieties
and concerns have not gone away during
this crisis – they’ve been made worse. At a
time when people affected by cancer need
support more than ever, Macmillan is facing
a £100 million drop in income because of
the pandemic. Macmillan is almost entirely
funded by donations and is calling on the
public to take part in Coffee Morning to
raise funds so the charity can continue do
whatever it takes to help people with cancer
live life as fully as they can. Every penny
raised at Coffee Mornings will help fund vital
support for people living with cancer, who
need Macmillan now more than ever.
How to get involved?
Macmillan is encouraging everyone to do
whatever it takes get involved. This could be
by setting up a virtual coffee morning online,
hosting a socially distanced coffee morning
safely from your doorstep or by taking on an
exciting new challenge altogether. This year,
there are so many reasons to host a Coffee
Morning. So whatever your reason to host,
it’s a great one.
Whether it’s online, in the garden, the office
kitchen, outside the community hall, at
school or on the street for your neighbours
to enjoy, host Coffee Morning your way.
Photo by Nenad Kaevik on Unsplash
Just make sure to have plenty space, easy
access and some tasty treats!
Throughout September, Coffee Morning’s
headline partner Marks & Spencer will
be selling a selection of Coffee Morning
products in M&S Foodhalls – including a
bespoke Macmillan Colin the Caterpillar™
cake and a specially designed travel mug
and mug – with 10% of proceeds going to
Macmillan. Or visit the M&S Café and hold
a personal Coffee Morning of your own,
where there will be a 5p donation from
M&S for every coffee and slice of cake sold
throughout September.
So get baking and sign up online to be
involved with Coffee Morning 2021 at
macmillan.org.uk/coffee or by searching
Macmillan Coffee Morning.
WATCH THIS SPACE!
Looking for inspiration? Over the next few
months, we will be posting a bunch of FREE
delicious and easy-to-make recipes on
the Cake Chat section of
the Cakes & Sugarcraft
website. There’ll be
loads to pick and
choose from, so keep
your eyes open and
apron at the ready!
cakesandsugarcraft.com
Perfect for any and every
occasion – Macmillan’s
Coffee Morning 2021, for
instance – this fruity Betty
Crocker layer cake is easy
to make and will quickly
become a firm favourite. It
tastes so good you wouldn’t
even know it’s gluten-free!

GLUTEN-FREE
Chocolate &
Raspberry Cake
EDIBLES Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F/Gas Starting on the outside edge of the
1 Mark 4). Grease and line three 20cm
7 sponge layer, pipe one third of the
Betty Crocker™ Gluten Free Devil's (8") round cake tins with baking paper. icing into mounds around the perimeter
Food Cake Mix of the cake until covered. Press one berry
Vegetable oil: 125ml (4¼fl oz) Add the cake mix, oil, water and eggs in between each mound join, alternating
2 in a large bowl. Whisk by hand or between the blueberries and raspberries.
Water: 250ml (8½fl oz)
use an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes until
Eggs: 4, medium Gently position the second sponge
smooth and creamy.
Betty Crocker™ Gluten Free
8 layer centrally on top of the icing and
Chocolate Icing: 800g (1lb 12oz) Divide the cake mixture evenly berries. Repeat step 7 to pipe more mounds
Fresh raspberries: 200g (7oz)
3 between the three cake tins. Now and add more fruit to the second layer.
bake in the centre of the oven for 14–16
Fresh blueberries: 200g (7oz) Place the final sponge layer centrally
Dark chocolate bar: 100g (3½oz)
minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the 9 on top of the second. Use a palette
centre of the cakes comes out clean.
knife to gently spread the remaining icing on
top of the third sponge layer. Use the palette
EQUIPMENT 4 Once cooked, leave each cake in
its tin for 10 minutes to cool slightly. knife to make some decorative swirls on
Round cake tins: 3 x 20cm (8") Remove from the tins and place on a wire top of the cake, if desired. Now place the
rack, then gently peel off the baking paper. remaining berries in the centre of cake and
Baking paper
Leave the cakes to cool completely – for refrigerate for one hour.
Mixing bowl
about one hour.
Whisk Take the chocolate bar (must be
10 room temperature) and carefully
Piping bag Cut off the end of a piping bag and fit
Piping nozzle: round
5 it with a round piping nozzle. Spoon
draw a vegetable peeler across the side of the
bar to create small chocolate curls. Sprinkle
the chocolate icing into the bag.
Serving plate or cake board over the top of the cake and fruit to finish.
Palette knife Place the first sponge layer onto a
Vegetable peeler
6 serving plate or cake board, securing
in place with a tiny bit of icing.

