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UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING ! COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE ! MARCH 2001 ! 4-H 42500

Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

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Page 1: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

UNIVERS ITY OF WYOMING ! COOPERAT IVE EXTENS ION SERV ICE ! MARCH 2001 ! 4 -H 42500

Page 2: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in coopera-tion with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Glen Whipple, Director, Cooperative Extension Service,University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071.

Persons seeking admission, employment, or access to programs of the University of Wyoming shallbe considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, politicalbelief, veteran status, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status. Persons with disabilitieswho require alternative means for communication or program information (Braille, large print,audiotape, etc.) should contact their local UW CES Office. To file a complaint, write the UW Em-ployment Practices/Affirmative Action Office, University of Wyoming, P.O. Box 3434, Laramie,Wyoming 82071-3434.

Graphic Designer: Tana Stith, College of Agriculture, Office of Communications and Technology

Prepared by:

Ronda Whitman, Albany County 4-H Leader

Acknowledgements:

Appreciation is extended to Wilton Enterprises, Inc., whose publications have served asreference in the preparation of this 4-H manual, and for samples of techniques illustrated.

Page 3: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

1PROJECT INFORMATION

IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroductionWhen you bake and decorate a cake for a specialoccasion, the smiling faces around the table willbe your greatest reward.

After a few lessons and a lot of practice you willbe able to decorate beautiful cakes for birthdayparties, anniversaries, and other special days.You can practice on practice boards, waxedpaper, or freezer paper (waxed side up) taped tocardboard—or even a cake pan turned upsidedown. Once you decorate the practice surface,scrape the icing off and use it over again.

Cake decorating recordsCake decorating recordsCake decorating recordsCake decorating recordsCake decorating recordsKeeping records or descriptions of your decoratedcakes is important. Either take a picture or drawa simple diagram of each cake you decorate, thengive a short explanation of what you did andwhat you learned, even if you had problems.Also, keep a record of expenses and compare theamount to what it would have cost to buy adecorated cake.

Cake decorating levelsCake decorating levelsCake decorating levelsCake decorating levelsCake decorating levelsThe 4-H Cake Decorating Project offers fourlevels. These levels are:

Level 1: Beginning cake decorating—let’s begin.

Level 2: Intermediate cake decorating—flatsurface flowers, roses, and layer cakes.

Level 3: Advanced cake decorating—stackedcakes, side decorations, lily nail flowers, andmore flowers.

Level 4: Master cake decorating—design yourown.

This cake decorating manual contains goals,skills, and techniques for the project’s four levels.Study these goals and establish your own goals

PROJECT INFORMATIONPROJECT INFORMATIONPROJECT INFORMATIONPROJECT INFORMATIONPROJECT INFORMATIONeach year. Refer to the table of contents to findinformation for each project level.

Place this manual in a loose-leaf binder. You maywant to keep your cake decorating records in thesame binder and add other information as youprogress.

Basic suppliesBasic suppliesBasic suppliesBasic suppliesBasic supplies1. Straight-sided cake pan or pans, preferably 8

inches round, 3 inches tall.

2. Metal spatula with a rounded end (8 inchesor 11 inches, depending on your hand size).

3. Decorating bags, three types are available.• Featherweight® or plastic bag with or

without coupler. (The coupler allows thedecorator to change tips on the samebag.) Beginners should start with three10-inch Featherweight® bags.

• Clear plastic disposable bags, usuallyavailable in packages of 12 or 24.

• Parchment or plastic-coated freezer paper.

4. Decorating tips (see your particular level forspecific tips needed).

5. Three types of food colorings• Paste color• Liquid coloring• Powdered coloring

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2 PROJECT INFORMATION

6. Box for storing all supplies together. Mark allsupplies with your initials for easy identifica-tion, and store tips separately as they can beeasily dented or bent. Tips can be markedwith an engraver or fingernail polish.

7. Folder to hold your manual, cake records,and other paperwork.

8. Flat plate or cake board for displaying deco-rated cake.

9. Revolving cake stand or turntable (optional).

4-H cake decorating4-H cake decorating4-H cake decorating4-H cake decorating4-H cake decoratingThe Wyoming 4-H Cake Decorating project isdivided into four skill levels:

LEVEL 1: The Beginning Decorator

Members will learn to bake and frost single-layercakes and learn simple decorating procedures.

LEVEL 2: The Intermediate Decorator

Members will learn how to bake two-layer cakesand make flat surface flowers, simple flower nailflowers, roses, a variety of borders, and specialeffects like Cornelli lace, lattice work, basket-weave, and others.

LEVEL 3: The Advanced Decorator

Members will learn to bake stacked and tieredcakes, master all flat surface flowers, and learn tomake flowers using the lily nail.

LEVEL 4: The Master Decorator

Members will design their own projects using theskills learned from previous levels.

Skills, techniques, and goalsSkills, techniques, and goalsSkills, techniques, and goalsSkills, techniques, and goalsSkills, techniques, and goalsThe skills and techniques learned in this projectare listed in the chart found on pages 3 to 8.They are divided by subject with the skill levellisted down the left side of the chart. Your 4-Hleader and parents can help you identify theskills you want to learn according to the level inwhich you are enrolled. Then, as the yearprogresses, you can check to see what you havelearned and what you still have to do. Refer topages 3 through 8 in this manual to see what willbe learned in each level.

You might like to try a technique above your skilllevel, and you may have to repeat some methods.However, you should master the minimumnumber of required items in each decoratinglevel before moving on to the next level. Stay in alevel for more than one year if you have notmastered the required skills.

Page 5: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

3PROJECT INFORMATION

Decora t i n g Decora t i n g Decora t i n g Decora t i n g Decora t i n g sssssk i l l s and k i l l s and k i l l s and k i l l s and k i l l s and ttttte chn iquesechn iquesechn iquesechn iquesechn iques

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LEVEL

SKILLS AND TECHNIQUESWrite year accomplished in small box. Notes or comments

THE CAKEMaster all the items in your level before advancing to the next level.

1, 2 Bake and prepare level cake

1 Prepare single-layer cake (minimum 5)

1, 2 Prepare cut-up cake

1, 2 Prepare a cake in a shaped specialty pan

2 Prepare one- and two-layer cakes (minimum of 5)

2,3 Cut cakes for serving using different methods

3 Prepare a level, stacked cake

3 Prepare a level, tiered cake

FROSTING THE CAKEMaster all the items in your level before advancing to the next level.

1, 2 Achieve proper consistency of icing for frosting the cake

1, 2 Frost a smooth cake for decorating

2 Prepare a "filled" cake

ICINGSMaster all the items in your level before advancing to the next level.

Achieve the proper consistency for making the following:

BUTTERCREAM ICING

1 Decorations of stars, flowers, leaves

1, 2 Borders

1, 2 Writing

2 Flowers

2 Combination borders

2 Figure piping

2, 3 Side decorations

3 Drop string work

ROYAL ICING

2, 3 Flowers

2, 3 Figure piping

Page 6: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

4P

RO

JEC

T IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

Want to learn

Tried

Needs improvement

Average skill developedAbove average skilldeveloped

MASTERED

Page 7: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

5P

RO

JEC

T IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

Want to learn

Tried

Needs improvement

Average skill developedAbove average skilldeveloped

MASTERED

Page 8: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

6P

RO

JEC

T IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

Want to learn

Tried

Needs improvement

Average skill developedAbove average skilldeveloped

MASTERED

Page 9: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

7P

RO

JEC

T IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

Want to learn

Tried

Needs improvement

Average skill developedAbove average skilldeveloped

MASTERED

Page 10: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

8P

RO

JEC

T IN

FOR

MA

TIO

N

Want to learn

Tried

Needs improvement

Average skill developed

Above average skilldeveloped

MASTERED

Page 11: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

9PROJECT INFORMATION

Level 1: Beginning cake decoratingLevel 1: Beginning cake decoratingLevel 1: Beginning cake decoratingLevel 1: Beginning cake decoratingLevel 1: Beginning cake decorating• Two drop flower tips (one large and one

small) - 224 or 107 and 131 or 193

3. Practice surface

4. Optional:

• Special molds—sugar, candy, and gelatin

• Shaped cake pans

GoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoals1. Develop basic skills in cake decorating.

2. Combine color, design, and flavors in apleasing way.

LET’S BEGINLET’S BEGINLET’S BEGINLET’S BEGINLET’S BEGINSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSupplies1. Basic supplies listed for all units (Project

information, page 1).

2. Decorating tips—Four types are suggested;however, you may select any that give thedesired results.

• One plain round or writing tip - 3 or 4

• One leaf tip - 67 or 352

• Three star tips - 16, 18, 22, or 25, 27, and31 or 35

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10 PROJECT INFORMATION

ExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitDecorated cake using a minimum of four differ-ent skills and techniques learned in this unit:cake frosted smoothly, proper icing consistencyfor decorations, borders, drop flowers, writing,and leaves.

Additional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibits1. Decorated cake using either the stencil or

outline technique (one technique) with threeadditional skills or techniques (for a total offour skills and techniques) learned in this unit.

2. Cut-up cake (one technique) using a mini-mum of three additional skills or techniques(for a total of four skills and techniques)learned in this unit.

3. Cake or exhibit using solid sugar molds (onetechnique) and three additional skills ortechniques learned in this unit (for a total offour skills and techniques).

4. Cake baked in shaped cake pan (one tech-nique) and three additional skills or tech-niques (for a total of four skills and tech-niques) learned in this unit.

5. Educational display showing techniqueslearned (posters, record books, etc.)

Judging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standards1. Each exhibit should show a minimum of four

different skills or techniques learned in this level.

2. Cakes should have uniform shape and thick-ness and be level (except cut-up cakes andcakes baked in special shaped pans).

3. Cake forms (Styrofoam™) are better forexhibits than actual cakes.(Note: State Fair exhibits are required to becake forms.)

4. Cakes should be placed on disposable cakeboards which may be covered with plastic orpaper doilies.

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11PROJECT INFORMATION

5. Cakes should be frosted neatly; however,extremely smooth frosting is not necessary.

6. Design of decorations should be suitable forthe size and shape of the cake. A decoratedcake should show good use of color and apleasing combination of decorations.

Record booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord books1. A record book should be neat and contain the

following: beginning and ending inventory,goals, one individual cake record for eachcake decorated during the project, leadershipactivities, and a project story.

2. A record book should show that the memberhas decorated a minimum of five cakesduring the project year.

3. Pictures or simple diagrams and explanationsmay be used. Other cakes decorated whiletaking this unit may be included.

Level 2: Intermediate cake decoratingLevel 2: Intermediate cake decoratingLevel 2: Intermediate cake decoratingLevel 2: Intermediate cake decoratingLevel 2: Intermediate cake decorating• Flat flower nail - 7

• Basket weave tip - 47 or 48

3. Sugar molds for hollow sugar molding. Forexample, Easter egg, ball, or bell.

4. Color Flow® icing mix.

5. Artificial cake form (may be used for exhibit)can be purchased from a craft store or madefrom Styrofoam™.

GoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoals1. Develop intermediate skills in cake decorat-

ing.

2. Develop intermediate skills in combiningcolor, design, and flavors in a pleasing way.

FLAT SURFACEFLAT SURFACEFLAT SURFACEFLAT SURFACEFLAT SURFACEFLOWERS, ROSES,FLOWERS, ROSES,FLOWERS, ROSES,FLOWERS, ROSES,FLOWERS, ROSES,AND LAYER CAKESAND LAYER CAKESAND LAYER CAKESAND LAYER CAKESAND LAYER CAKESSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSupplies1. Basic supplies listed for all units (page 1).

2. Decorating tips—four types are suggested.You may already have some of these tipsfrom Unit 1.

• Plain round or writing tips - 2, 4, 7

• Leaf tips - 69, 75, 352

• Star tips - 16, 18, 20, 22 or 25, 27, and 31,or 35

• Petal tips - 104, 150

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12 PROJECT INFORMATION

Page 15: Cake Decorating Manual (PDF)

13PROJECT INFORMATION

ExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitDecorated cake using a minimum of five Level 2techniques: cake frosted smoothly, proper icingconsistency for decorations, flowers, borders,combination borders, or special effects.

Additional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibits1. Any other decorated cake using at least five

skills and techniques learned in this unit.

2. Cut-up cake (one technique) and at least fouradditional skills and techniques learned inthis unit.

3. Any other decorated item using at least fiveskills and techniques learned in this unit.

4. Decorated cake or other exhibit using figurepiping techniques (one technique) and fouradditional skills and techniques learned inthis unit.

5. Educational display showing techniqueslearned (posters, record books, etc.).

Judging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standards1. Exhibits in this unit should contain a mini-

mum of five Level 2 skills and techniques.

2. Artificial cake forms (Styrofoam™) are betterfor exhibits than actual cakes. State Fairexhibits require cake forms.

3. Cakes should be placed on disposable cakeboards which may be covered with paper orplastic doilies.

4. Frosting should make a good base for deco-rations. Colored frosting should be wellblended and free of discolorations.

5. Decorations should show a variety of tech-niques (borders, side decorations, specialeffects, etc.). They should be evenly spacedand show even pressure.

6. Design should be suitable for the size andshape of the cake. It should demonstrategood use of color and a pleasing combinationof decorations.

Record booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord books1. Record books should be neat and complete

with the following information: beginningand ending inventory, goals, one individualcake record for each cake decorated duringthe project, leadership activities, and aproject story.

2. Record books should show that a minimumof five cakes have been decorated. Eitherpictures or simple diagrams and explanationsmay be used on the page provided. Othercakes decorated while taking the unit may beincluded.

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14 PROJECT INFORMATION

Level 3: Advanced cake decoratingLevel 3: Advanced cake decoratingLevel 3: Advanced cake decoratingLevel 3: Advanced cake decoratingLevel 3: Advanced cake decorating6. Pillars, or columns, to fit separator plates.

Most plates take 4 pillars.

7. Dowel rods 1/8-inch diameter.

8. Tips:

• Plain round or writing tips - 1, 2, 3, 5, 7,and 9

• Star tips - 14, 16, 18, 20, 54, 199, and 51

• Petal tips - 102, 103, 104, 150, and 59

• Variety tips - 88 and 127

• Set of lily nails

9. Artificial cake forms (may be used for ex-hibit). State Fair entries must be on artificialcake forms.

GoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoals1. Develop advanced skill in cake decorating

2. Combine color, design, and flavors in apleasing way

MORE FLOWERS,MORE FLOWERS,MORE FLOWERS,MORE FLOWERS,MORE FLOWERS,STACKED ANDSTACKED ANDSTACKED ANDSTACKED ANDSTACKED ANDTIERED CAKESTIERED CAKESTIERED CAKESTIERED CAKESTIERED CAKESSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSupplies1. Basic supplies listed for all units (page 5).

2. Wedding cake pans in various sizes. The 3-inch deep pans eliminate the need for layer-ing cakes.

3. Two different sized pans for stacked cakes,for example, 8-inch and 10-inch.

4. Three different sized pans for a stacked andtiered wedding cake: 6-inch, 8-inch, and 12-inch.

5. Two separator plates for each layer. Platesshould be 2 inches larger than the tier that willbe placed on the plate, but both plates mustbe the same size. For example, an 8-inch cakewill need two 10-inch separator plates.

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15PROJECT INFORMATION

ExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitDecorated stacked and/or tiered cake using aminimum of four Level 3 skills and techniques.

Additional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibitsAdditional exhibits1. Cut-up cake using at least four skills and

techniques learned in Level 3.

2. Any other decorated cake using at least fourskills and techniques learned Level 3.

3. Any other decorated item using at least fourskills and techniques learned in this unit.

4. Educational display showing skills andtechniques learned in this unit.

5. Record book.

Judging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standardsJudging standards1. Exhibited cakes should have a minimum of

four Level 3 skills and techniques.

2. Cakes or artificial cake forms may be used(primary exhibit must be a tiered cake or astacked and tiered cake).

3. Additional exhibits are not required to betiered cakes.

4. Cakes should be placed on disposable, suit-able cake plates.

5. Design and decorations should be suitable forthe size and shape of the cake and shouldshow good use of color and pleasing decora-tion combinations.

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16 PROJECT INFORMATION

6. Optional decorations: Lambeth method,marzipan, gum paste, rolled or cookedfondant, pulled sugar flowers, Australian netnail decorations, molded chocolate, andcombinations or variations.

7. Special occasion ornaments may be used.

8. Techniques learned in previous units mayalso be used.

Record booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord books1. Record books should be neat and complete

with the following information: beginningand ending inventory, goals, leadership, oneindividual cake record for each cake deco-rated during the project, and project story.

Level 4: Master Level 4: Master Level 4: Master Level 4: Master Level 4: Master cccccake ake ake ake ake dddddecoratingecoratingecoratingecoratingecorating2. Decorate a cake or cakes using your own

designs.

3. Experiment with scratch recipes and mixesfor both cakes and icing. Document.

4. Interview local home decorators about mar-kets, pricing, and advertising, etc.

5. Contact (or start) a local cake decorator clubin your area.

6. Visit a professional decorator for ideas.

7. Teach a lower-level cake decorating project.

8. Expand cake decorating skills to decoratingfood. Use ideas in professional books andmagazines and create your own.

9. Visit a food or restaurant show.

ExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibitExhibit1. A brief, written description of your project

including your goals, plans, accomplish-ments, and evaluation of results. You might

2. Record books should show that the memberhas decorated at least one tiered cake. Pic-tures or simple diagrams and simple explana-tions may be used. All cakes decorated whiletaking this unit may be included in the recordbook.

DESIGN YOUR OWNDESIGN YOUR OWNDESIGN YOUR OWNDESIGN YOUR OWNDESIGN YOUR OWNSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesSuppliesDetermine the supplies you will need to accom-plish your goals.

GoalGoalGoalGoalGoalInvestigate areas of personal interest in cakedecorating.

ObjectiveObjectiveObjectiveObjectiveObjectivePlan, develop, complete, and evaluate an ad-vanced cake decorating project. Include goals,objectives, activities, and an evaluation of youractivities.

ActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities1. Design various original patterns using the

techniques learned in Levels 1 through 3.

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17PROJECT INFORMATION

use pictures or records to provide evidence ofyour accomplishments.

2. Decorated cake using more than five tech-niques (original design).

Project planProject planProject planProject planProject plan1. Goals and skills to be learned.

2. Resources that can be used, where infor-mation or help can be located, how to deter-mine what has been accomplished.

EvaluationEvaluationEvaluationEvaluationEvaluation1. What was accomplished and learned.

2. How well goals were met.

3. The results of your project (may include adecorated cake if that applied to your goals.)

CitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenshipCitizenshipGood citizens use their knowledge and skills tomake better lives for themselves, their families,and their communities. Complete one or moreactivities to help others.

ActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities• Make a decorated cake for a neighbor.

• Make a decorated cake or food item for anursing home or day care center.

• Make a decorated cake for a local function orfundraiser.

• Share a skill.

• Help a 4-H leader or Extension educator at acounty event or at fair.

• Look around and find some other way toshow your concern for others and help insome way.

LeadershipLeadershipLeadershipLeadershipLeadershipLeadership responsibilities should develop andincrease throughout your 4-H experiences. Youwill expand your skills further as you select areaswhere you feel less confident or less capable.What kind of skills would help you the most?

ActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivitiesActivities• Plan and organize an activity.

• Teach or show others how to use a skill.

• Assist a leader with a project lesson.

• Plan leadership activities and follow throughwith them.

Record booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord booksRecord booksThe record book for Level 4 should include Page1 of the Cake Decorating Record, a beginning andending inventory, the project story, the projectplan and evaluation, and leadership and citizen-ship activities.

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18 PROJECT INFORMATION

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19THE CAKE

T H E C A K ET H E C A K ET H E C A K ET H E C A K ET H E C A K EBaking the cakeBaking the cakeBaking the cakeBaking the cakeBaking the cakeStart with a good recipe or a good quality cakemix. Be sure to adjust the recipe for Wyoming’shigh altitude unless you are already using a highaltitude recipe.

1. Use the correct pan size. Cakes baked in apan that is too large will become flat and dry.Baking a cake in a pan that is too smallresults in a peaked cake or the batter runsover the pan. (The peak can be cut off, butyou may end up with an uneven top.) Use astraight-sided pan. There are many goodbaking finishes to choose from, includingnon-stick, anodized aluminum, and insu-lated. Just be sure to select a durable panthat won’t warp, rust, or chip during re-peated use. Shiny pans distribute heat moreevenly and give cakes a golden color. If youuse a glass pan, reduce the oven temperatureby 25 degrees.

2. Generously grease the inside of the cake panor pans with solid vegetable shortening. Usea pastry brush or paper towel to spread theshortening evenly on the bottom and sides,making sure all inside surfaces are covered.Then, shake flour in the pan to coat the sidesand bottom. (The flour helps the cake batterclimb the pan side and raise properly.) If youprefer, grease the bottom of the pan and lineit with cut parchment paper. There is no needto flour the parchment. Be sure to remove thepaper before the cake completely cools, so itwon’t stick to the cake.

Another simple and effective method toprepare the pan is to use an aerosol spraythat has the grease and flour in the samepreparation. Follow label directions.

3. To help your cake remain level, fold a strip ofterry cloth so it is the same height as the pan

sides. Wet the terry cloth then wrap it aroundthe outside of the pan and pin it togetherwith straight or safety pins. Pour equalamounts of batter into the pans and bake.The terry cloth adds humidity to the oven,which helps keep the cake level. It also keepsthe outer portion of the batter from bakingmore rapidly than the center.

Note: You can purchase specifically designedoven-safe bands to wrap around pans beforebaking.

4. Bake the cake in the center of the ovenaccording to temperature and time directionson the recipe or mix. To see if the cake isdone, lightly touch a finger to the cake’scenter. If it is done, it will spring back. Or,stick a toothpick in the center, and if it comesout clean the cake is done. If the cake is notdone, bake it for a few more minutes. Thecake should pull away from the edges of thepan.

Cooling the cakeCooling the cakeCooling the cakeCooling the cakeCooling the cake1. Take the cake from the oven and place it on

the cooling rack. If the cake is not level,saturate a light-weight cotton tea towel (notterry cloth) with water, wring it dry, andpress the cake’s top gently to form an eventop. Remove the towel immediately.

Cool the cake for 10 to 15 minutes on acooling rack. (Larger cakes, 14 inches indiameter, may need to cool 15 to 20 min-utes.)

2. Gently loosen the sides of the cake by run-ning a metal spatula or table knife around theedges. Place the cooling rack on the cake’stop and, while holding the rack and the pan,turn both over. If the cake does not releasefrom the pan, return it to a warm oven (250°)

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20 THE CAKE

for approximately 5 minutes and repeat theprocedure. Cool completely at least one houron a cooling rack. (If cooled on a plate orboard, it will steam and make the bottomsurface soggy.) Larger cakes will break if notturned right side up to cool.

Leveling the cakeLeveling the cakeLeveling the cakeLeveling the cakeLeveling the cake1. If you did not level your cake with the damp

towel, you can level it by trimming off theraised portions using a serrated knife or cakeleveler. Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour(or chill in the refrigerator). Use a serratedknife or cake leveling tool to trim off excesscake. You may need to ask for help from anadult.

2. Brush off loose crumbs. Freezing the cakewill make it easier to handle.

Now you are ready to ice the cake. Thebottom of the cake will be more level andeasier to frost.

• For a single layer cake, place the top ofthe cake down on the cake board andfrost the bottom.

• For a two-layer cake, place one layer rightside up on the cake board. Put frosting onthe first layer. Place the second layerupside down on the first so you arefrosting the bottom of the top layer.

• When layering large cakes or tortes, use acake board as a large spatula and shimmythe top layer off the board onto the top ofthe bottom cake layer.

Planning the designPlanning the designPlanning the designPlanning the designPlanning the designBefore planning the cake’s design, look in maga-zines and cake decorating books. A visit to yourlocal bakery might provide you with severalinteresting ideas.

Designs should be:

1. Suitable for the cake’s shape:

• Round or wedge-shaped design on around cake.

• Straight or triangular design on a squareor rectangular cake.

2. In proportion to the size of the cake:

• Large designs or groups of small designsare best on a large cake.

• Small designs are best on a small cake.

3. Seen well from the viewing area:

• Some cakes are planned to be viewedfrom one side only; others are the sameon all sides.

• Bring out design details by using colorsthat go well together:

! In general, lighter colors are best forbackgrounds and deeper, brighter,colors are best for decorations.

! If colors are too dark or too pale, thedetails of the design may be lost.

Balancing the designBalancing the designBalancing the designBalancing the designBalancing the design1. You must mark the cake when you select a

design that is repeated or placed at equallyspaced intervals (such as scallop or lattice).Decide whether you want to divide the cakeinto four, six, eight, or more sections. Place asmall dot of the background icing at each “x”to serve as a guide. Draw a design line with atoothpick and check for accuracy beforegoing over it with icing.Leveling

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21THE CAKE

2. Try this quick and easy way to divide a cakeinto equally spaced sections:

• Take a 2-inch wide length of paper (calcu-lator tape works well) and place it aroundthe outside of your cake pan. Cut it to theexact length.

• Remove and fold the tape in half andcontinue folding it in half until you haveas many sections as you need. Unfold andplace the tape around the top edge of thecake and attach it with a toothpick orlarge pin. Mark the cake at each fold.Your cake is now marked for your design.

3. When doing latticework on the cake top, usevarious sized pans or bowls as a guide.(Round pans, margarine tubs, and plasticstorage containers work well for this.) Pressthe desired size of container lightly on thetop of the cake. Then, place or pipe straightor decorative lines in a contrasting color offrosting.

Assembling a tiered cakeAssembling a tiered cakeAssembling a tiered cakeAssembling a tiered cakeAssembling a tiered cake1. Check to make sure the assembled cake will

fit through any door.

2. The base for your cake must be sturdyenough to support the weight of the as-sembled cake. How heavy is your cake? Thefollowing cakes were made with BettyCrocker Super Moist® yellow cake mix. Theywere filled, frosted, and decorated withbuttercream icing. The weights and heightsare for two-layer round cakes.

3. Level and ice all tiers first. Each tier of yourcake must be on a cake circle or board cut tofit. Smear a few strokes of icing on the boardsto secure the cake. Fill and ice the layersbefore assembly.

4. Place the bottom tier on a sturdy base plateor cake board cut 4 inches larger than thetier’s diameter. Imprint an outline in thecenter of this tier using a cake pan or cakeboard circle 2 inches smaller in diameter thanthe tier to be placed above it. Press the cakeboard gently in the center of the lower tier;remove the circle. Push a ¼-inch dowel rodinto the cake within the circular outline atthe cake’s lowest point. Push the rod all theway into the cake so it touches the base.Mark the dowel rod at the frosting line.Gently pull the dowel out of the cake. Usepruning sheers to cut the dowel rod. Markand cut six more dowels the same length as

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22 THE CAKE

the first. Push all seven rods into the cakebase within the circular outline and evenwith the top of the cake. The dowels shouldnot stick out above the cake. Do not reposi-tion the dowels after placing them in thecake. Generally, the larger and more numer-ous the upper tiers, the more dowels will beneeded. Very large cakes need ½-inch dowelsin the base tier.

5. If you plan to position a small cake on top ofa novelty cake, ice the small cake on a cakeboard cut to fit. Dowel rods also may benecessary to support the small cake. Note: Iceall cakes on cut-to-fit boards when makingany tiered cake.

6. Sprinkle coconut lightly on the top of thebottom tier within the imprinted circle. Thiswill keep the next tier from sticking to thefrosting and pulling it off when the cake iscut and served.

7. Sharpen the end of another dowel rod with akitchen knife or pencil sharpener and push itthrough both layers of the cake to the card-board circle base. Hit the end of the rodsharply with a tack hammer to drive the rodthrough the cardboard to the bottom caketier. Clip the rod even with the top of thesecond tier using pruning shears. This servesto secure the tiers, keeping them in place fortransporting.

8. When using separator plates and pillars, skipa cake size for each separator set used. Forexample, you can use a 14-inch base cakewith a 12-inch layer directly on top of the 14-inch layer (with the cardboard circle anddowel rods for support under the 12-inchlayer). Place the 10-inch separator plates andpillars on top of the 12-inch layer. Skip the10-inch cake and use an 8-inch cake on top ofthe 10-inch separator plate. A 6-inch cake ona cut-to-fit cardboard circle can be placeddirectly on top of the 8-inch cake. A sharp-ened dowel rod through both the 6-inch and8-inch cakes will offer more stability.

9. Plastic pegs are needed in the separatorplates to prevent slipping. Insert the plasticpegs into the cake to determine if the pegsare too long and will need to be cut off. Markthe peg at the cake’s lowest point. Use prun-ing shears to cut all the pegs the same length.Attach the pillars to the top of the separatorplate. Then, insert the pegs into the base ofthe separator plate. With the pillars on top,determine the proper alignment and push theseparator plate pegs into the tier top. Thecake plate must rest level on top of the cake.If there is space between the cake separatorplate and the supporting tier, the cake will beunstable and not travel well.

10. Place the top plate of the set on top of thepillars. Position the top cake tier on the

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23THE CAKE

separator plate. Remove this top tier and anytiers separated by plates when transportingthe cake.

11. Separator plates should always be 2 incheslarger than the size of your cake pan to allowroom for borders and to give the cake abalanced appearance. Therefore, if you areplanning to use an 8-inch cake on the separa-tor plate, a 10-inch plate set should be used.Always purchase two of the same size separa-tor plates because they are used in sets. Eachset of plates should have four plastic pegswith it for support.

Storing the cakeStoring the cakeStoring the cakeStoring the cakeStoring the cake1. Sunlight will alter colors and cause the icing

to soften. Store your cake in a covered cakebox out of direct sunlight. Find a box thatwill fit your cake without squashing the topdecorations. You can purchase special cakeboxes from a craft or cake supply store, orask your grocery store bakery for a box.

2. Humidity can soften royal and buttercreamicing. When the humidity gets high, prepareyour royal icing using only pure cane confec-tioners’ sugar (not beet sugar or dextrose),and add 1 teaspoon more of meringue pow-der to the recipe. Buttercream icing can bestabilized with 1 to 2 tablespoons of me-ringue powder.

3. Cakes iced with buttercream icing can bestored at room temperature, refrigerated fortwo to three days, or frozen. Bright colorsmight weep when thawed.

4. Cakes with thoroughly dried royal icingdecorations should be stored according to thetype of icing they are covered with. If you aregoing to freeze the cake, wait and put theroyal icing decorations on after the cake hasthawed.

5. Do not freeze cakes on separator plates asplastic becomes brittle and may crack orwarp.

Transporting the cakeTransporting the cakeTransporting the cakeTransporting the cakeTransporting the cake1. Place your cake in a clean sturdy box that fits

the cake board or plate. A box the size of thecake board will keep the cake from shiftingand crushing the sides of the cake. Place thebox on carpet foam, a non-skid mat, or adamp bath towel on the floor of the car. Donot place it on the car seat. If the weather iscool, the cake can be transported in thetrunk.

2. To remove the cake, cut the side of the boxand slide the cake out.

3. Cakes on pillars should be disassembledbefore transporting. Toppers, candles, andornaments should not be transported on thecake, but added at the destination.

Cutting the cakeCutting the cakeCutting the cakeCutting the cakeCutting the cakeThe first requirement for well-cut cakes is a thin,pointed, very sharp knife. Serrated (saw-likeedge) or scalloped-edge knives are particularlygood for sponge cakes. Insert the point of theknife into the cake and, keeping the point angleddown slightly, saw through the cake with agentle back and forth motion. Put very littlepressure on the knife; let the sharp edge do thework. When you are cutting more than one cakeat a time, there is always at least one with icingthat sticks to the knife. Dip the cake knife in hotwater to take the “stick” out of the icing. Keep anextra plate handy for cleaning frosting off theknife as you go.

Suggested activitiesSuggested activitiesSuggested activitiesSuggested activitiesSuggested activities1. Cut one or more of your decorated cakes and

evaluate the results on your record sheet.

2. Experiment with different ways to cut cakes.Decide which ways would work for the cakesyou decorate. Consider cake shape, size,decoration placement, and desired servingsize.

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3. Attend a wedding reception or other partyand observe how the cakes are cut. (Don’tassume that they have been cut correctly!)

4. Experiment with different knives for cuttingyour cakes.

5. Determine and practice the proper ways tohold a knife when cutting a cake.

6. Try some of the following ways to cut a cake.

Round cakes

Rectangular cakes

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FROSTING THE CAKEFROSTING THE CAKEFROSTING THE CAKEFROSTING THE CAKEFROSTING THE CAKEIngredientsIngredientsIngredientsIngredientsIngredientsEach ingredient plays an important role in creat-ing perfect icing. Always choose the best ingredi-ent for the job.

1. Confectioners’ sugar is a sweetener. Siftingthe sugar helps make the icing smoother.When available, confectioners’ sugar madefrom pure cane sugar should be used.

2. Binder, such as solid white vegetable short-ening, butter, or cream cheese, is used inbuttercream icings to bind the icing togetherand give it texture for frosting and decoratingthe cake. Shortening will give the stiffestconsistency while cream cheese and marga-rine create a softer and more flavorful icing.