Recipe provided by Betty Crocker,

Official Sponsor of Macmillan For information on how to get involved and to sign up, search
Cancer Support’s Coffee Morning Macmillan Coffee Morning or head over to coffee.macmillan.org.uk

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 71

 A Happy Halloween!
Hosting a Halloween party or spooky get together? Get
inspired with this easy-to-make drip cake, featuring
super vibrant neon colours and cute modelled characters
and decorations.
EDIBLES
Buttercream: 500g (1lb 13/4oz)
SK Fairtrade Sugarpaste: 600g
(1lb 51/4oz) Bridal White
SK Neonz™ Paste Food Colours: Blue,
Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red,
Turquoise and Yellow
Round sponge cake, 15cm (6") deep:
12.5cm (5") wide
SK Art-Ice 2-in-1 Cookie Icing Mix:
100g (31/2oz)
SK HD Modelling Paste: 10g (1/4oz)
Black and 585g (1lb 43/4oz) White
SK Professional Edible Food Colour
Pen: Black
SK Quality Food Colour (QFC) Dust:
Extra White
Clear alcohol, i.e., vodka or gin
page 72 cakes & sugarcra f t
by Vicky Teather
COVERING THE CAKE
AND DRUM
Spread 1tbsp of buttercream centrally
1 onto the 12.5cm (5") cake card.
Cut the cake into three equal layers, then
stack and fill the layers on the cake card
using the buttercream. Next, use a palette
EQUIPMENT knife to crumb coat the stacked cake with
Round cake card: 12.5cm (5") the remaining buttercream. Spread the
buttercream on with the knife and then
Palette knife
scrape all around the side and top to even
Scraper
out the surface. Refrigerate the cake for
Pastry brush around four hours.
Non-stick polling pin
Colour 600g (1lb 51/4oz) of Bridal
Cake smoother
2 White sugarpaste with a little
Round cake drum: 20cm (8")
Turquoise neon paste food colour. Brush a
Mixing bowl: large
thin layer of cooled, boiled water over the
Cocktail sticks surface of the 12.5cm (5") crumb-coated
SK Modelling Tools: Small and Medium cake using a pastry brush.
Ball, Metal Ball, Dresden, Rounded Cone
SK High-Quality Paintbrush: no. 1
Polystyrene balls: 2 x 2.5cm (1")
TOP TIP
Wooden skewers: 2 A little goes a long way when using
PME Modelling Tool: Mini Scallop the Neonz Paste Food Colours, so
use sparingly and build the colour up.
Circle cutters: 2cm (3/4") and 3.5cm (13/8")
Remember, you can’t take away colour
Craft knife
once it’s added!
1.5cm (1/2") width ribbon: 65cm (251/2")
Spa Blue
1cm (3/8") double-sided tape: 65cm (251/2") Roll out the neon turquoise
3 sugarpaste to a 4mm (3/16") thickness.
Lay the sugarpaste centrally over the cake
and use your hands to smooth the surface,
focusing on the top edges first. Finish with
a cake smoother to achieve a smooth, even
surface. Trim away the excess sugarpaste
from around the edges with a sharp knife.
Keep all your offcuts.
Brush a little cooled, boiled water
4 over the surface of the 20cm (8") cake
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com
cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 73
 drum. Roll out the leftover neon turquoise
sugarpaste to a 5mm (1/4") thickness. Gently
lift and place the sugarpaste centrally onto
the drum and use a smoother to smooth the
surface. Trim away the excess sugarpaste,
then leave the covered cake and drum
overnight to set.
MAKING THE DRIP ICING
Weigh out 100g (31/2oz) of the cookie
1 icing mix into a large bowl. Add 15ml
(1tbsp) of cooled, boiled water and stir to
combine. Beat until the icing forms stiff
peaks.
Spread 1tsp of the cookie icing onto
2 the centre of the covered drum.
Gently lift and place the cake on top and
press down to adhere.
Dip a cocktail stick into the Pink neon
3 paste food colour and stir into the
bowl of icing. Mix thoroughly with a spoon
until combined. Add 1tsp of cooled, boiled
water and mix again. Check the consistency
of the icing – you are looking for the soft
peak stage. Add 1tsp of cooled, boiled
water at a time until soft peak is achieved.
Spoon the pink icing on top of the
4 cake. Bring the icing towards the
edge of the cake using the teaspoon.
Next, spoon more icing onto the cake to
completely cover the top surface. Use the
teaspoon to take small amounts of the icing
from the bowl and allow it to slowly drizzle
down the side of the cake to create the
drips (A). Allow the icing to set overnight
before decorating.
LARGE PUMPKIN