3. Meringue powder is used instead of eggwhites in various icings. It enables you to re-beat royal icing to restore stiffness. It also canbe used to help stabilize buttercream icing.(See recipe for snow white buttercreamicing.)

4. Liquid, such as water, fruit juice, milk,cream, or light corn syrup is used to achieveproper consistency.

5. Flavors or extracts are used to give icingspersonal tastes. Special clear decoratorflavorings (vanilla, butter, almond, lemon)will not change icing colors.

6. Salt adds flavor to buttercream icing.

Helpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hints1. A 2-pound bag of confectioners’ (powdered)

sugar is equal to 9 cups.

2. Buttercream icing may be stored in thefreezer. When you are ready to use it, thawand beat it with an electric mixer.

3. Beginners need one and a half batches tofrost and decorate a cake.

4. To make clean up easier and quicker whenyou are decorating with buttercream icing,use a degreaser liquid soap to dissolve theicing from the tools. It is especially importantto have grease-free utensils when using royalor Color Flow® icings.

5. To remove air bubbles from the icing placeapproximately 2 cups of icing on a sheet ofPlexiglas® (or a cardboard covered withfreezer paper, shiny side up). Blend the icingwith a spatula using a back and forth actionwith the flat side of the spatula.

IcingIcingIcingIcingIcingSmooth icing makes a cake look good. Icing alsoadds flavor to the cake and keeps the cake moistand fresh.

Proper consistency is the key to making decorat-ing icing that will shape the petals of a flower,show the details of a border, or cover the surfaceof the cake. It is important that you use therecommended icing consistency for each job.Flowers usually require a stiff icing. Borders needa medium-stiff consistency, and writing or leavesneed a slightlythinned icing. Ifthe icing is toostiff, add a fewdrops of liquid. Ifit is too thin, addmore powderedsugar.

Stiff icing holds a¾-inch peak onthe spatula. Useit for flowerswith upright

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petals. (If the icing is not stiff enough, the petalswill droop.)

Medium icing is used for flowers with flat petalsand for borders. (When the icing is too stiff ortoo thin, you can’t get the uniform designs thatcharacterize a perfect border.)

Thin icing is used for writing, stems, leaves, andfor frosting a cake.

Icing recipesIcing recipesIcing recipesIcing recipesIcing recipesButtercream icingButtercream icingButtercream icingButtercream icingButtercream icingButtercream icing tastes good and is creamy. Itcan be made to any consistency—stiff, medium,or thin. Buttercream is ideal for icing a cake andfor making borders and most flowers such as therose, drop flower, or sweet pea.

Buttercream recipe 11½ cups white all vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons flavoring (clear or no color)

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted (purecane confectioners’ sugar if available)

¼ to ½ cup water or milk (use milk if youare going to use lavender color)

Blend the shortening, salt, and flavorings. Addthe powdered sugar, then, add water slowly andblend on medium speed until all the ingredientsare mixed well. Blend 1 to 2 minutes until all theingredients are creamy.

Note: Altering the sugar, shortening, and waterratio too much will cause the icing to break downand look greasy.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of light corn syrup perrecipe to thin for icing the cake.

Chocolate buttercream recipe 1Add to buttercream icing 1:

¾ cup cocoa or three 1-ounce unsweetenedchocolate squares, melted

1 to 2 additional tablespoons milk

Mix until well blended.

Buttercream recipe 2½ cup white vegetable shortening

½ cup butter or margarine, softened but notmelted

1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 4 cups)

2 tablespoons milk or water

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

Pinch of salt

Cream shortening, butter, and flavoring. Addsugar and blend slowly. Add the remainingingredients. Beat on high speed 5 to 7 minutes.Beat a double batch 7 to 12 minutes.

Chocolate buttercream 2Add to buttercream recipe 2:

¼ to 1/3 cup cocoa powder

If the icing is too thin add more powdered sugar.If the icing is too thick, add small amounts ofmilk until the proper consistency is reached.

Snow white buttercream recipeSnow white buttercream icing has an idealconsistency for frosting cakes. It has a firmquality, making it good for wedding cake decora-tions and flat surface or flower nail flowers.Flowers made with this icing may be air-dried.These decorations have a pretty, translucentquality. They taste good and do not requirerefrigeration or freezing. Most decorations mustbe air dried for 24 hours; however, apple blos-soms, violets, and drop flowers may be handledafter 4 hours of air drying.

2/3 cup water

4 tablespoons meringue powder

12 cups sifted confectioners’sugar (approxi-mately 3 pounds)

1¼ cups white vegetable shortening

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon almond flavoring

½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring

¼ teaspoon butter flavoring

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Combine the water and meringue powder. Whipat high speed until peaks form. Add 4 cups ofsugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed aftereach addition. Add the shortening and theremainder of the sugar alternately. Add the saltand flavorings. Beat at low speed until smooth.

Note: Experiment with each of these recipes untilyou decide which recipe works best for you.

Royal icingRoyal icingRoyal icingRoyal icingRoyal icingRoyal icing is an egg-white icing with a stiffconsistency. Any trace of shortening will breakthis icing down into a thin, soupy mixture. Besure your utensils are completely greaseless.Glass and metal containers are better than plasticfor royal icing. For that same reason, parchment,freezer paper, or disposable plastic decoratingbags are more suitable than reusable plasticdecorating bags.

Royal icing dries very hard; therefore, use itwhen decorating sugar eggs, making lily nailflowers, and anytime you need to make decora-tions in advance.

Royal icingSingle batch (yield 3 cups)

3 level tablespoons meringue powder

1 pound sifted confectioners’ sugar

5-6 tablespoons lukewarm water

Double Batch (yield approximately 6 cups)6 level tablespoons meringue powder

2 pounds sifted confectioners’ sugar

10-12 tablespoons lukewarm water

Note: If using a hand-held mixer, make one singlebatch at a time.

Combine all the ingredients. Mix 7 to 10 minutes atlow to medium speed until the icing loses its sheen.To prevent drying, be sure to cover the bowl with adamp cloth while working with the icing.

Store in an airtight container for up to twoweeks. To reuse, beat on low to restore theoriginal texture.

Royal egg white icing (yield: 2 ½ cups)3 egg whites (room temperature)

1 pound sifted confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon flavoring

Combine all the ingredients. Beat the mixturewith an electric mixer for 7 to 10 minutes or untilit is very stiff. This is a hard drying icing so keepit tightly covered. Use it immediately. Re-beatingwill not restore the texture.

Use glass or metal bowls for mixing. Plasticretains grease and causes the egg whites to breakdown. Use parchment, freezer paper, or dispos-able plastic decorating bags because plastic orfeatherweight bags also retain grease.

Canned icingCanned icingCanned icingCanned icingCanned icingChoose a ready-to-spread canned frosting. If youwish to use it as a decorator icing, refrigerate it.If the icing becomes too soft, place the decorat-ing bag in the refrigerator until the icing is firmenough for decorating. Each can yields about 1¾cups of icing.

Packaged frosting mixesPackaged frosting mixesPackaged frosting mixesPackaged frosting mixesPackaged frosting mixesYou can use a packaged creamy vanilla frostingmix as a decorator icing. Simply eliminate 4teaspoons of water from the amount listed on thepackage directions. Less water gives the icing atexture similar to buttercream. One packaged mixyields 1½ cups of icing. Do not refrigerate theicing before decorating. The cake may be refrig-erated after decorating.

Quick pour fondant recipeQuick pour fondant recipeQuick pour fondant recipeQuick pour fondant recipeQuick pour fondant recipe6 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

½ cup water

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon almond extract

paste icing colors

Place the sugar in a saucepan. Combine thewater and corn syrup. Add to the sugar and stir

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mixture until well mixed. Place it over low heat.Don’t allow the temperature of the fondant toexceed 100°. Remove from heat, stir in the flavorand paste color. Optional: Cakes may be coveredwith a thin coating of buttercream icing orapricot glaze before applying the fondant. Allowthe icing or glaze to set before covering it withthe fondant. To cover, place the cake or cookieson a wire rack over a drip pan. Pour the fondantinto the center and work it out toward the edges.Touch up bare spots with a spatula. Let set.Excess fondant can be reheated.

Cooked rolled fondantCooked rolled fondantCooked rolled fondantCooked rolled fondantCooked rolled fondantThis icing is rolled out and used as a covering fora pound cake or fruitcake, which is traditionallyfirst covered with a layer of marzipan to seal inflavor and moistness. This technique is charac-teristic of the Australian decorating methods.

Rolled fondant recipe1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

½ cup cold water

2/3 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons bakers’ glycerin (Wilton’sGlycerin)

2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar

Prepare the cake by covering it with a crumbcoat of buttercream icing.

Combine the gelatin and cold water; let standuntil thick. Place the gelatin mixture in the top ofa double boiler and heat until dissolved. Add thesyrup and glycerin, mix well. Stir in the shorten-ing and, just before it is completely melted,remove it from the heat. Cool the mixture until itis lukewarm.

Next, place 1 pound of confectioners’ sugar in abowl and make a well. Pour the lukewarm gelatinmixture into the well and stir with a woodenspoon, mixing in the sugar and adding more, a

little at a time, until it thins. Knead in the re-maining sugar, icing color, and flavoring. Kneadit until the fondant is smooth, pliable, and doesnot stick to your hands. If the fondant is too soft,add more sugar; if it is too stiff, add more water(a drop at a time). Rolled fondant should be firmand dry to the touch.

Use the fondant immediately or store it in anairtight container in the refrigerator. When youare ready to use the fondant, bring it to roomtemperature and knead it again until it is soft.This recipe yields enough to cover a 10-inch by3-inch high cake.

To roll the fondant, spray the work surface and arolling pin with vegetable oil cooking spray. Dustboth surfaces with a mixture of confectioners’sugar and cornstarch. Roll out the fondant into acircle twice the diameter of the cake you arecovering. If you are covering an 8-inch cake, yourcircle needs to be 16 inches in diameter. As youroll, lift and move the fondant often to prevent itfrom sticking to the surface. Gently lift the fondantover the rolling pin or slide it onto a cake circlethat has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar tomove it to the cake. Smooth it with the palm ofyour hand or fondant smoother. Trim the bottomedge with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

Ready-to-use rolled fondant recipeReady-to-use rolled fondant recipeReady-to-use rolled fondant recipeReady-to-use rolled fondant recipeReady-to-use rolled fondant recipeReady-to-use white or chocolate rolled fondant isavailable at cake supply stores. Just add coloring.

Frosting the cakeFrosting the cakeFrosting the cakeFrosting the cakeFrosting the cake1. Bake the cake at least one day before you

plan to decorate. Cool the cake thoroughlybefore frosting it. After the cake cools, wrapit in heavy-duty foil or a plastic bag andfreeze it. Slightly thaw the cake before icing it(unwrap it so the moisture can escape, or thepackaging will stick to the cake). The cakewill be fresh and easy to ice because it willbe firm.

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2. When making a cut-up cake, cut the desiredshape while the cake is partially frozen. Thenquickly crumb coat the sides before the cakecompletely thaws. This will keep the cutsides of the cake from crumbling.

3. Level the cake by trimming the top with asharp serrated knife. This method of trim-ming is easiest while the cake is still in thepan.

4. Brush any loose crumbs from the cake’ssides.

5. To keep the cake plate clean while frosting,place four 3-inch strips of waxed paper underthe edges of the cake to form a square. Thewaxed paper will slip out easily when thecake is frosted. Be sure to remove the paperbefore the bottom border is added.

6. When frosting a single-layer cake, place thecake bottom side up. This will give the mosteven surface withthe least crumbs.

7. When frosting twoor more layers, placeone cake on the cakeboard, leveled sideup. Fit the bag witha coupler (or use apaper or parchmentbag with the tip cutoff). Fill the bagwith icing, andmake a dam bysqueezing out acircle of icing about¾-inch high on thecake top.

8. Use a spatula tospread icing, jam, pudding, or other filling inthe center of cake. Next, position the toplayer bottom side up.

9. Crumb coat the cake. Thin approximately 1½cups of buttercream icing with milk or lightcorn syrup (approximately 2 teaspoons per

cup) for easy spreading. The consistency iscorrect when the icing spreads easily and thespatula glides over the icing. Cover the entirecake with a thin layer of icing so the cakeshows through. This will seal in the moistureand crumbs. Let it dry completely.

10. Ice the top. With a large angled spatula, placea large amount of frosting on the center ofthe cake top. Spread the frosting across thetop, pushing the excess down over the edgesonto the sides.

11. Ice the sides. Cover the sides of the cake withthe excess frosting, using more if needed.

Smooth the side of the cake first, using theedge of the large spatula. Hold the spatulaupright against the side of the cake, andslowly spin the stand without lifting thespatula from the cake’s surface. Return theexcess frosting to the bowl.

12. Smooth the top of the cake last using theedge of the large spatula. Sweep the edge ofthe spatula from the rim of the cake to itscenter. Then, lift it off and remove the excessicing.

Rotate the cake slightly and repeat the proce-dure, starting from a new point on the rimuntil you have covered the entire top surface.Finally, smooth the center of the cake byleveling the frosting with the edge of yourspatula.

Alternate techniques for smoothingAlternate techniques for smoothingAlternate techniques for smoothingAlternate techniques for smoothingAlternate techniques for smoothingicing:icing:icing:icing:icing:• Hot knife. Dip the spatula in hot water

(make sure all of the excess water is shakenoff the spatula) and glide it across the entiresurface using the same leveling procedure asabove.

• Spray bottle. Put plain water in a clean spraybottle. Spray a light mist over the cake andglide the edge of the spatula over the surfacefrom the rim of the cake to the center. Lift offand remove any excess icing.

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• Parchment paper. Allow the cake to crustover for at least 15 minutes. Lay parchmentpaper on the iced top and gently smooth itwith the palm of your hand. The sides can besmoothed in the same manner.

• Paper towel. Textured icing can be created bysmoothing it with a clean cloth or a texturedpaper towel.

• Plastic wrap. On three-dimensional cakes(ball, egg, doll, lamb, character cakes), let theicing crust slightly (approximately 15 min-utes). Gently smooth it using the plastic wrapwith the palm of your hand. Carefully removethe wrap.

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E Q U I P M E N TE Q U I P M E N TE Q U I P M E N TE Q U I P M E N TE Q U I P M E N TDecorating bagsDecorating bagsDecorating bagsDecorating bagsDecorating bags1. Featherweight® bags are pliable, ready-made,

and ready-to-use. They may be used with orwithout a coupler to hold your decorating tip.The coupler allows you to change decoratingtips on the same bag. This saves time whenyou want to use several different tips and thesame color icing.

a. To fit and fill the decorating bag with acoupler, twist the ring off the threadedcoupler base and drop the base, narrowend first, down into the end of the bag.Push the coupler base as far down intothe bag as it will go. Mark the location ofthe coupler’s bottom thread on the out-side of the bag with a pencil.

b. Next, push the coupler out of the bag.Cut off the tip of the decorating bag at thepencil mark and put the coupler baseback in the bag so that two threads showthrough the open tip of the bag. Slip thetip onto the coupler base and screw thecoupler ring in place over the tip. Whenyou want to change tips, simply unscrewthe ring and replace.

c. With the coupler and tip in place, fill thebag with decorator icing. Fold down theopen end of the bag to form a cuff ap-proximately 2 inches wide. Hold the bagbeneath the cuff and use a spatula topush your decorator icing down into thebag. Remove icing from the spatula bysqueezing the bag with your thumb andfingers against the spatula while pullingthe spatula out. Fill your decorating bagonly half full. You might think that a fullbag of icing will allow you to squeeze outmore decorations, but all you’ll get isextra icing backing up and out of the baginto your hands.

d. When the bag is ready, unfold the cuffand twist the end of the bag closed. Asyou decorate, continually twist the end ofthe bag to force the icing down into thedecorating tip.

2. Parchment paper bags are made from parch-ment paper triangles. Generally, you’ll useparchment bags for royal icing or when smallamounts of icing are needed. A decoratingbag can also be made from readily availablefreezer paper. These bags are messy to refill.You may want to discard a bag when it’sempty and start with a new parchment orfreezer paper bag after each use.

Make the bags from any size paper, depend-ing on the amount of icing to be used. Deco-rating parchment is already cut in triangles.Freezer paper will need to be cut in triangleshapes. Start with a piece of paper approxi-mately 17 inches square. Fold it in half tomake a triangle and cut on the fold.

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a. To construct the paper cone:

1) Mark the paper triangle points A, B,and C to correspond with the dia-gram. Lay the triangle flat with pointA facing you. Hold point C betweenthe right thumb and forefinger.

2) Roll corner A up and over to point B.Hold points A and B together with theleft hand.

3) With the right hand, roll corner pointB up and wrap it around to meet theback of points A and B to form a cone.

4) Adjust the outside seam where allthree triangle points form a W and thetip of the cone is needle sharp. Stapleor tape the cone together to keep itfrom slipping.

5) Cut ½ inch off the end of the coneand use wide masking tape to securethe tip on the cone.

c. To fill the bag, hold the base of the bagand, with a spatula, push the icing downinto the bag. Pull the spatula out againstthe side of the bag to remove all of theicing, and repeat the procedure until thebag is half full. Fold the outside edges ofthe opening toward the center and foldthe end closed. Continue to fold down theend of the bag to force the icing downinto the tip.

3. Hold the bag correctly.

a. Hold the bag near the top with thetwisted or folded end locked betweenyour thumb and fingers. Use the first twofingers of the opposite hand to guide orsteady it.

b. There are times when a 45º angle isrecommended. Borders and writingusually use a 45º angle.

c. Hold the bag straight up, with the tipperpendicular to the surface. This isreferred to as a 90º angle. This is used forstars, drop flowers, and rosettes.

4. Left-hand decorators should hold the decorat-ing bag in their left hands and guide thedecorating tip with the fingers of their righthands. A right-handed person will alwaysdecorate from left to right, and a left-handedperson from right to left, except when writingor printing.

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Decorating tipsDecorating tipsDecorating tipsDecorating tipsDecorating tipsLearn to use professional decorating tips to makespecial designs and decorations. Decorating tipsare identified by their number and the shape oftheir opening. The shape of the opening distin-guishes the tip family it belongs to.

Group 1: Round tips - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,12, and233

Round tips have plain, round openings corre-sponding to their size. The higher the number,the bigger the opening.

• Printing and writing messages

• Dots, balls, stems, vines, flower centers,beads, bead hearts, and bead or dot flowers

• Outlining

• Figure piping

• String work such as lattice, drop strings, etc.

• For specific instructions, look in the sectionsof Borders and decorations, page 37, Flowers,page 45, Lettering, page 61, and Specialeffects, page 63

Group 2: Star tips (open stars) - 14, 16, 18,19, 21, 32, 199, 4B and 2010

• The star-shaped openings make the mostpopular decorations such as stars, zigzags,

shells, rosettes, and more. The most oftenused stars are numbers 13 through 22. Fordeep ribbed decorations using the closed startips, try tips 24 through 33, 35, 133, and 54.

• See Borders and decorations, page 38 forspecific instructions.

Group 3: Leaf tips - 65, 67, 68, 70, 73, 349,352, and 366

• The v-shaped openings give icing leavespointed tips. With any leaf tip you can makeplain, ruffled, or stand-up leaves. You alsocan use leaf tips to make flowers and borders.

• See Leaves and flowers, page 45 and Bordersand decorations, page 37 for specific instruc-tions.

Group 4: Drop flower tips - 30, 106, 129,136, 190, 224, 225, 131, 140, 109, 194, 2D, and2F• Most drop flower tips have a

small post centered in theopening of the star. Thenumber of openings on theend of the tip determines thenumber of petals the flower will have. Dropflower tips can make either plain or swirledflowers.

• See Leaves and flowers, page 45

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34 EQUIPMENT

Group 5: Rose/ribbon (petal) tips - 101, 103,104, 124, and 127

• These tips have an opening that is wide atone end, narrow at the other. This teardropshaped opening yields a variety of petals thatform flowers such as the rose, carnation,daisy, pansy, and more. Rose tips also canmake ribbons, drapes and swags, bows, andstreamers. Plain rose tips include tips 102,103, 104, 124, 125, and 126. Tip 127 willmake giant roses.

• Curved rose tips that make instant-curledpetals are tip numbers 97, 116, 118, and 119.

• Other curved petal tips include tip numbers59s, 59, 60, 61, 121, 122, 123, 62, 64, and150.

• Specific instructions for using petal tips arefound in Borders and decorations, page 41and Leaves and flowers, page 45

Group 6: Basketweave tips - 44, 45, 46, 47,48, 789, 1D and 2B

• Basketweave tips may have two serratededges or one plain edge and one serratededge.

• See page 42 for instructions on how to usethe basketweave tip.

Group 7: Other specialty tips

a. Multi-string tips - 41, 42, 43, 89, 233, 234,and 134

b. Ruffle tips - 87, 88, 99, 100, 339, 340,353, 401, 402, and 403

c. Specialty tips - 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 95,96, 98, 105, 110, 136, 250, 252, and 347

Flower nailsFlower nailsFlower nailsFlower nailsFlower nailsa. Flat nail - variety of sizes for piping icing

flowers, including roses, daisies, pansies,and violets. Basic flower nails are thenumber 7 (1½ inch) and number 9 (1¼inch).

b. Lily nail - for making cup flowers likelilies, petunias, morning glories, andpoinsettias.

Flower formersFlower formersFlower formersFlower formersFlower formersSpecial tools to place your flowers on while theydry to give them curved shapes. The formershave curved convex or concave shapes. You canachieve the same effect by laying your flower onthe curve of a mixing bowl or against a pan untilit dries.

Lettering setsLettering setsLettering setsLettering setsLettering setsPlastic lettering guides. Press the message intothe cake and pipe over the letters.

As you become more experienced as a cakedecorator, you will want to experiment withmany of these tips and decorating tools.

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35COLORING TECHNIQUES

COLORING TECHNIQUESCOLORING TECHNIQUESCOLORING TECHNIQUESCOLORING TECHNIQUESCOLORING TECHNIQUESColor is vital to your decorating because it addsrealism to flowers and personalizes special eventand holiday cakes. Choosing appropriate colorsfor your cake will help you capture the mood youwant for the occasion. When planning your cake,think about color. Gather inspiration from thetheme of your celebration. Look around, noticeeveryday objects—from a garden in bloom to theclothes people wear. Which colors appeal to you?Use your favorite colors in your decorating anddon’t be afraid to try something different.

Kinds of food or cake coloringKinds of food or cake coloringKinds of food or cake coloringKinds of food or cake coloringKinds of food or cake coloringThere are three kinds of color bases used to tinticing: liquid, paste, and powder.

1. Paste is preferred because it does not changethe consistency of the icing as liquid colorsdo. Paste colors are concentrated, so a littlegoes a long way. Use paste food colors whenyou want the deepest, darkest colors.

2. Liquid food coloring is usually less expensiveand can be obtained in local grocery stores. Itdoes change the consistency of the icing, butit can be used to achieve soft pastel shades.

3. Powdered food coloring distributes evenly,does not alter the liquid in recipes, and doesnot seem to bleed as badly as other types.

A starter kit of eight basic colors offers a goodselection of colors for most projects. If you don’t

have exactly the right color, you can achievealmost any color by using the right combinationof icing colors in the right amounts. With properblending, you can duplicate team colors, partydecorations, and more. Use the guidelines in thetable below, but don’t be afraid to experiment.

How to tint icingHow to tint icingHow to tint icingHow to tint icingHow to tint icing1. Add the color a little at a time until you get

the shade you want. Use a toothpick to addand blend the paste color. Add liquid colorone drop at a time. Hint: Tint a small amountof the icing first, then mix it in with theremainder of the white icing. Colors intensifyor darken one to two hours after they aremixed.

2. Always mix enough of one shade for its totaluse on the cake. It is almost impossible to getexactly the same shade when mixing asecond time.

3. Icing mixed with lemon juice may cause thecolors to change shades, so experiment witheach icing recipe you use.

4. Always use milk instead of water whenmixing lavender icing to keep the color fromfading or turning blue.

5. When mixing red icing, you may want to addextra extract or flavoring to the icing to coverany taste caused by the color. You may need

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36 COLORING TECHNIQUES

to add extra powdered sugar if you use extraflavoring. Use a small amount of lemonyellow, golden yellow, or pink to help darkenred icing. It is better to use red as an accentcolor rather than for large areas of the cake.When you want to use red on large areas anda deep red isn’t necessary, try watermelon-colored icing. If you want a darker red, tryNo-taste red.

Helpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hintsHelpful hints1. Always start with a clean toothpick. Just dip

it into the color, swirl it in the icing, andblend it well with a spatula. Always use freshtoothpicks when adding more color. Youwant to avoid getting icing into your jar ofcolor.

2. Royal icing requires more base color thanbuttercream to achieve the same intensity.

3. If you are using dark brown or black, startwith chocolate icing. Add 6 tablespoons ofunsweetened cocoa powder or three 1-ouncesquares of melted unsweetened bakingchocolate and 1 tablespoon of milk to 1½cups of white icing.

Special color effects—LevelSpecial color effects—LevelSpecial color effects—LevelSpecial color effects—LevelSpecial color effects—Level2 and above2 and above2 and above2 and above2 and aboveStriping gives multiple or deep color effects toicing. To use striping, apply one or more colors tothe inside of the parchment or freezer paper bag.Then fill the bag with white or pastel icing and,as the icing is squeezed past the color, thestriped decorationcomes out.

1. When brush strip-ing, apply one ormore stripes of full-strength foodcoloring to theinside of the paperdecorating bag

(paste food coloring stains plastic bags). Fillthe bag with white or pastel icing andsqueeze out multi-colored borders, flowers, oreven figure-piped clowns. When makingstripes with several colors, be sure the brushis cleaned each time.

2. To achieve deepcolor effects, brushthe entire inside ofthe parchment orpaper decoratingbag with any pastefood coloring. Fillthe bag with icingin a medium shadeof the same colorand squeeze outdeep, dramatic decorations.

3. Spatula stripingproduces two-toneand realistic pasteltones in flowers andfigure piping. Usinga small spatula,start at the tip andstripe the inside ofa decorating bagwith pastel icing.Then fill the bagwith white icing or another shade the samecolor as the striping. Squeeze out decorationswith soft contrasts.

Use the above color techniques when figurepiping for exciting results. Try to achieve naturallooking flower colors by using the spatula strip-ing method. Roses look especially beautiful withthis effect.

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BORDERS & DECORATIONSBORDERS & DECORATIONSBORDERS & DECORATIONSBORDERS & DECORATIONSBORDERS & DECORATIONSPlanning a designPlanning a designPlanning a designPlanning a designPlanning a design1. Before you plan the design for your cake,

look in magazines and cake decoratingbooks, visit your local bakery, and collectideas you think would be interesting.

2. Check each design to be certain that:

• The pattern is suitable for the cake’s shape.

! A round or wedge-shaped design isusually best on a round cake.

! A straight or triangular design is usuallybest on a square or rectangular cake.

• The size of the design is in proportion tothe size of the cake.

! Use a large design or groups of smalldesigns on a large cake.

! Use small designs on a small cake.

• The design can be seen well from theviewing area. Some cakes are planned tobe viewed from one side only; others aredesigned to be viewed from all sides.

• The colors go well together and bring outthe details of the design.

! In general, lighter colors are best forbackgrounds and deeper, brightercolors are better for the decorations.

! If the colors are too dark or too pale,the details of the design may be lost.

Three essentials of cakeThree essentials of cakeThree essentials of cakeThree essentials of cakeThree essentials of cakedecoratingdecoratingdecoratingdecoratingdecorating1. Icing consistency

• Your decorations will not turn out if theconsistency of your icing is not right. Justa few drops of liquid can make a greatdeal of difference in your decorating

results. Many factors can affect your icingconsistency such as humidity, tempera-ture, ingredients, and equipment.

• If your icing is too thin, add a little moreconfectioners’ sugar. If it is too thick, addliquid a few drops at a time (light cornsyrup works well to thin icing). If you areadding more than ½ cup confectioners’sugar to thicken royal icing, also add 1 to 2additional teaspoons of meringue powder.

2. Correct bag angle

• Angle refers to the position of the bagrelative to the work surface. There aretwo basic angle positions:

! 90º (straight up) for drop flowers,dots, rosettes, cornelli lace, and sotas.

! 45º (halfway between vertical andhorizontal) for borders, writing, andvines.

3. Pressure control

• The size and uniformity of any icingdesign will be determined by the amountof pressure and steadiness used on thebag. Some decorations will be made withan even pressure. Others will be made byvarying the pressure from light to mediumor heavy. Your goal is to learn to applypressure so consistently that you can movethe bag in a free and easy glide while justthe right amount of icing flows throughthe tip. Practice, practice, practice.

Heavypressurecontrol

Mediumpressurecontrol

Light pressurecontrol

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38 BORDERS & DECORATIONS

L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1Borders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsStars

Hold the bag at a 90º angle with the tip almosttouching the surface. Squeeze the bag to form astar, then stop the pressure, and pull the tipaway. Increase or decrease pressure to changestar size. When arranged side by side, stars cancover an entire cake top. They also can be usedfor borders around a cake’s edge.

Pull-out stars

Pull-out stars add even more dimension to yourcake. (These stars look like little pine trees.) Holdthe bag at a 90º angle on the top of the cake. Asyou squeeze out the icing, pull the tip up andaway from the cake. When your mound is highenough, stop the pressure and pull the tip away.If using pull-out stars on a bottom border, holdthe bag at a 45º angle.

Balls or dots

Use a round tip. Hold the bag at a 90º angle withthe tip almost touching the surface. Squeeze outa dot of icing and lift the tip slightly, keeping it inthe icing. Stop the pressure and pull the tip away.Vary the pressure and use different size tips tomake different size dots and balls.

Note: These decorations should not be pointed.

RosetteHold the bag at a 90º angle, squeezewhile moving your hand to the left,up, and around in a circular motion.Stop the pressure when you reachthe original starting position.

Star puffsThis design uses the same procedure as a rosette,except it moves past the starting position. Holdthe bag at 90º angle with the tipalmost touching the surface.Squeeze while moving your hand tothe left, up, and around in a circularmotion past the starting point,continuing to squeeze into thedecoration’s center. Stop the pres-sure and pull the tip away.

Zigzag

Hold the bag at a 45º angle to the surface, sothat the end of the bag points to the right andyour fingertips face you. Touch the tip to thesurface and, as you squeeze out the icing with asteady, even pressure, move the tip up and downas you move the bag to the right, forming azigzag line.

Shells

When making shells, hold the bag at a 45º anglewith the tip slightly touching the surface and theend of the bag pointing toward you. Squeezewith heavy pressure until the icing builds andfans out into a full base. Then lift the tip slightlyand relax the pressure as you pull the tip down

111

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39BORDERS & DECORATIONS

and toward you to make a tail. Stop the pressurecompletely and pull the tip away. When makingshells, always work toward your body, startingeach new shell slightly behind the previousshell’s tail.

BeadsIf you can pipe a shell, you can pipe a bead. Holdthe tip slightly above the surface at a 45º angle.Squeeze while lifting the tip slightly so that theicing fans out. Relax the pressure as you draw

the tip down and bring the bead to a point. Tomake a bead border, start the end of the nextbead so that the fanned end covers the tail of thepreceding bead to form an even chain.

“C” motionHold the tip slightly above the surface at a 45ºangle. Squeeze out the icing and let it buildslightly at the top of the “C.” With even pressure,curve the tip down and around to the right as if

you were writing a “C.” Start the next “C” at thesame height as the first, covering the tip of thefirst “C” as you curve the tip down and to theright. To end, stop the pressure and pull the tipaway.

Combination bordersCombination bordersCombination bordersCombination bordersCombination bordersRosettes and stars

Use open star tip 16 and pipe a horizontal row ofrosettes. Continue to use the open star tip 16, butwith a different icing color, and squeeze a singlestar in the center of each rosette.

Leaf borders

Single leaves or groups of leaves can accent anyborder. Plain or ruffled leaves joined togetheralso can make a border. Tuck the beginning ofeach new leaf under the tip of the previous leaf.

Leaf and drop flowerMake a leaf border by squeezing individualleaves, either plain or ruffled. Leave a smallspace between each leaf and place a drop flowerin the space between the leaves.

Shell and flute

Use open star tip 21. Squeeze out a horizontalrow of shells around the cake, and make longtails on the shells. Next, with petal tip 104 andcontrasting icing, place the wide end of the tip inthe space between each shell with the narrowend of the tip pointing straight up. Withoutmoving the tip, squeeze, then stop the pressureand lift the tip off for a fluted stand-up trim.

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“e” motion

Use a round or star tip. Hold the bag at a 45ºangle to the surface. As you squeeze out theicing, move the tip down, up to the right, andaround as if writing the letter “e.” Use a steady,even pressure as you repeat the procedure severaltimes. To end, stop the pressure and pull the tipaway. These continuous e-shaped loops workbest on a bottom border or as a western lariat. Ifyou have to stop to change positions, push inyour tip at the end of the “e” and continuepiping to keep a smooth look.