Colour 155g (51/2oz) of White
1 modelling paste with a little Orange
neon paste food colour and roll into a ball.
Place the ball on your worktop and press
down gently to create a flat base. Push
the end of the rolling pin into the top of the
shape to create a shallow well for the top of
the pumpkin.
Use the dresden tool to score vertical
2 lines all around the pumpkin, coming
from the top and bottom (B). Vary the depth,
page 74 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
thickness and placement of each line to give
an organic finish.
Press the wide end of the dresden
3 tool into the centre on one side of the
pumpkin to create the mouth. Move the tool
sideways to widen the smile and then bring
the tool downwards to create a wide curve
for the bottom of the mouth (C).
For the eyes, press the small end
4 of the metal ball tool into the paste
twice. Make sure the middle of the ball tool
is lined up with the top edge and spaced
6mm (1/4") away from either side of the
mouth (D).
Shape a small piece of Black
5 modelling paste into the same shape
as the mouth. Insert the paste into the
mouth and use the dresden tool to fit it in
place.
Fill the eye sockets with two small
6 balls of White modelling paste and
press down with your fingers to flatten in
place. Press the small end of the medium
ball tool into the inner corner of each eye to
create a hollow for the pupils (E).
Dip the no. 1 paintbrush into edible
7 glue and wipe off the excess. Paint a
little glue inside the hollows and fill with two
very small balls of Black modelling paste for
the pupils. Press to flatten and secure.
Take two extremely small balls of
8 Black modelling paste and roll into
tapered sausages. Paint a little edible
glue around the top and sides of both
eyes. Remove some of the glue from the
paintbrush and, one at a time, use it to pick
up and place the tapered sausages above
each eye. Use the paintbrush to fit the paste
into position so that it wraps around the
top and sides of the eye (F). To finish, glue
a tiny ball of White modelling paste to the
upper, outer corner of each pupil to act as
a highlight.
Mix a little Pink neon paste food
9 colour with 10g (1/4oz) of White
modelling paste – you’ll be using this
paste throughout the project. Glue a tiny
semicircle of the pink paste to the bottom of
the open mouth for the tongue, then use the
dresden tool to fit it in place (G).
Use the small end of the medium
10 ball tool to mark two oval hollows
below and on the outer edge of each
eye. Fill with two short sausages of pink
modelling paste. Use your finger to flatten
them into place for the cheeks (H). Set the
pumpkin aside for later.
BATS
Colour 80g (23/4oz) of White
1 modelling paste with some Purple
neon paste food colour. Take 30g (1oz) of
the purple paste and roll it into a smooth
ball. Use your fingers to create a slight
hollow in the centre of the ball. Next, press
one of the 2.5cm (1") polystyrene balls
into the hollow. Use your palms to push
and move the paste around the ball until
covered, using a little edible glue if needed
(I). Once the ball is covered, roll the paste
in your hands to remove the seams. Push
the wooden skewer into the ball, making
sure it doesn’t exit the other end.
Press the dresden tool centrally into
2 the purple paste to make the mouth.
Press the large end of the small ball tool
into the paste, 3mm (1/8") away from the
mouth on either side, to create the eyes
(J). Push the small end of the medium ball
tool into the paste underneath and to the
side of each eye to create an oval shape
for the cheeks.
Repeat step 1 to cover the second
3 polystyrene ball in purple paste.
Next, use the mini scallop tool to mark in
a smile and the eyes onto the front of the
ball. Push the small end of the medium ball
tool into the paste underneath and to the
side of each eye to create an oval shape
for the cheeks (K).
Take two small balls of the purple
4 paste and roll them into cone
shapes. Trim away the wide end of the
cones and glue both pieces in place on
top of a bat’s head for the ears (L). Repeat
for the other bat.
Follow the instructions from steps
5 7–10 from making the large pumpkin
to add the eyes, mouth and cheeks on the
first bat (M).
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