Zigzag puffs

Hold the bag at a 45º angle to the surface so thetip points to the left and the bag’s end points tothe right and your fingertips face your body.Touch the tip to the surface and begin to pipewith a light pressure. Use heavier pressuretoward the center of the puff, then return gradu-ally to a light pressure to form the tapered end.To end each puff, stop the pressure and pull thetip away. Repeat as you move in a straight line toform a row of puffs.

LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL 22222Borders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsReverse shells

Icing consistency: Medium. Hold the bag at a 45ºangle with the tip lightly touching the surface.Squeeze the bag to let the icing build up and fanout as if you were making a regular shell, thenswing the tip around to the left in a curve whilerelaxing the pressure to form the shell’s tail. Stopthe pressure and pull the tip away. Repeat theprocedure, only this time swing the tip around tothe right while forming the shell’s tail. Continuethis procedure in alternating directions for aseries of reverse shells. If you are making theborder on a round cake, turn the cake as you goso that you are always working toward yourself.

Horizontal “C”

Hold the bag at a 90º angle to the surface andmake a horizontal C-motion shell, relaxing thepressure to taper the tail. Make a reverse C-motion shell, but before piping the tail, relax thepressure and taper the tail to overlap the first C-motion shell tail.

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41BORDERS & DECORATIONS

Zigzag garlands

These are usually used on the side of a cake.Mark the cake with the desired width and depthof the garlands. Hold the bag at a 45º angle in thesame manner as used in the basic zigzag design.Touch the tip to the first mark and squeeze withlight, then heavy, pressure in a tight up and downmotion to form the curves of the garland as youpipe toward the center. When you reach thecenter, reverse the process using heavy, thenlight, pressure toward the end. To end, stop thepressure and pull the tip away. Practice forrhythmic pressure control—light, heavy, light—so the garlands are uniform.

Ropes

Hold the bag at a 45º angle to the surface. Asyou squeeze the bag with a steady, even pres-sure, move the tip in a gentle sideways “S” curve.Stop the pressure and pull the tip away. Nowtuck the tip under the bottom curve of the “S”shape. Squeeze the bag with steady pressure asyou pull down, then lift the tip, moving up andover the tail of the “S” as you continue tosqueeze and form a hook. Keep the spacing aseven as possible and the “S” curves uniform inthickness, length, and overall size. Be sure totuck the tip into the bottom curve of the previous“S” before you begin squeezing to insure theclean, continuous look of a rope.

Ribbon drape

Hold the bag at a 45º angle with the tip lightlytouching the surface. Your fingertips wrappedaround the decorating bag should face you.Touch the wide end of tip to the surface; anglethe narrow end of the tip out and about ¼ inchaway from the surface. As you squeeze, swingthe tip down and up to the right in an arc,forming a draped ribbon.

Ruffle

Hold the tip at a 45º angle to the surface. Keepthe wide end of the tip lightly touching thesurface with the narrow end down and awayfrom the surface. Your fingertips wrapped aroundthe decorating bag should face you. Move yourwrist up to pull up the icing. Move your wristdown to complete one curl of the ruffle. As yousqueeze out the icing and swing the tip downand up to the right to form a curve, use a slightup and down hand motion for a ruffled effect.Repeat the procedure several times to form acontinuous row of ruffle.

Ruffle garland

Generally, garlands are used as a side decorationon a cake. Mark the cake for the desired widthand depth of the garlands. Hold the bag with thetip positioned as for ruffles, but angle the narrow

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end about ¼ inch away from the surface. As yousqueeze, move your hand up and down slightlyto ruffle the icing. Continue moving your handup and down as you position the bag to form thecurve of the garland. For a stand-up ruffle, justturn the tip so the narrow end is angled up andaway from the surface and the wide end is on thesurface.

Plume border

This is similar to the reverse shell except the tailsare longer. Use specialty tip 78 and squeeze as ifmaking a shell, then swing the tip to the right asyou relax the pressure and draw the shell to along point. Repeat this procedure, swinging thetip to the left as you relax the pressure and drawthe shell to a point. The end of each point shouldbe covered with the beginning of the next shell.Continue this procedure, alternating directions.

Combination bordersCombination bordersCombination bordersCombination bordersCombination borders

Puff and drop flower

Pipe a horizontal row of open star tip 22 shells.Then, position drop flower tip 225 between eachpair of puffs.

Shell puff with ruffle

Use either open star tip 22 or closed star tip 31for shells. Hold the tip at a 60º angle to thesurface and begin squeezing out the first shell.

When the shell is nice and full, raise the tipslightly, ease off the pressure, pull down, thenstop all pressure completely. This stopping point,called the tail, is where you form your secondshell. Repeat this procedure until finished. Tocomplete the border with a ruffle, use petal tip103. With the tip’s wide end touching the tail ofa shell, squeeze out a rippled edging, easing thepressure as you approach the tail of the nextshell. Repeat this procedure until you have edgedall the shells. For variation, try making the ruffleat the top of the shell instead of the bottom.

Shell puff and zigzag scallops

Follow the procedure outlined for a shell puffwith ruffle. To finish the border, use closed startip 24 and add a small zigzag trim around eachshell puff.

Dot and heart

Mark the scallop design. Pipe two dots usinground tip 3. Make one heart using tip 4 and thebeading technique. Join the tails together to forma point. Continue making three dots, one heart,three dots, one heart, ending the scallop withtwo dots. Add a heart to each scallop point usinground tip 3. Instead of making hearts with tip 4,use specialty tip 252.

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LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL 33333

“S” scroll and drop flower

Use open star tip 364. Apply steady, even pres-sure to make a horizontal row of large “S”scrolls. Make tiny leaves using leaf tip 352 on topof the beginning and end of each “S” scroll. Usetip 225 and place a drop flower between eachpair of leaves.

BasketweaveUse basketweave specialty tip 47. Squeeze out avertical line on the side of the cake from top tobottom. Startingat the top, pipe arow of ½-inchhorizontal stripesusing the same 47tip. Stop eachstripe in line withthe one above it.Spacing betweenstripes should bethe same as thewidth of the tipopening. Pipe thenext vertical lineover the ends ofthe horizontalstripes. Start the next set of horizontal stripes byburying the tip under the first vertical stripe.Repeat the vertical lines then the horizontal linesuntil you achieve a basketweave effect. Each newset should fit between the previous set.

Basketweave variation

• Practice with star tip 16 for vertical lines andbasketweave tip 47 for horizontal lines.

• Use the smooth basketweave tip 44 for bothhorizontal and vertical lines.

• Use star tip 17 for both vertical and horizon-tal lines.

• Use round tip 7 or 9 to make vertical linesand basketweave tip 47 or 48 to make hori-zontal bars.

Borders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsBorders and decorationsShirred ribbon and shell

Use open star tip 14 or basketweave tip 46. Holdthe bag at a 45º angle and with steady, evenpressure make a narrow zigzag (shirred ribbon) allaround the cake. Use star tip 14 and contrastingicing to pipe a tiny shell in the middle of the zigzag.

Shirred ribbon and ball fringe

Use open star tip 14 to make a shirred zigzagribbon. Then use round tip 2 and white icing topipe a bead or shell in the centers or a line ofsideways “S.”

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Ribbon swag

Use the same tip position and basic procedure formaking a ribbon drape; however, as you finisheach ribbon’s curve, move the tip up and downin three short strokes to form a swag.

Zigzag garland and ruffle

Use petal tip 103 with the wide end touching thecake and narrow end facing out. Use a back andforth motion to pipe a row of ruffle drapes. Nowwith tip 15 and light-to-heavy pressure, squeezeout a row of zigzag garlands that curve along topedges of ruffle drapes.

Drop strings

Use round tip 2 or 3. Larger tips make the deco-ration too bulky. Use buttercream icing thinnedwith a few drops of white corn syrup. Royal icingis also good for string work. The drop-stringtechnique is the basis for all other drop-stringwork variations.

Mark 1½-inch intervals on the practice surfacewith a pencil. Hold the bag at a 90º angle so thatthe bag’s large end points just slightly to theright. Touch the tip to the surface and squeeze,holding the bag in place momentarily so that theicing sticks. Pull the tip straight away from thesurface allowing the icing to drop into an arc.Relax the pressure and touch the tip to the nextmark to end the string. The secret of makingdrop strings is to let each string drop by itselfand not to drop your hand to form the curvature.

String lace

Mark the top edge of the cake every ½ inch allthe way around. With round tip 2, drop stringdrape from mark to mark. To make the secondrow, attach the string just above the center ofone of the string drapes in the first row. Let thestring drop and attach it again above the centerof the next drape. Repeat. Make the third row thesame as the second, working from the drape’scenter in the second row.

Bow-trimmed strings

Pipe a row of round tip 2 single-string drapesaround the top edge of the cake, making them 2inches wide and 1½ inch deep. Approximately¼ inch in from the ends of each drape, drop ashorter drape. With the same tip, pipe a stringbow and streamers at each point where thelongest drapes join, letting bows cover the endsof shorter drapes.

Triple-drop strings

Mark the cake’s top edge at 1-inch intervals. Piperound tip 3 triple-string drapes between alternatemarks. Always pipe the longest string first. Go

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45BORDERS & DECORATIONS

back to a skipped mark and attach another triple-string drape to it until all the skipped marks havebeen attached. Pipe a row of closed star tip 26shells in a contrasting color around the cake topto cover the string ends.

Zigzag garland, ruffle, and string

Pipe a row of petal tip 104 ruffle drapes. Add openstar tip 16 zigzag garlands atop the ruffle drapes.Drape round or writing tip 3 string across the topcurve of the zigzag garlands, attaching the stringat the garland points. Finally, drape a secondstring across the top curve of the ruffle drapes.

Crown borderMake a row of upright shells. Add round tip 3string drapes in a deeper color to the point of thealternate shells. Go back to a skipped shell andattach the string drape to it and so on with eachskipped shell. With closed star tip 26, pipe a staron each shell point.

Fleur-de-lis with strings

Begin by making a row of open star tip 19 fleur-de-lis, jiggling your hand as the center shells puffto ripple them. Add a string drape in a contrast-ing color from base-to-base point of each fleur-de-lis. Add a tiny round tip 2 bead of icing toeach base point to cover the string ends.

Swiss scallops

Mark the center of the cake’s side at 2-inchintervals. First make an up-curved open star tip14 zigzag garland from mark to mark, then adown-curved garland. Let them dry. Over-pipethese frames with round tip 2 string drapes. Pipe“e” motion edging around the frames. Pipe a tinyround tip 1 row of white dots around the “e”motion edging. Pipe a tiny leaf tip 65 green leaftrio at each frame point. Position tip 225 dropflowers on top of each leaf trio.

Flower and vine

Use round tip 4 to pipe on the long, curved stem.Make up tiny half roses and buds in advancewith petal tip 102 and place in position, usingicing as glue. Make leaves with leaf tip 66 anduse the brush-striping method to achieve abrown edging.

Variation: Use tiny drop flowers instead of halfroses and buds.

Lambeth or English method borders

Although elaborate in appearance, these are notas impossible as they look. They’re simply layersof symmetrical decorations that give a built-upeffect. This particular border consists of five setsof drop strings—four of which have more than

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one layer. To practice this border, use slightlystiffened icing and round tips 3, 2, and 1.

First mark 2½-inch intervals around the top edgeof a loaf or angel food cake pan and a horizontalguideline 2 inches from the pan’s top edge. Useround tip 3 to drop 2-inch deep strings frommark to mark. Next use round tip 3 to add asecond layer of 2-inch deep drop strings on topof the first row. Continue to use round or writingtip 3 and drop a second row of strings, eachapproximately ¾ inch deep. Use round tip 2 toadd a third layer of drop strings to the first row, asecond layer to the second row, and to add a newthird row. Continue to use round tip 2 to add afourth layer of drop strings to the first row, a

third layer to the second row, a second layer tothe third row, and add a fourth row. Use roundtip 1 to add the fifth layer to the first row, afourth layer to the second row, a third layer tothe third row, a second layer to the fourth row,and a final fifth row. Try a contrasting color forthe fifth step.

Variation: For step number two use open star tip14 zigzags. Over-pipe with an open star tip 14white drop string.

Note: This is a very precise technique. It would bea good idea to practice several times before tryingthis on a cake.

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LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEAVES AND FLOWERSLEAVES AND FLOWERSLEAVES AND FLOWERSLEAVES AND FLOWERSLEAVES AND FLOWERSLeavesLeavesLeavesLeavesLeavesPlain or basic leafButtercream icing should bethinned slightly with cornsyrup. Hold the decorating bagat a 45° angle to the surface sothat your fingertips face you.Squeeze and hold the tip inplace to let the icing fan outinto a base, then relax and stoppressure as you pull the tipaway, drawing the leaf to apoint. Three different leaves can be made withthis technique by using three different leaf tips:basic leaf, tip 352; veined leaf, tip 67; large leaf,tip 366 (use large coupler).

Stand-up leafHold the bag at a 90°angle withthe tip lightly touching thesurface. Squeeze and hold thetip in place to let the icing fanout into a base, then pull the tipstraight up and away from the surface as yourelax and stop the pressure.

Ruffled leafUse the same procedure as for aplain leaf, except when pullingthe tip away, move the tip backand forth to give it a ruffledeffect as you bring the leaf to apoint.

Holly—Method 1Form clusters of three ruffled leaves. Add asecond row of leaves on top if desired. Add reddots for berries (always in groups of three) withround tip 3.

Holly—Method 2Use thin royal icing, leaf tip 70, and aflower nail 7 with a square of waxedpaper attached. Pipe a basic leaf byholding the bag at 45° angle to thesurface with the wide openingparallel to and lightly touching thesurface. While the icing is wet, pullout tiny points around the edge witha toothpick. Let the leaves dry on aflower former or curved surface.

Violet leafUse medium consistency royalicing. Using flower tip 104 andflower nail 7, hold the wide end ofthe tip lightly touching the nail.Squeeze with medium pressure,using a jiggling motion. Slide thetip out about ¼ inch as you turnthe nail. Relax the pressure, moveback to the starting point. Stop thepressure and pull away.

Drop flowersDrop flowersDrop flowersDrop flowersDrop flowersDrop flowers are the easiest flowers for a begin-ning decorator to make. They are made using adrop flower tip and slightly stiff icing. Dropflower tips look like “star” tips with a little postin the opening.

One-squeeze star drop flowers

Hold the bag at a 90° angle to the surface withthe tip lightly touching the surface. Squeeze,keeping the tip in the icing as the flower isformed, then stop the pressure and pull the tipaway. Dot the flower’s center with a complimen-tary color using round tip 3.

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48 LEAVES AND FLOWERS

LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1LEVEL 1 & 2 & 2 & 2 & 2 & 2

Swirl drop flowersHold the bag at a 90° angle to thesurface with the tip lightly touch-ing the surface. Before squeezing,turn your hand as far left aspossible; squeeze out the icing asyou turn your hand back to theright. Stop the pressure and pullthe tip away from the practice sur-face. Dot the flower’s center with acomplimentary color using round tip 3.

Other flowersOther flowersOther flowersOther flowersOther flowersFree-hand flowerUsing a star tip, hold the bag at a 90° angle tothe surface. Make flower petals by forming loops.Make five or six petals and dot the flower’scenter with round tip 3.

Variety flowerUse round tip 4 or 5 and hold the bag at a90°angle to the surface. Form the petals bysqueezing out 5 to 7 dots in a circle. Dot theflower’s center using a contrasting icing color.Place a green stem at the base of the flower withround tip 2.

Flat surface flowersFlat surface flowersFlat surface flowersFlat surface flowersFlat surface flowersSweet pea

This is one of the fastest, easiest-to-make flowersin the garden. Sweet peas work beautifully bythemselves or as part of a floral cascade. Afterpractice you will be able to pipe them directly onyour cake. Use stiff buttercream icing for thepetals and thin icing for the calyx. Practice withflower tip 103 and round tip 3.

1. Make the center petal first. Hold the bag at a45º angle to the surface, so the bag’s endpoints toward you with the wide end of thetip down and the narrow end straight up.Squeeze the bag and lift the tip slightly offthe surface (about ¼ inch) as the icingmoves forward and curls. Continue tosqueeze without changing position. Relax thepressure and return the tip to the surface.Stop squeezing and pull the tip away.

2. To make side petals, touch the tip’s wide endto the bottom left edge of the center petal;then point the narrow end of the tip up andout to the left. Squeeze, lift the tip slightly,relax the pressure, lower the tip, stop thepressure, and pull the tip away. Repeat theprocedure for the right petal, starting at thebottom right edge of the center petal.