A B C

D E F

G H I

J K L M

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 75

 N O
For the second bat, roll two very small
6 sausages from Black modelling paste
and glue these inside the marks left by the
mini scallop tool. Use the paintbrush to lift,
place and fit into position (N).
Fill the second bat’s cheek hollows
7 with two small sausages of the pink
modelling paste from earlier. Glue two tiny
triangles of White paste to the base of the
mouth to create the fangs (O).
Roll out the remaining purple
8 modelling paste to a 5mm (1/4")
thickness and cut out a circle using the
3.5cm (13/8") circle cutter. Cut the circle into
quarters using a craft knife. Along one of
the cut edges, use the side (length) of a ball
tool to press into the edge twice to create
a scalloped shape (P). Use your fingers
to manipulate and neaten the scallop.
Repeat to make three more wings using the
remaining cut pieces.
Glue two wings to the sides of each
9 bat, making sure the scalloped edge
Q R
page 76 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
is facing downwards (Q). You may need to
hold it in position for a minute until it holds
its place. If the wings slide around, remove
some of the glue and reattach. Set aside
until ready to decorate.
CANDY CORN
Colour 20g (3/4oz) of White modelling
1 paste with a little Orange neon paste
food colour. Colour 20g (3/4oz) of White
modelling paste with some Yellow neon paste
food colour. Roll each colour into a 12cm (5")
long sausage. Roll 20g (3/4oz) of plain White
paste into a 12cm (5") long sausage.
Paint a little glue along the length of
2 the white sausage and then attach the
orange sausage. Paint a little glue along the
length of the orange sausage and attach the
yellow sausage. Use your fingers to neaten
the paste (R).
Use the craft knife to cut out triangles
3 from the stripey paste, with the wide
P
end of the triangle always on the yellow
paste (S). Once you’ve cut out all your
candy corn, use your fingers to smooth and
round the cut edges of the paste. Set aside
until ready to decorate the cake.
WRAPPED SWEETS
Colour 22g (3/4oz) of White modelling
1 paste with a little Blue neon paste food
colour. Colour 11g (1/4oz) of White modelling
paste with some Purple neon paste food
colour. Colour 22g (3/4oz) of White modelling
paste with some Red neon paste food colour.
Mix a little Green neon paste food colour with
5g (<1/4oz) of White modelling paste.
Take two 1.5g (<1/16oz) balls of the
2 blue paste and roll into cones. Press
the rounded cone tool into the wide end of
each cone to create a well. Draw vertical
lines coming from the wide end of each
cone towards the narrow end with the
dresden tool (T). These will be the twisted
ends of the sweet.
S
cakesandsugarcraft.com

T U
Roll 8g (1/4oz) of the blue paste into a
3 ball, then press the rounded cone tool
into opposite sides of the ball. Paint a little
glue inside the holes and gently insert the
pointed end of each cone (U).
Repeat steps 2–3 to create another
4 blue sweet. Repeat steps 2–3 again,
this time making one purple and two red
sweets using the respective modelling paste
colours. Set the sweets aside.
Repeat steps 2–3 to create a smaller
5 green sweet. Use the green paste to
create the ball and two 1g (<1/16oz) green
balls to create the cones. Set aside.
EYEBALL SHARDS
Colour 20g (3/4oz) of White modelling
1 paste with some Green neon paste
food colour. Split the green paste in half and
shape each piece into a triangle with your
hands. Press the large end of the small ball
tool and the small end of the medium ball
W X
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
tool into the paste of each triangle to create
multiple random dents (V).
Paint a little edible glue into the dents
2 on each shard and fill with small balls
of White modelling paste. Use the Black
edible ink pen to draw pupils on each of
the white balls to create the eyes (W).
Repeat steps 1–2 to make a pink
3 shard, using the leftover pink
modelling paste from when you made the
large pumpkin and bats. Set all shards
aside for later.
EYEBALLS
Roll out 10g (1/4oz) and 15g (1/2oz) of
1 White modelling paste into two balls.
Press the large end of the metal ball tool
into the 10g (1/4oz) ball and the small end
into the 15g (1/2oz) ball to create the holes
for the pupils (X).
cakes & sugarcra f t
V
Glue a ball of Black modelling paste
2 into each hole and press to flatten in
place. Glue a small ball of White modelling
paste to the upper corner of each eye to
create the highlights (Y). Set aside.
SPIRAL SWEETS
Colour 25g (>3/4oz) of White modelling
1 paste with a little Red neon paste
food colour. Roll out the red paste to a 1cm
(3/8") thickness and use the 2cm (3/4") circle
cutter to cut out four circles.
Colour 15g (1/2oz) of White modelling
2 paste with some Pink neon paste
food colour. Roll out the pink paste to
a 1cm (3/8") thickness and cut out three
circles using the 2cm (3/4") circle cutter.
Colour 15g (1/2oz) of White modelling
3 paste with some Blue neon paste
food colour. Roll out the blue paste to a
1cm (3/8") thickness and cut out three more
circles using the 2cm (3/4") circle cutter.
Y
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 77

Z
Mix some Extra White QFC dust with
4 clear alcohol to form a paint – similar
to the consistency of acrylic paint. Take the
no. 1 paintbrush and paint a spiral pattern
onto the top of each coloured disc (Z). Set
all discs and the paint aside for later.
TOP TIP
The edible paint will smudge if
touched, so handle the painted sweets
from the unpainted surfaces.
STRIPED SWEETS
Colour 14g (1/2oz) of White modelling
1 paste with Pink neon paste food
colour. Roll 5g (<1/4oz) of the pink paste
into a 6cm (23/8") long sausage. Repeat to
create a second pink sausage.
page 78 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
Split the remaining 4g (<1/4oz) of pink
2 paste into four even pieces. Roll each
piece into a cone and follow step 2 from
making the wrapped sweets to create the
wrapper ends of each sweet. Cut off the
narrow end of each wrapper.
Repeat step 3 from making the
3 wrapped sweets to glue the wrapper
ends in place on both pink sausages.
Paint diagonal lines across the top
4 and sides of the sweets with the
white paint and no. 1 paintbrush. Set aside.
MINI PUMPKINS
Colour 40g (11/2oz) of White modelling
1 paste with Orange neon paste food
colour. Split the paste into five balls: two
weighing 15g (11/2oz), one 4.5g (<1/4oz), one
3.5g (1/8oz) and one 2g (1/16oz) ball.
Press a ball tool into the top of each
2 pumpkin to create a shallow well.
Use a clean cocktail stick to create vertical
lines around the sides of each pumpkin. Set
aside until ready to decorate.
GUMBALLS
Divide and colour the remaining White
1 modelling paste with the Green, Pink
and Yellow neon paste food colours. Split
each colour into balls, then set aside until
you’re ready to decorate.
DECORATING THE CAKE
Use a little edible glue to attach the
1 large pumpkin centrally to the top of
the cake. Press the wooden skewers of the
bats into the cake, one on either side of the
pumpkin. Now use the paint from earlier
to paint the wooden skewers white. Add a
candy corn, the small green wrapped sweet
and a small pink gumball to the top of the
pumpkin, inside the well. Use a little glue to
secure the sweets in position.
Decorate the top of the cake around
2 the pumpkin with two red spiral
sweets, one pink spiral sweet, four candy
corns, the one purple and two blue wrapped
sweets, as well as a pink gumball. Secure all
these in place with some edible glue. Using
the white paint, paint a few spots on the
purple wrapped sweet.
Glue the eyeballs on the covered drum
3 to the front-right of the cake. Use the
remaining sweets to decorate all around the
drum, securing in place with edible glue.
Secure the 1.5cm (1/2") Spa Blue
4 ribbon around the edge of the drum
using the 1cm (3/8") double-sided tape.
TOP TIP
If you wanted to add an extra surprise
to the cake, why not make the bats
into decorated cake pops instead?
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 RECOMMENDED READS
If you’re looking for inspiration or would like to expand your repertoire, we’ve handpicked the
best of the latest cake decorating and baking books to whet your appetite. To be in with a chance
of winning the giveaways, visit cakesandsugarcraft.com and go to the Cake Chat page.

Frosted
We have
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If you’re looking for a collection of approachable recipes with
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Book Of Baking
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As she puts it, “To be creative, you have to
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As seasonality and local sourcing become
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Fermented Paul Barker, Quarry Books, £19.99 (Hardcover)

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cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 79

 Rainbow
BIRTHDAY COOKIES
Making a special celebration even sweeter, this rainbow birthday cookie set is over the top with
vibrant colours and fun sprinkle accents. The delicious cut-out cookie recipe bakes to a golden
colour and has a buttery, vanilla flavour. The project also uses royal icing for the decoration as it
dries hard, allowing decorators to make interesting textures and add dimension to the designs.
You can make these cookies as a set or just pick one design to keep things simple.