3. Add the calyx using round tip 3 and thinicing. Hold the bag at a 45º angle to thesurface, so the bag’s end points toward you.Insert the tip into the base of the sweet peaand hold it in place as you squeeze to buildup a base. Relax the pressure as you draw thetip down, narrowing the stem to a point.

Rosebud

Make this flower with stiff buttercream icingusing petal tip 104 and round tip 3 for the calyx.You can pipe this flower on waxed paper on acookie sheet or directly on your cake after a littlepractice.

1. Make the base petal first. Hold the bag at a45º angle to the surface so that end of thebag points over your right shoulder and yourfingertips face you. Touch the wide end ofpetal tip 104 to the surface, point the narrowend of the tip up and to the right. Squeeze,move the tip along the surface away from you

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LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL 22222

in a straight line about ¼ inch long, hesitate,then continue squeezing as the icing fansout. Returning the tip to the original positionand halfway back, start to release the pres-sure, move the tip to the starting point, andpull the tip away.

2. To make the overlapping petal, hold the bagin the same position as for the base petal.The wide end of the tip should touch theinside right edge of the base petal and thenarrow end of the tip should be slightlyabove the base petal. Squeeze and hold thetip in place as the icing catches the insideedge of the base petal and rolls into aninterlocking bud. Stop the pressure and pullthe tip away.

3. Make the sepals and calyx using thin icingand round tip 3. Hold the bag at a 45º angleto the bud’s base with the end of the bagpointing toward you. Touch the tip to thebottom of the bud, squeeze, and pull the tipup and away from the flower; relax thepressure and draw the sepal to a point.Repeat to make two more sepals. Add thecalyx by inserting tip 3 into the base of thecenter sepal. Squeeze, letting the icing buildup. Slowly draw the tip toward you, relaxingthe pressure as you move away from thesepal. Stop the pressure and pull away. Youmay want to blend the calyx into the stemusing a dampened decorator’s brush.

Flower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowersHalf rose

Use petal tip 104 and round tip 3. Stiff buttercreamicing is needed for the petals and thin buttercreamicing is needed for the sepals and calyx.

1. Make a rosebud, omitting the sepals andcalyx. To make the left petal, hold the bag ata 45º angle so that the bag’s end points tothe right and your fingertips gripping the bagface you. Touch the wide end of petal tip 104near the bottom left side of the bud. As yousqueeze, move the tip up, around to the rightand down, relaxing the pressure.

2. To make the right petal, hold the bag in theopposite position as you did for the left petal.Touch the tip’s wide end near the bottomright side of the rosebud base. Squeeze andmove the tip up, around to the left, and downto the bud’s center base. Stop the pressure,pull the tip away.

3. Make the sepals and calyx using thin icingand round tip 3. Follow the same procedureas step 3 of the rosebud, starting at thebottom center of the half rose. Add threesepals first, then a calyx for a finished flower.

Lily of the valley

Use medium consistency buttercream icing.Practice with tips 68, 2, 81, and 1. To create athree dimensional leaf effect, angle the top edgeof the decorating tip about 45º. The greater theangle, the more dimension your leaf will have.Stems of the little bell-shaped flowers can bepiped on the broad leaf or may be piped sepa-rately using the leaves to complement the flowerstem.

1. Make the leaf first using tip 68. Squeeze outthe icing, letting it build up slightly for abroad width. Move upward, curve to the rightand gradually stop the pressure to bring theleaf to a point.

2. Make the stems by adding a tip 2 stem alongthe center of the leaf, moving off to an angle.Pipe the short secondary stems outward fromthe main stem.

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LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL 22222 & & & & & 333333. Add the lily of the valley blossom usingspecialty tip 81. Squeeze with light pressureabove the surface with the inner curve of thetip facing you. Squeeze out a curve of icingand continue squeezing until a tiny bellshape is formed. Stop the pressure. Lightlytouch the tip to the surface; give one morequick squeeze, stop, and lift away. Add twotip 1 stamens to the center.

Bleeding heart flower1. Pipe two round tip 5 pink

beads to form a heart shape.

2. Pipe an open star tip 13white inverted bead fromthe tip of the pink heart. Add two round tip 2pink strings on each side of the white bead.

3. Add pink highlights with an art brush andthinned pink food color paste.

4. To make a bud, pipe a pink upright bead usinground tip 5. To make a blossoming bud, pipe awhite bead to the tip, using round tip 3.

Half carnation

1. Use stiff icing to create the effect of brokenpetal tips. Hold petal tip 104 or 150 at a 45ºangle with the wide end touching the surfaceand the narrow end straight up. Start squeez-ing and moving the tip straight up and downin a jiggling motion. Stop squeezing and pullaway.

2. Repeat this procedure to make a fan of petals.Make five to seven equal-size petals.

3. Pipe a second row of shorter petals directlyover the first.

4. Continue this procedure for four or five morerows. Make each row shorter and moreupright until a rounded half flower is com-plete. Add a cone-shaped calyx and a thickstem, using round tip 3.

Flower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowersFlower nail flowers1. All flower nail flowers should be made in

advance so they are dry before positioningthem on the cake. Flowers made with royalicing should dry overnight. Buttercreamflowers should be made from slightly stiff-ened icing and will handle easily if dried fora few hours.

2. To use the flower nail, hold the stem betweenyour left thumb and forefinger and slowlyturn it counter-clockwise, rotating the head.As you rotate the head, move the tip invarious ways to form different flower petals.The rhythmic turning of the flower nail asyou form a petal is the key to making flowerson a nail.

3. Attach a 2-inch waxed paper square to thecenter of the flower nail with a dot of icing(or a dot of florist’s clay). After the flower isfinished, remove the waxed paper and theflower. Attach another waxed paper squareand start again.

4. Flat petal flowers have more shape if dried ona curved flower former. Flower formers canbe purchased or you can make one by cuttinga paper towel or toilet paper tube in half.

American beauty roseThe most popular icingflower. This flower issturdy enough to useimmediately after making.

Icing: Stiff consistencyicing, either buttercreamor royal.Tips: 104, 12. Flower nail: 7.

The base

1. Hold the decorating bag per-pendicular to the flower nailwith round tip 12 touching thecenter of the nail.

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2. Squeeze with heavy pressure,keeping the tip’s end in theicing until you’ve made a full,round cone-shaped base.

3. Start to lift the tip higher, gradually raise thetip, and decrease the pressure as you raisethe tip up and away from the nailhead. Therose base should be 1½ times as high as therose tip opening. If you are using a large rosetip (104), the mound will need to be tallerthan if you are using a small rose tip (102).

The bud

1. Use petal tip 104. Hold the flower nail in yourleft hand and the bag at a 45º angle. The wideend of the tip should touch the cone of theicing base at, or slightly below the mid-point,and the narrow end of the tip should point upand be angled inward over the top of the base.

2. Now you must do three things at the sametime: squeeze the bag, move the tip, androtate the nail. As you start to squeeze, pullthe tip up and away from the top of thedome, making a ribbon of icing.

3. Slowly turn the nail counter-clockwise(clockwise for lefties) at the same time andswing a band of icing around the dome,ending as you overlap the bud’s startingpoint. Now you have a finished center bud.

First row of three petals

1. Touch the wide end of petal tip 104 to themidpoint of the bud base with the narrowend of the tip straight up. Turn the nailcounter-clockwise and move the tip up andback down to the midpoint of the bud base,forming the first petal.

2. Start slightly behind the end of the first petaland squeeze out a second petal the same asthe first.

3. Start slightly behind the end of the secondpetal and squeeze out a third petal. End thethird petal at the starting point of the firstpetal for a complete row of three petals.

Second row of five petals

1. Touch the wide end of petal tip 104 to a pointslightly below the center of a petal in the firstrow. Angle the narrow end of the tip outslightly more than you did for the top row ofpetals. Squeeze the bag and turn the nailcounter-clockwise, move the tip up, thendown, to form the first petal.

2. Start slightly behind the first petal and makea second petal. Position the petals in thesecond row so they overlap the spaces in thefirst row. Rotate the nail 1/5 turn for eachpetal.

3. Continue this procedure until you’ve madefive petals. End the fifth petal on the startingpoint of the first petal.

Third row of seven petals

1. Touch the wide end of petal tip 104 to a pointbelow the center of the petal in the secondrow. Angle the narrow end of the tip out alittle more than the second row. Squeeze,turn the nail and move the tip up, thendown, to form the first petal.

2. Start slightly behind the end of the first petaland make the second petal, overlapping thespaces between the petals in the second row.Rotate the nail 1/7 turn for each petal. Continuethis procedure to make seven petals.

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3. The seventh petal end should overlap thestarting point of the first petal. Carefully slipthe waxed paper square that holds yourfinished rose off the nail to dry and makeanother rose.

Note: If you are going to be using your roses onyour cake immediately, waxed paper squares arenot necessary. Remove the finished rose off thenail with small scissors, slightly opened. Slide theflower off the scissors and onto the cake using asmall spatula or table knife.

Roses: color variation1. Striped cones (spatula striping) add interest-

ing color to roses and other flower-nailflowers.

2. Two-toned rose: Pipe the base, bud, and firstrow of petals with the first color, then add theremaining petals in a contrasting shade.

3. Three-toned rose: Pipe the base, bud, andfirst row of petals in the first color, the sec-ond row of petals in the second color, and thethird row of petals in the third color.

Wild rose

A round, flat flower about the size of your size 7flower nail.

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing worksbest. Stiff snow white buttercream icing stabi-lized with meringue powder also can be used(see Icing recipes, pages 26 through 28).

Tips: 103, 2. Flower nail: 7.

1. Hold petal tip 103 at a 45º angle to the nailwith the wide end touching the center of thenail. The narrow end should be almostparallel to the nail’s surface, about 1/8 inchabove the surface. As you squeeze out thefirst petal, turn the nail to the left 1/5 turn and

move the tip out to the edge of the nail andback to the center. Relax the pressure as youreturn the tip to the center of the nail, curv-ing the tip slightly upward to create a cuppedshape. Stop squeezing as the wide endtouches the center of the nail and lift up.

2. Form a second petal in the same way, just tothe right of the first.

3. Make three more petals, always working tothe right of the previous petal.

4. Change to round tip 2 or 3 and hold the bagperpendicular (straight up) to the flower’scenter, slightly above the flower. Squeeze outsix tiny dots at the center.

Apple blossom

This springtime flower (usually pink) is virtuallythe same as the wild rose, but uses a smaller tip.Pipe apple blossoms about the size of a pennyand dry them on flower formers or against theside of a cookie sheet or cake pan. Practice withtips 102 and 1.

1. Hold petal tip 102 with the wide end touchingthe center of the nail. The narrow end shouldbe almost parallel to the nail’s surface, raisedabout 1/8 inch above the nail surface. Startingat the center of the flower nail, move yourhand out approximately ½ inch as yousqueeze, using light pressure. Turn the nailvery slightly and then return to the center.

2. Make four more identical petals. Do notoverlap them.

3. Add five tiny dots close together with tip 1for the center. Hold the tip slightly above theflower while piping the dots.

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Forget-me-not

These tiny spring blossoms can be made in pink,white, or blue. They are about half the size of adime. As with all icing flowers, be sure to makemore than you think you need—you don’t wantto run out of flowers if they break when you areassembling your cake!

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing or stiffconsistency snow white buttercream icing.

Tip: 101. Flower nail: 9.

1. Use the apple blossom procedure withsmaller petal tip 101. The wide end of the tipshould be touching the center of the nail, thenarrow end pointing out and raised about 1/8inch above the nail surface. Using lightpressure make five tiny petals about 1/16 inchin length.

2. Pipe a single dot in the flower center withround tip 1. Hold the tip slightly above theflower pipe center.

Primrose

The key to forming the heart-shaped petals isperfecting a “curve-dip-curve” motion as youspin the flower nail.

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing or stiffconsistency snow white buttercream icing.

Tips: 103, 14, 1. Flower nail: 7.

1. Hold the wide end of the tip lightly touchingthe center of the flower nail, the narrow endpointing out and raised ¼ inch above the nail

surface. Squeeze the bag and move the tipout ¼ inch using a “curve-dip-curve” motion(move the tip out ¼ inch, then in 1/8 inch,and back out) to form the first heart-shapedpetal while turning the nail in the oppositedirection. Relax the pressure as you return tothe starting point.

2. Repeat this procedure for the remaining fourpetals.

3. Pipe a tip 14 center star. Add a tip 1 dot. Letdry.

Poppy

A bright red-orange flower with a green centerand a long black stamen.

1. Use petal tip 104 and the wild rose position topipe four wide ruffled petals that are pointedat the base.

2. Pipe three center petals, turning the narrowend of the tip straight up to make the icingform a cup while you form the petals.

3. Add an open star tip 14 green center andblack artificial stamens.

Violet

The violet is an ideal filler flower. Use it to givean abundant look to all kinds of floral cakes. Itlooks beautiful in white and yellow, as well asviolet.

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing or stiffconsistency snow white buttercream icing.

Tips: 59s/59 or 101s, 1. Flower nail: 9.

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1. Use the forget-me-not procedure but makethe petals different lengths. Use petal tip 59and squeeze out a ¾-inch petal with thewide end of the tip touching the nail centerand the narrow end pointed 1/8 inch awayfrom the surface. Squeeze the bag and turnthe nail 1/5 of a circle, relaxing the pressure asyou return to the starting point. Add two ¼-inch base petals. Pipe two yellow dots at thecenter using round tip 1.

Pansy

Color options are abundant for this vibrantflower. Look in the greenhouse or garden for allthe color possibilities. Petals can be dark blue,purple, orange, red, or white, and highlightedwith a complementary color. Add multi-tones byusing a striped bag or by painting in colors at theflower’s center or edge with a fine artist’s brushdipped in a small amount of clear vanilla thathas been tinted with icing color.

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing or stiffconsistency snow white buttercream.

Tips: 104, 1. Flower nail: 7 or 9.

1. Use two bags, each fitted with petal tip 104.Fill one bag with yellow icing, one withviolet. If you want multi-tone pansies, brushstripe both with purple paste color frombottom to top on the same side as the wideend of the tip.

2. Using the wild rose position and yellow icing,pipe two petals, one overlapping. Jiggle yourhand slightly for a ruffled effect.

3. Pipe two slightly smaller ruffled petals atopthe first two.

4. For the bottom petal, with the violet icingpipe a larger ruffled petal the width of theback petals, using a back and forth motionfor a ruffled effect.

5. Pipe a round tip 1 yellow string teardrop orloop at the flower’s center.

Chrysanthemum

A fall tradition, with a sunburst of sharplydefined petals. You’ll see them in rich, warmautumn colors like rust, golden yellow, and terracotta, as well as pink and white.

Icing: Stiff royal icing or stiff snow whitebuttercream.

Tips: 6, 79. Flower nail: 7.

1. Use very stiff icing for a broken petal effect.Hold round tip 6 perpendicular to the nail asyou pipe a ¾-inch icing mound for the base.

2. Use tip 79 and hold the bag at a 45º angle tothe outer edge of the mound, with the halfmoon tip opening pointing up. Squeeze a rowof ½-inch cupped base petals; pull up slightlyas you release the pressure to form the petals.

3. Add a second row of shorter petals betweenthose in the first row, lifting your hand to pullup the tips.

4. Continue piping rows of petals, each rowshorter, more up-tilted than the last, so thecenter petals stand nearly upright.

5. Finish with a cluster of round tip 1 dots atthe center.

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Bachelor button

This sturdy handsome flower is an excellentchoice on men’s cakes and in summer floralarrangements. Bachelor buttons look terrific inblue, white, pink, or lavender.

Icing: Stiff royal or stiff snow white buttercream.Tips: 1, 7, 16. Flower nail: 7.

1. Use the same general technique for thisflower as for a chrysanthemum.

2. Use round tip 7 to squeeze a ¾-inch diam-eter icing mound for the base.

3. First pipe a cluster of short pointed dots atthe center of the mound. Then, with openstar tip 16, starting at the base and workingtoward the center, pipe tiny one-squeeze starpetals around and around the base until it iscompletely covered. Fill in with more petalswhere needed.

AsterA summer flower in a varietyof bright colors, using thesame basic techniques as thechrysanthemum and bachelorbutton.

Icing: Stiff royal or stiff snow white buttercream.

Tips: 7 and leaf tip 75. Flower nail: 7.

1. Use the same general technique as for thechrysanthemum and bachelor button.

2. Use round tip 7 to make a 1-inch diameterflower base.

3. Pipe a first row of sharp, short petals allaround the outer edge using leaf tip 75.

4. Continue adding rows of petals. Each rowshould be shorter and more upright, until thepetals stand almost straight up at the center.

Full carnation

Think of a carnation as row upon row of rufflespiped over a center mound. It’s a welcome flowerin any season—try it with a striped bag (stripeon narrow-tip side) for lovely color variations.

Icing: Use very stiff icing for a broken petaleffect, either stiff royal or stiff snow whitebuttercream.

Tips: 12, 150 or 104. Flower nail: 7.

1. Use round tip 12. Hold the bag perpendicular(straight up) to the nail. Pipe a ball on theflower nail.

2. Using petal tip 150 or petal tip 104, pipeseveral upstanding petals in the center of theball with a jiggling up and down motion,then circle them with ruffled petals.

3. As you continue piping rows of petals tocover, turn the narrow end of the tip fartherout.

4. Pipe the last row of petals at the base of theflower with the tip straight out.

DaisyA delicate, fragile flower, typically white with

yellow centers. Try these color combinations onyour daisies: yellow petals with yellow or bluecenters, violet or blue petals with yellow centers,or peach petals with orange centers. Highlightthe centers with crushed cake sparkles or coloredcake sugars, which are extra fine. This cleverpollen effect makes your daisy look fresh picked!

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Icing: Medium royal icing works best with thisfragile flower; however, you might experimentwith stiff snow white buttercream (if yourweather isn’t too hot and humid).

Tips: 103, 5. Flower nail: 7.

1. Attach a 1½-inch square of waxed paper toflower nail 7. Pipe a small icing dot in thenail center with tip 5 as a guide for the flowercenter.

2. For petals, hold the bag almost straight upwith the wide end of petal tip 103 lightlytouching the nail about ¼ inch away fromthe center and the narrow end pointing out tothe outer edge. Squeeze the bag and move into meet the center dot. Ease off the pressureas you move to the center to narrow the petalslightly at the base.

3. Repeat for a circle of 12 identical petals.

4. Pipe a large round tip 5 yellow dot in theflower’s center and press to flatten it. For apollen effect, dampen your finger, dip it incrushed cake sparkles or tinted sugar, andpress it on the center.

5. Dry the flowers thoroughly before trying touse them. Place some of the flowers on aflower former or against the side of a cookiesheet for curved shapes.

Brown-eyed Susan or sunflowerSimilar to the daisy except with gold petals and abrown center.

Icing: Medium royal icing or stiff snow whitebuttercream.

Tips: 103, 7. Flower nail: 7.

1. Make 14 yellow-goldpetals with petal tip103, using the samemethod as the daisy.

2. After the flower driesslightly, paint lightbrown lines (paintbrush dipped in brownfood coloring and then in vanilla flavoring) inthe center of each flower.

3. Pipe a large rounded mound of dark brownfor the center with round tip 7. Do notflatten.

4. Create pollen on the brown with a dampenedfinger dipped in brown colored cake sparklesor tinted sugar.

Dogwood

A spring flower of either pale pink or whiteheart-shaped petals with brown accents andyellow centers. The key to forming the heart-shaped petals is perfecting a “curve-dip-curve”motion as you spin the flower nail.

Icing: Medium royal or stiff snow whitebuttercream.

Tips: 103, 2. Flower nail: 7.

Other: Small paintbrush.

1. Use petal tip 103. Hold the bag at a 45º angleto the flower nail with the wide end of the tiptouching the center and the narrow endpointed out. Squeeze out the icing, movingthe tip out to the edge of the nail, back to thecenter, out to the edge and back again,forming a heart-shaped petal. (Use the“curve-dip-curve” technique used in theprimrose flower.) Increase the pressure asyou turn the nail and move the tip out to theedge for a half petal that fans out slightly.Move straight back to the center of the nailand right out to the edge again for the secondhalf of the petal that fans out in the oppositedirection to form a single, heart-shaped petal.

2. Repeat this process for a total of four heart-shaped petals. Then brush the edge of eachheart with green, followed by brown pastecolor.

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3. Make the center using round tip 2 dots. Dryin the flower former to allow the petals tocurve up.

Daffodil

A spring flower in yellow. Variations on thisflower are the narcissus and the jonquil.

Dry all the flowers on curved flower formers oragainst a cookie sheet.

Icing: Medium consistency royal icing or stiffconsistency snow white buttercream.

Tips: 104, 3, 1. Flower nail: 7.

1. Hold the bag at a 45º angle, and use petal tip104 with the wide end lightly touching thenail center and the narrow end pointing out,about ¼ inch above the nail surface. Squeezethe bag, and as you turn the nail about 1/6 ofa turn, move the tip out about ½ inch andback to the center of the nail to form a petal.

2. Make five more petals. Do not overlap.

3. Dip your fingers in cornstarch and pinch theends of the petals into points while the icingis still wet.

4. For the center throat, hold the bag at a 90ºangle and pipe a spiral of tip 3 string circles.Top with a tip 1 yellow zigzag.

NarcissusA smaller flower than adaffodil with white tip 103petals, a yellow throat, andred trim on top of thethroat.

Icing: Medium royal orstiff snow whitebuttercream.

Tips: 102, 1. Flower nail: 7.

1. Use the daffodil procedure, but with petal tip102, and make five or six white petals.

2. Use round tip 1 for the coil center and tinyred tip 1 for the zigzag ruffle.

JonquilUse the same techniques as the daffodil andnarcissus. It is smaller than the daffodil, with tip103 yellow petals, and a yellow center. There is noruffle or trim on top of the yellow spiral center.

PoinsettiaThis winter flower can bemade in red, pink, orwhite on a flat flower nail.(A variation made with alily nail is on page 57.)

Icing: Stiff royal icing orstiff snow whitebuttercream

Tips: 74, 2. Flower nail: 7.

1. Dot the center of theflat flower nail as astarting point for the petals. Touch leaf tip 74to the nail center and pull it straight out tothe edge, making a 11/8-inch long petal. Stopthe pressure and pull away to make the firstsharply pointed petal.

2. Pipe three more petals at right angles to eachother (making a “+” formation). Then pipefour more petals between the first four for acircle of eight petals in all.

3. Top with a second layer of five ¾-inch petals,pulling each petal up and away at the tip.

4. Use green icing and round tip 1 to add thecenter dots. Top with yellow dots. Paint redpaste color dots on the yellow.

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LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL LEVEL 33333Lily nail flowersLily nail flowersLily nail flowersLily nail flowersLily nail flowersUse the bell-shaped lily nail to make bell-likeflowers orflowers withlong upliftedpetals. Usedifferent sizednails for smalland largeflowers. Nailsrange from ½to 2½ inchesin diameter and are available in one-piece andtwo-piece styles. A hard-drying royal icing is bestfor this technique because a softer icing will nothold its shape. To keep the foil from moving inthe nail while you are making the flower, place adab of icing in the nail before adding the foil.Place a square of foil on the bottom half of atwo-piece lily nail and press in with the top half.This creates a perfectly shaped foil cup in whichto pipe your flower. When the flower is finished,lift out on the foil cup to dry.

Easter lily

Looks best when the petals are very pointed. Ifyour petals split as you are piping, you can eitherwiden the tip slightly by inserting a thin spatulainto the opening or add a teaspoon of piping gelto one cup of stiff royal icing.

Icing: Stiff royal icing.

Tips: Leaf tip 68 and star tip 14. Flower nail: 15/8-inch lily nail.

1. Use the 15/8-inch lily nail and leaf tip 68.Touch the center well of the nail with the tipand squeeze, pulling the petal up and overthe cup’s edge. Decrease the pressure as youreach the tip, then stop it completely before

you move away to draw the tip to a sharppoint.

2. Pipe two more petals at right angles to the first.

3. Pipe three more petals in the spaces betweenthe first three.

4. Join the petals with a green star using openstar tip 14. Push a cluster of artificial stamensin the center of the star. Note: Artificialstamen are not to be eaten!

Bluebell

This is a smaller, slightly more shallow version ofthe lily, done in the smaller 1¼-inch lily nail.Bluebells may be piped in the traditional blue orin white, pink, or yellow.

Icing: Stiff royal icing

Tips: 66, 2. Flower nail: l¼-inch lily nail

1. Use the same procedure as the Easter lily butwith the 1¼-inch nail and leaf tip 66.

2. Make three evenly spaced ¾-inch petals,pulling only to the top of the nail. Add threemore petals in the open spaces.

3. Join the petals with the round tip 2 center dotand push in 3 short artificial stamens.

NasturtiumThis summer flowercomes in a variety ofwarm colors - orange,yellow, red.

Icing: Stiff royal or stiffsnow white buttercream.

Tips: 103, 6. Flower nail: 13/8-inch lily nail.

1. Use a 13/8-inch lily nail. Place the wide end ofpetal tip 103 in the center well. Start withlight pressure, then pull the icing out longenough for it to curl over the nail’s edge.

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Turn the nail as you dip the bag four timesfor a deeply ruffled petal. Return as closely aspossible to the starting point. Decrease thepressure as you do this to make a narrowpetal base.

2. Make five petals in all, and keep them com-pletely separated.

3. Brush a deeper shade of the paste color forthe veins onto the flower.

4. Pipe a round tip 6 dot in the center to jointhe petals and push in an artificial stamen.

California poppy1. Press the foil halfway into a 1¼-inch lily nail.

Touch the center well of the cup with thewide end of petal tip 103. Squeeze and pullthe icing over the outer edge, then straightacross the edge, and back to the center for asquare, cupped petal. Smooth the center ofthe petal with a damp art brush.

2. Repeat for four, completely separated petals.

3. Join with a round tip 3 dot and push in acluster of ½-inch artificial stamens.

Petunia

This is a ruffled summer flower in any color. Toensure the proper spacing of petals, try this trick:pipe dots of icing with tip 103 on the top of thelily nail, dividing it in fifths—visualize the pointsof a star. Pipe each petal centered over its dot.

Icing: Stiff royal icing.

Tips: 103 and 16. Flower nail: 15/8-inch lily nail.

1. Press the foil square into a 15/8-inch two-piecelily nail. Insert tip 103 into the cup, position-ing the wide end of the tip down with thenarrow end slightly lifted. Squeeze inside thenail and move up to the outer edge. Turn thenail and jiggle the tip to form a ruffle, releas-ing the pressure as you bring the tip back

down inside the nail to the starting point.Stop squeezing, lift away.

2. Repeat to make four more petals.

3. Smooth the bases of the petals together at thecenter of the flower with a dampened decora-tor brush.

4. Using light pressure, pipe a tip 16 green starin the center.

5. Insert five stamen in the center; sprinkle withcake sparkles.

Morning Glory

When you are smoothing together the edges ofthe inner cup and ruffled cup, use a brush; don’tuse too much water. Eliminate excess water bytouching the brush to your hand before applyingto the flower.

Icing: Stiff royal icing.

Tips: 104, 103, 2, 1. Flower nail: 15/8-inch lily nail.

1. Line the 15/8-inch lily nail with foil. Positionthe wide end of the 104 tip down in the nail,with both ends touching the nail. Usingwhite icing, pipe a shallow cup within thenail. Pipe a second cup slightly above thefirst. Smooth with a small damp brush.

2. Using tinted icing and tip 103, hold the bagso the wide end touches the top of the nail.Pipe a ruffled cup slightly above the whiteinner cup, increasing the pressure in fiveplaces to form points.

3. With a dampened decorator brush, blend thetinted icing into the white center. Next, brushthe white icing up to form a star shape.

4. Using tip 1 and thinned white icing, pipe fivelines from the base of the flower to the edge.

5. Pipe a tip 2 center stamen using yellow icing.

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Poinsettia

This classic Christmas flower may be piped inwhite, pink, or red. It’s one of the more shallowflowers you will pipe in the lily nail. Don’t pushthe foil more than halfway into the cup, or put asmall ball of foil under the foil that will makeyour foil cup.

Icing: Stiff royal icing.

Tips: Leaf tip 352, 1. Flower nail: 15/8-inch lilynail.

1. Position the foil halfway in the 15/8-inch lilynail (use a small ball of foil under the cup ifneeded). Insert tip 352 into the lily nail withthe pointed end touching the nail. Squeezehard and pipe a leaf-shaped petal just overthe edge of the foil cup. Relax the pressure,stop, and pull away. Pipe two more petals,dividing the nail into thirds.

2. Add three more petals in the open spaces.

3. Add six similar smaller leaf-shaped petals ontop and between the larger ones.

4. Add seven tip 2 yellow or green dots in thecircle for the center.

Floral spraysFloral sprays can be almost any shape that fitsthe size and shape of the cake. Flowers can bedrop, formed or variety, made on a flat surface,or on a flower nail.

Look in cake decorating books for ideas andsuggestions for making floral sprays. Experimentwith various floral spray designs.

Vines for sprays

Thin buttercream icing slightly with white cornsyrup. Use writing tip 2 or 3. Position the bag ata 45º angle. Hold the tip so it is lightly touchingthe surface.

1. Touch the tip lightly to the surface and startto squeeze, then lift it slightly above thesurface and draw out the stem.

2. Move the tip gently up and down to form“hills and valleys.” To end the line, stopsqueezing and pull the tip along the surface.

3. Add secondary curved stems, starting at themain stem and stopping the pressure whilepulling to a point.

Crescent sprayBegin in the center of thecake. Pipe the mainstems from the center tothe right outer edge ofthe cake top. Then pipestems from the center of the left outer edge of thecake top. Add shorter stems randomly.

Rambling rose and wildflower sprayStart at the center of thecake and pipe the stem toresemble a backward “S,”placing it at the 12:00position. Add others at 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00positions. Add shorter stems between each mainstem.

Cascading sprayPipe a main stem toresemble an elongatedbackward “S.” Add shortsweeping stems.

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Vine sprayPipe an even curving linefrom left to right. Addsecondary stems approxi-mately half as long as thecurves following the flowof the curves. Pipe shortstems in the same direction to complete.

Corner sprayBegin at the corner andpipe a stem upwards,pipe a secondary stemsweeping in the oppositedirection. Return to thecorner, and pipe a stemacross to the opposite side of the cake. Repeatand pipe a secondary stem sweeping in theopposite direction. Add shorter stems to balancethe spray.

“S” sprayBegin at the center of thecake and pipe an upwardcurve out to the left.Return to the center andpipe a downward curveout to the right. Add secondary curves that arehalf as long as the curve, following the flow ofthe curve. Repeat with shorter stems.

Creating a spray1. Decide what shape you want and determine

the focal point. Draw out the stems andbranches. Distribute themequally to maintainbalance. Avoid crossedstems, and rememberto keep the basicshape of the spray inmind at all times. Youcan also draw the basicdesign first with a toothpick and then tracewith icing.

2. Mound icing over the focal point. Now youare ready to begin adding the flowers.

3. Begin by trimmingthe ends of thestems withsmaller, moredelicate flowers.Mix colors tomaintain balance.

4. Graduate to larger flowers as you worktoward the main branches of the focal pointwith the largest, most open flowers. You willachieve the best color balance if these largerflowers are the deepest, richest tones of thespray.

5. When all the flowers are in place, add yourleaves. Distribute them evenly to maintainthe balance of the spray and to give a naturallook.

Flowers on wire stem

1. On a 2-inch square of waxed paper, pipe asmall green icing mound with round tip 6.

2. Insert florist wire 4 to 6 inches long (depend-ing on the size of the flower) into the moundof icing and brush smooth with a small artbrush to blend the mound and the wiretogether.

3. Turn it over and push the bare end of thewire into a Styrofoam® block to dry. When itis dry, remove the waxed paper.

4. With round tip 6, pipe an icing dot on themound at the top of the wire.

5. Press a dried royal icing flower on the moundso that the mound becomes the flower base.Place the flower on the stem back into theStyrofoam® block to dry.

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Placing leaves on wire stems

1. On a square of waxed paper, pipe a smallgreen icing mound using round tip 6. Thiswill hold the wire steady.

2. Push a wire at least 5 inches long into the dotwhile the icing is still wet. (Stemmed leavesin various lengths give flowers a naturallook.)

3. Pipe a large leaf (with leaf tip 67) directlyover the wire end so the wire becomes theleaf’s center vein. Let it dry, and remove thewaxed paper.

Making flower and leaf bouquets1. To make a flower and leaf on a single stem,

hold the stemmed flower in your hand andattach a ½-inch wide strip of green self-

sealing florist tape just below the flower base.Wind it around the stem once. Place thestemmed leaf next to the flower, positioningit slightly lower, and wind the tape aroundboth stems to join.

2. Make several flower-and-leaf sets in differentlengths, then arrange them as a bouquet andtie them together with ribbon.

Making curved petals, leaves, and trimGive all your icing flower petals and leaves agraceful, natural look by drying them on flowerformers. You can make your own flower formersby cutting a cardboard paper towel tube in half.While the freshly piped flower, leaf, or icing trimis still on waxed paper, place it on the outsidesurface of the paper tube to curve down or onthe inside surface to curve up.