EDIBLES EQUIPMENT MAKING THE COOKIES

Cookie Recipe Stand mixer Using a stand mixer fitted with the
Unsalted butter: 227g (8oz), softened Non-stick rolling pin
1 paddle attachment, cream together
Granulated white sugar: 200g (7oz) Spacers: 6mm (1/4") the softened butter and sugar until light
and fluffy.
Egg: 1, large Flour Box Bakery Cake with Candle
1 Cookie Cutter: 10cm (4")
Vanilla extract: 7ml (1 /2tsp) Add the egg and vanilla into the bowl
Salt: 1/2tsp
Flour Box Bakery Cupcake with Swirl 2 and mix to incorporate. If you want,
Cookie Cutter: 10cm (4")
All-purpose flour: 343g (12oz), plus extra you can substitute your favourite emulsion
for rolling
Flour Box Bakery Present with Bow flavour or extract – pure vanilla, lemon,
Cookie Cutter: 81/4cm (31/4") almond – teaspoon for teaspoon.
Royal Icing Recipe Baking trays
Add the salt into the bowl, then add in
1
Warm water: 80ml (5 /2tbsp) Parchment paper 3 the flour 125g (41/2oz) at a time. Use
Vanilla extract: 1tsp Airtight containers: 8, small
precise measurements and avoid adding
Meringue powder: 36g (1 /4oz) 1
Couplers: 7 too much flour to your recipe. Mix on a low
Icing sugar: 454g (1lb) Piping bags: 12 speed until just incorporated; overmixing
Gel food colour: white Wilton Round Decorating Tips: 7 x no. 2 can result in a tougher cookie. The dough
will form a ball and should come away from
Wilton Decorating Open Star Icing Tip: no. 13
Decoration the sides of the mixer.
Ateco Decorating Tip: no. 44
Gel food colours: blue, green, orange,
Toothpick or scribe tool
pink, purple and yellow
TOP TIP
Rainbow nonpareils
If the dough is crumbling and looks
dry, you’ve added too much flour. You
Makes 18 cookies in total. You can make 18 cookies of one design,
can fix your dough by adding more
or six birthday cake, six cupcake and six present cookies. liquid (water or milk). Add 1tsp at a
time to get to the desired texture. This
You will need to repeat the individual small amount of liquid will not affect
Photo credit: Elise Cellucci

the taste of the dough.

decorating steps, depending on what
and how many cookies you decide to
decorate Scrape the dough from the bowl
4 and put it on a length of cling film.
Reprinted with permission from The Crafted Cookie Flatten the dough into a disc shape to make
by Anne Yorks, Page Street Publishing Co., 2021. it easier to roll after chilling. Wrap it well,

page 80 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com


making sure all the edges of the dough are
covered. Chill the dough for at least two
hours before rolling out.
5 On a lightly floured surface, use
a floured rolling pin to roll out the
dough. Roll the dough out to a 6mm (1/4")
thickness using spacers.
Take the Cake with Candle cutter,
6 Cupcake with Swirl cutter and
Present with Bow cutter and cut out six
of each cookie design. You may need to
collect the dough scraps into a ball, re-roll
and cut more cookies to use the full batch
of dough. Alternatively, you could make 18
cookies of just one design, it’s up to you!
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F/Gas
7 Mark 4). Place you cut-out cookies on
baking trays lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies in the oven for
8 11–13 minutes. Watch them carefully
at the end. When done, the cookies should
be light golden brown on the edges.
Once cooked, remove the cookies
9 from the oven and leave to cool on
a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely
before decorating, for about one hour. It’s
important to cool them completely or else
the royal icing will melt off! If needed, you
can pop the freshly baked cookies in the
fridge or freezer for a few minutes to cool
faster.
page 82 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
MAKING THE ROYAL
ICING
Pour the warm water into the clean
1 bowl of your stand mixer fitted with
the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla and
meringue powder, then mix for a minute
on a medium speed until fluffy and foamy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl if necessary.
Next, add the icing sugar in stages.
2 Keep the mixer on a low speed,
adding the sugar slowly to avoid a powdery
explosion. I find it is not necessary to sift
powdered sugar, but you may do so if you
prefer.
Once all the icing sugar is added,
3 increase the speed to medium-low.
The amount of mixing time can vary from
4–7 minutes depending on the humidity.
Beat the icing until it changes from ivory
to a brighter white. After a few minutes of
mixing, you’ll notice the icing will form stiff
peaks and will increase in size. It will go
from looking pasty to smooth. Take care
not to overmix though. If the icing looks
spongy and fluffy like marshmallow, it will
not perform!
At this stage, add 2tsp of white gel
4 food colouring to the icing to achieve
a beautiful pure and bright white icing. This
will also allow your other icing colours to
pop even more.
TOP TIP
You can adjust your icing
consistencies. If your icing seems
too stiff, add another tablespoon of
water to loosen the icing a bit. I like
to mix the icing thick and then use
water to bring it to a nice piping icing
consistency. If your icing appears too
thin and stiff peaks are not forming,
add more sugar to make the icing
thicker, 30g (1oz) at a time.
You will end up with a single batch
5 of stiff icing, about 530ml – 600ml
(18fl oz – 20fl oz) in total. Separate the icing
into seven clean airtight containers, one for
each colour in the following amounts: four
bowls of 30ml (2tbsp), one bowl of 120ml
(8tbsp), and two bowls of 150ml (10tbsp).
Don't not leave the icing without an airtight
cover or it will form a crust.
6 Next, take your seven containers and
begin to colour the white icing. Add
a little orange gel food colour to one 30ml
(2tbsp) container of icing to achieve a bright
orange colour. Add a little green gel food
colour to the second 30ml (2tbsp) container
of icing to achieve a bright green. Add some
purple gel food colour to the third 30ml
(2tbsp) container of icing to achieve a bright
purple. In the final 30ml (2tbsp) container
of icing, mix in some yellow gel food colour
to achieve a bright yellow. Mix some blue
gel food colour in one of the 150ml (10tbsp)
containers of icing to achieve a bright blue.
Add a little pink gel food colour to the 120ml
(8tbsp) container of icing to achieve a bright
pink colour. The remaining 150ml (10tbsp)
container of icing should be left white. You
should end up with seven different icing
colours, including white.
PREPARING TO PIPE
Before you begin to decorate your
1 cookies it's important you know how
to adjust the consistency of the different
icing colours needed to create the piping
icing and flooding icing (including the stiff
piping icing for the pink). I compare the
consistency of piping icing to a soft-serve
ice cream. When you dip your spatula
cakesandsugarcraft.com

into the icing and pull it out, the icing
will hold its shape, but still have a little
motion. Flood icing is the icing that flows
onto the surface of the cookie to create
a flat canvas. This icing is thinner than
piping icing because it has more water. I
compare the consistency of flood icing to
fresh honey. Stiff icing is the consistency
of the icing straight out of the mixer. To
achieve the piping and flood consistencies,
gradually add several drops of cooled,
boiled water to the icings – a little water
goes a long way!
Before you start, take a tablespoon
2 of the stiff pink icing and set it aside
in a sealed container for when you're
decorating the Rainbow Cake with Candles
cookie – this is the only stiff icing you will
need for this project.
I would recommend bagging your
3 icings as go when you make each
consistency. For each icing colour, add
several drops of cooled, boiled water
to achieve the piping consistency. Now
remove a tablespoon of each icing and put
them into individual piping bags fitted with
a coupler and no. 2 piping tip (this will be
used for the outlines and details). To do
this, take the coupler and insert the large
piece of inside the piping bag. Trim off
the opening of the bag and put the no. 2
tip on the end of the bag. Screw on the
second piece of the coupler to hold the tip
in place. When you’d like to switch tips,
simply unscrew this second piece, remove
the tip, load your new tip and screw the
coupler piece back on!
Remember, you'll need to account
4 for extra tablespoons of stiff or
piping consistency icing depending on
which design and how many cookies you
decorate. The instructions above are only
for one of each cookie design!
After putting your quantities of each
5 piping icing into the bags, you will
need to thin down the remaining icing
for the flooding consistency. This is the
icing used to fill in or flood the base of the
cookie – for this project, you will only need
blue, pink, white and yellow flood icing.
Add ½tsp – 1tsp of cooled, boiled water
to these icing colours until you get to the
flooding consistency. Pour each colour
cakesandsugarcraft.com
PROJECT
into a new piping bag – you don’t need
to use couplers or nozzles for the flood
icing colours. Trim these bags just before
decorating. Now you know what you'll
need to do, you're ready to go!
DECORATING THE
COOKIES
Rainbow Cake With
Candles Cookie
Now that your cookies and icing are
1 prepped, it’s time to decorate! Start
with piping the dripping effect first. Using
A
the pink piping icing and a no. 2 tip, pipe
a line across the top of the cake. Then
add the drips by wiggling and squiggling
across the cake area. There is no wrong
way to do this. Just have fun! Outline the
main body of the cake next using white
piping icing and a no. 2 tip. Finally, add the
platter using yellow piping icing and a no.
2 tip (A). Repeat for the other rainbow cake
cookies.
Fill the main section of the cake first
2 using white flood icing (B). Repeat
for the other cookies. Stop and set the B
cookies aside to dry before flooding the
next sections.
Flood inside the drip area of each
3 cookie using the pink flood icing.
Use a toothpick or scribe tool to bump the
flood icing over the pink outlines to bring it
to the foreground and give the illusion that
it is dripping down over the cake. While the
pink icing is still wet, shake on the rainbow
nonpareils. You can place the cookie on a
paper towel before adding the sprinkles to
catch any that don’t stick. Funnel extras
back into the sprinkle container and reuse.
Next, fill in the platter section of each C
cookie with yellow flood icing (C). Stop
and set the cookies aside to dry before
adding the details.
Add icing loops to each cookie
4 using the blue piping icing and a no.
2 tip. Use an even medium pressure hand
squeeze and allow the piping tip to guide
the shape of the loops, dropping onto the
surface of the icing (D, see page 85). Six
loops fit well in this space.
cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 83
 Add the candles to each cookie
5 using all the rainbow colours in
piping icing and no. 2 tips. I added 12
candles, two of each colour, but you can
customise the number for the guest of
honour if you want. Add the flame by
squeezing a teardrop shape of yellow
piping icing with a no. 2 tip on the top of
each candle (E).
Finish the cookie with a shell border
6 at the base of the cake. Use the stiff
pink icing you set aside earlier with the
no. 13 star tip and pipe a teardrop or shell
shape. Overlap the next teardrop or shell
shape onto the tail of the previous one.
Continue to complete the continuous line
across the bottom of the cake (F).
Sprinkles Galore
Cupcake Cookie
1 One cookie at a time, outline the
cherry first by piping a small circle
page 84 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021
using the pink piping icing and a no. 2 tip.
Next, outline the frosting using white piping
icing and a no. 2 tip – start with the bottom
layer and work your way up, creating three
icing areas. Pipe the cupcake wrapper
using blue piping icing and a no. 2 tip (G).
Flood the wrapper of each cookie
2 with blue flood icing, then fill the
second layer of frosting with white flood
icing. Fill the cherry with pink flood icing.
While the pink icing is still wet, add a
teardrop shape with white flood icing (this
wet-on-wet technique allows the highlight
to be flat) (H). Stop and set the cookies
aside to dry before flooding the next
sections.
Flood the remaining layers of frosting
3 on each cookie using the white flood
icing (I). Stop and set the cookies aside to
dry before adding the details.
Pipe vertical lines on the cupcake
4 wrapper using blue piping icing and
a no. 2 tip.
Use the six rainbow piping icing
5 colours and pipe short lines on the
white frosting for the sprinkles. Add them in
all directions to look like real sprinkles (J). I
like piping these because the icing colours
match the other cookies and I like to have
control over the sprinkle placement, but
feel free to use real sprinkles if you prefer.
However, real sprinkes would need to be
added just after flooding these areas so
they stick to the icing.
All Wrapped Up Birthday
Present Cookie
One cookie at a time, outline the
1 rectangular lid of the present with
pink piping icing and a no. 2 tip. Also
outline the box with the same pink icing (K).
Create an interesting pattern on the
2 cookies with wet-on-wet polka dots.
Only use flood icing for this technique. First,
flood the main section of the present using
pink flood icing. While the pink base is still
very wet, add drops of white flood icing to
create the polka dot pattern. Take care not
to dip your tip into the base icing. Just let
the drop of icing fall onto the surface and it
will melt into the pink, creating a flat surface
(L). Stop and set the cookies aside to dry
before flooding the next sections.
Fill in the top of the box with pink
3 flood icing (M). Stop and set the
cookies aside to dry before adding the
details.
Add the ribbon with white piping
4 icing and the no. 44 tip. Start with the
straight line in the middle of the box. Keep
the tip flat while piping. Then, keeping the
tip flat, pipe four loops for the ribbon on the
top of the gift (N). While the white icing is
still wet, place the cookie on a paper towel
and sprinkle on the rainbow nonpareils (O).
Learn more about cookie artist
Anne and her creations in the
Talent Spotlight on page 36!
cakesandsugarcraft.com
 PROJECT

D E F

G H I

J K L

M N O

cakesandsugarcraft.com cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 page 85

 TEMPLATES

CHOCOLATE ORANGE MACARON POPS

by Viktorija Siskova

BUTTERFLIES AND
HELLO AUTUMN BLACKBERRIES
by Pamela McCaffrey by Emily Hankins

page 86 cakes & sugarcra f t SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 cakesandsugarcraft.com

 For all your cake decorating
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