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L E T T E R I N GL E T T E R I N GL E T T E R I N GL E T T E R I N GL E T T E R I N GWriting and printingWriting and printingWriting and printingWriting and printingWriting and printingNothing personalizes a cake more than a writtenmessage. Printing or writing messages on a cakeis different from writing on paper because youuse your arm, not just your fingers, to form theletters.

The icing should be thin for writing and printing.Letters are combinations of straight and slantedlines, circles, half-circles, and curves. Therefore,it is important to practice these motions individu-ally before combining them to form words.

Hold the decorating bag at a 45º angle to thesurface with the back of the bag to the right soyour fingertips face you. Touch the tip to thesurface and squeeze so that the icing sticks, thenlift the tip slightly and draw straight down toform a line. Stop the pressure, and pull the tipaway. Then repeat this procedure.

As you practice, use your entire arm (not justyour fingers) to form the individual lines, letters,and words. This arm movement is important forachieving satisfactory results when printing orwriting messages on cakes. After you begin tomaster the curves and swings of the letters, liftup the tip slightly as you write. You’ll find youhave more control if you let the icing draw outslightly over the surface.

If you have trouble keeping the letters in astraight line, try drawing a guiding line in thefrosting with a toothpick. You also may use apattern for your lettering using a pattern press. Ifusing a pattern press, let the icing crust slightly,then imprint the message.

Both printing and writing can be customized byusing different tips and additional techniques.See illustrations.

Practice with Tip #3 withmessage press

Practice with Tip #2 withmessage press

Practice with Tip#14 bouncingletters

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Practice with Tip #45 flatlettering

Practice with Tip #3 balls

Practice with Tip#5

Practice with Tip #101scalligraphy

Practice with Tip #3

Practice with Tip#2 with messagepress

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L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1L E V E L 1S P E C I A L E F F E C T SS P E C I A L E F F E C T SS P E C I A L E F F E C T SS P E C I A L E F F E C T SS P E C I A L E F F E C T SStencil applicationStencil applicationStencil applicationStencil applicationStencil applicationStenciling with icing is most easily accomplishedusing an angled spatula–it keeps your fingers outof the icing. Apply one color at a time and spreadthe icing completely over the area in the stencilfor the best coverage. Be careful not to rub theicing back and forth too hard, it can cause thecake icing to smear and lift.

1. Make a stencil from lightweight cardboard—cereal and pizza boxes work well. Draw ortrace a simple pattern on the box. Carefullycut out the pattern using a craft knife. (Youmay want to have an adult help with this.)Save the outer portion because this becomesyour stencil. You also can use stencils pur-chased at craft stores.

2. Check to make sure the frosting on the cakeis dry before you start. Lay the stencil on thefrosted cake.

3. Use a large spatula with enough icing tocover the cutout design. Carefully smooth theicing on the cake. Start on one of the outeredges and smooth to the other edge. Don’toverwork this process, or you will pull icingoff the cake.

4. Gently lift the stencil straight up and off thecake. A raised design will remain.

5. If the edges of the stenciled design are messy,make a star border around the design usingopen star tip 16.

Using a patternMake a pattern, such as a valentine, shamrock,butterfly, jack-o-lantern, etc., from paper orlightweight cardboard. Cut out the pattern.

1. Lay the pattern on acompletely dry frostedcake.

2. Gently trace aroundthe pattern with atoothpick.

3. Remove the pattern.

4. Fill in the pattern withstars. Make sure the stars are formed properlyand are close together.

Transferring a paper patternTrace a simple pattern on tissue paper. Lay thepattern on a frosted cake. Be certain the frostingis dry. Secure the pattern to the cake with sharptoothpicks or pins. Use a large needle or verysharp toothpick to poke through the pattern intothe cake to make a dot-to-dot pattern to follow.Remove the pattern and fill in as desired.

Outline and filling inOutline contours and details of shaped cakes orcover the marks transferred on your cake from apattern.

1. Outline. Hold the decorating bag at a 45ºangle and touch writing tip 2 or 3 to thesurface. Raise the tip slightly and continue tosqueeze. The icing will flow out of the tipwhile you direct it along the surface. To endan outline, stop squeezing, touch the tip tothe surface, and pull away.

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LEVEL 1 & 2LEVEL 1 & 2LEVEL 1 & 2LEVEL 1 & 2LEVEL 1 & 22. Fill in. With thinned icing, squeeze out tip 2or 3 side-by-side icing strings to fill the area.For larger areas, use tip 4 or 5. Immediatelysmooth over the strings with a dampeneddecorator’s brush, spatula, or finger dippedin cornstarch.

3. Pipe in. Follow the same procedure as fill in,but do not thin the icing. Squeeze withheavier pressure, allowing the icing to buildup slightly. When necessary, shape with afingertip dipped in cornstarch.

Decorating combDecorating combDecorating combDecorating combDecorating combCombing is a fast way to cover a large area withtexture (for example, the sides of a cake). Spe-cially designed cake combs have teeth of differ-ent sizes that create ridges in the icing.

1. Use medium to thin buttercream icing. Coverthe cake with a slightly thicker coating oficing so the comb’s ridges do not dig into thecake. Comb immediately after icing the cake,while icing is soft. Using a turntable helps tokeep the movement smooth.

2. Run the edge around your cake side to formbeautiful ridges. Keep the pressure even asyou move the comb around the cake.

Sugar moldingSugar moldingSugar moldingSugar moldingSugar moldingBasic recipe2 cups granulated sugar

3 teaspoons water (if you are tinting the sugar,add icing color to the water)

2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Extra strength recipe5 cups sugar

1 lightly stirred egg white

1. Mix by hand, for approximately 1 minuteusing a fork or pastry blender. For largeramounts, use an electric blender on slowspeed. If the sugar mixture begins to getlumpy and dry out, use a blender. Cover thesugar mixture with a damp cloth or keep it inan airtight container.

2. Pack the sugar into molds, pressing with theheel of your hand. Scrape off the excess witha spatula. When making a large mold or morethan four of the same small mold, dust thepattern with cornstarch to prevent sticking.

3. Unmold immediately. Place the cardboard onthe mold, turn it over, tap the bottom of themold, and lift the mold straight up and awayfrom the sugar.

4. For panorama eggs, make a small hole aboutthe size of a half dollar in the small end ofthe egg’s top and bottom before drying.Gently insert a piece of scrunched plasticwrap in the openings to keep the sugar fromdrying out too much.

5. Dry sugar molds at room temperature for 3 to4 hours or place them on a cookie sheet in a200º oven for 5 minutes.

6. At this point, solid molds can be used onyour cake.

7. When hollow molds are dry, turn the sugarmold over and carefully hold it in the palm of

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L E V E L L E V E L L E V E L L E V E L L E V E L 22222

your hand. Do notsqueeze or movethe molded sugaror it will crack.Use a spoon tomark a ¼-inchshell on the insiderim.

8. Gently scoop outthe remaining softsugar. Smooth theinside edge withyour fingers.

9. Place the moldedsugar, round sidedown, on acardboard circle todry for about 24hours, or place iton a cookie sheetin a 200º oven for 20 minutes. Allow it to coolto room temperature before you touch it.

Note: Many different containers may be used forsugar molding. Try using small margarine tubs,dessert dishes, and candy molds. The maincriterion is that the opening of the container islarger than the base. Experiment with items youhave around the house.

Figure pipingFigure pipingFigure pipingFigure pipingFigure pipingFigure piping lets you create whimsical three-dimensional figures and decorations with icing.Unlike borders and flowers that require decora-tors to perfect specific techniques, figure pipingleaves room to experiment and apply imagina-tion. Since most of the figures you’ll be makingare caricatures, they do not have to be perfect.Icing consistency, pressure control, and practiceare essential for successful figure piping. Stifficing is the key element to successful figurepiping. For softer figures that are more fun to eat,use buttercream icing. With buttercream, you

can pipe figures directly on your cake. Royalicing shapes dry very hard, so they can bedifficult to eat, but you can make them well inadvance. Pipe them ahead of time on waxedpaper, let them dry, then position the figures on acake or sugar mold. Use royal icing for decora-tions to be used with sugar molds.

Remember to store pre-made royal icing decora-tions in a cool, dry, dark place. Exposure tobright sunlight or constant fluorescent lightingcan cause colors to fade. Buttercream figures maybe frozen.

Use two basic positions (upright and horizontal)for figure piping. Once you’ve piped the basicbody or bottom portion of your figure, you canadd other elements directly onto that basicshape.

Upright position.Hold the tip at a 90ºangle with the endof the tip slightlyabove the surface.Start squeezing,applying a steady,even pressure. Asthe icing begins to build up, raise the tip with it,but keep its end buried in the icing. To completeyour shape, stop squeezing as you bring the endof the tip to the surface.

Horizontal position.Hold the tip at a 45ºangle and lightlytouch the tip tothe surface.Apply pressureas you move thetip to let theshape build. It’s essential that the tip remainburied in the icing as it is squeezed out. Stopsqueezing as you bring the end of the tip to thesurface.

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Additional piping. Add other elements (likearms, legs, heads, fruit stems, etc.) directly ontoeither basic shape. Tuck the tip into the basicfigure, apply pressure, and move the tip to createthe shape you need. Stop squeezing and pull thetip away.

Animals sitting1. Basic upright torso: Use a

large round tip for thetorso: 12, 1A, or 2A. Useheavy pressure, graduallyrelaxing as you move up.Stop the pressure com-pletely and pull away.

2. Adding limbs: Use tip 10to pull out arms and 12 forlegs. Add the head andfeatures for the animalyou are piping.

Teddy bear1. Tips 1A, 2A, 5, 12, 10, and 2. Use brown and

black icing.

2. Pipe a tip 1A brown body,a tip 2A head, a tip 5muzzle, tip 12 legs, tip 10arms, and tip 2 ears.

3. Add a tip 2 black dot andstring facial features andtoes.

Chick1. Tips 2A, 2, 349, and 67. Use yellow, orange,

white, and black icing.

2. Pipe a tip 2A yellow body and head and tip 2yellow cheeks.

3. Add tip 2 white doteyes.

4. Pipe a tip 2 pull-outorange beak and feet,tip 349 stand-up topfeathers, and tip 67string wings.

Elephant1. Tips 1A, 2A, 12,

104, 2, and 1. Usepink or gray, black,and white icing.

2. Pipe a pink or graybody using bodytip 1A, pipe a tip2A head and tip 12 legs and trunk.

3. Pipe tip 104 ruffled ears.

4. Add tip 2 white dot eyes with a smaller blackdot using tip 1.

5. Pull out white dot tusks and white stringfeatures for toes.

Penguin1. Tips 12, 6, 4, and 3. Use

black, white, andorange icing.

2. Pipe a tip 12 black bodyand head. Add tip 6black flippers.

3. Pipe a fill-in tip 4 whitestomach and face mask.

4. Pipe orange tip 3 feet and a pull-out dot beak.

Animals lying1. Body: Use a large round tip for the body: 12,

1A or 2A. Use heavy pressure, graduallyrelaxing as you move up. Stop the pressurecompletely and pull away.

2. Head: Use a large round tip for the head, thesame size as for the body or smaller. Placethe tip at the top of the body and pipe asmaller round ball.

Pig1. Tips 2A, 12, 6, 8, 2,

and 81. Use pink andblack icing.

2. Pipe a tip 2A body, atip 12 head, a tip 6

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snout, tip 8 legs, tip 2 dot eyes and curlystring tail, and tip 81 ears.

3. Use a toothpick to indent the snout for thenostrils and mouth.

Lamb1. Use tips 2A, 12, 13,

5, 3, and 81. Usewhite, black, andpink icing.

2. Pipe a tip 2A whitebody, a tip 12 blackor white head, tip 13zigzag wool, tip 5 legs and muzzle, tip 81ears, tip 3 black hooves, and tip 1 dot facialfeatures.

Cute little chicks for hollow sugar molds

1. Use tips 6, 3, and 1. Use white or yellow andorange icing.

2. Use tip 6, hold the bag at a 90º angle to thesurface, and use heavy pressure to pipe thebody. Ease the pressure as you taper to thetail. Tuck tip 3 into the body and squeeze toform the face.

3. At a 45º angle, tuck tip 3 into the body andpipe the lower wing using the shell tech-nique. Pipe another tip 3 wing on top of thefirst one.

4. Add a tip 1 pull-out beak and dot eyes (flat-ten the eyes with a fingertip dipped in corn-starch).

Spooky spider1. Use tips 2, 4, 10, and 233. Use black and

white icing.

2. Hold tip 10 upright and pipe a ball for thebody.

3. Add a tip 4 ball head. Tuck tip 4 into thebody and pull out string legs and a tip 2black outline mouth.

4. Cover the body with tip 233 pull-out hair.

5. Add tip 2 white dot eyes.

Ghost1. Tips 6 and 1. White and black icing.

2. Pipe a ball shape for the head and pull outthe body, tapering off the end as you gradu-ally decrease the pressure.

3. Tuck the tip into the body and pull out thearms.

4. Add tip 1 black dot facial features.

Clown1. Tips 22, 103, 18, 12, and 2 (use multi-open-

ing grass tip 233 for hair if not using a pur-chased head).

2. Use open star tip 22 or larger for the body.Clowns can be a combination of brightcolors.

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3. Apply heavy pressure tosqueeze out the body in ashort up-and-down motionto form a ruffled body.

4. Add arms and legs usingopen star tip 22 by tuckingthe tip into the body baseand squeezing while movingthe tip out. Trim the figurewith ruffles using tip 103 oropen star tip 22. Pipeslippers with a pull-out starusing tip 18. Pipe handswith tip 5 using a mittenshape or pull-out stars withtip 18.

5. Pipe the head to the bodyusing a round tip 12. Addthe hair using either star tip22 or multi-opening tip 233.Add round tip 2 facialfeatures.

6. Insert a small dowel rod inthe cake to help support the sitting body.

7. For extended arms and legs, insert a tooth-pick or bamboo “shish-ka-bob” stick in theappropriate length.

Note: Purchased clown heads also can be usedinstead of piping the head and face.

Panorama Easter eggsPanorama Easter eggsPanorama Easter eggsPanorama Easter eggsPanorama Easter eggsUse the sugar egg and small figure piped royalicing critters (chicks, bunnies, ducks, nest witheggs) to create panorama Easter eggs. Prepare theroyal icing critters and flowers in advance. Theywill need to dry for several hours before they canbe removed from the waxed paper and placed inthe sugar egg.

1. Use royal icing and prepare the followingcolors: green for grass, blue for a pond, twoor three colors for flowers and borders, white

for ducks and rabbits, yellow for chicks, andbrown for the bird’s nest and the lamb’s face.

2. You will need to make two or three smallducks, chicks, rabbits, lambs, and bird’snests.

3. Make small drop flowers or simple flat flow-ers (for example: forget-me-not, violet, appleblossom) ahead of time and allow to drycompletely. Some may break, so make plenty!

4. Pipe a pond directly in the bottom of the eggmold using blue icing. Completely cover thebottom of the egg.

5. Make grass using multi-opening tip 234. Pipeat least two rows of grass around the pondfrom one edge of the opening to the other.

6. Gently place the little animals in the dampicing in a pleasing arrangement. Keep inmind where the window is. Check the place-ment of the animals by laying the egg top inplace while you look through the window.

7. Use open star tip 14 to pipe a line of whiteicing around the edge of the egg bottom. Useenough icing to secure the top and bottom,but be sure it does not ooze out on the insideof the egg. Place the two halves together.

8. Cut a small circle of clear plastic wrap to fitthe opening.

9. Use round tip 3 to pipe a white line aroundthe window. Place plastic wrap over theopening, and smooth any wrinkles.

10. Allow icing to dry before finishing the egg.(Be sure to keep royal icing covered with adamp towel while working).

11. Use a small star tip to pipe a zigzag or shellborder around the seam from opening toopening. Use the main icing color for thisborder.

12. Use the same tip and color to pipe a borderaround the window. Be sure to cover theedges of the plastic wrap and hide the edgesof the egg where the two halves meet.

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13. Decorate the egg’s top with an attractivearrangement of the royal icing flowers youmade in advance. Use drop flowers, flowernail flowers, leaves, and vines.

14. Allow the egg to dry for several hours. It willbecome very hard and keep indefinitely. Donot store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Note: If you like, you may purchase tiny animalsand flowers from a craft store to use inside theegg; however, if you are using this for an exhibitin Level 2, you will need to make sure you meetthe requirements for the unit.

SotasSotasSotasSotasSotas

This technique looks like needle stitching at itsfinest. Cake embroidery is the art of decoratingthe top and sides of a cake using a series ofcurved lines.

1. Prepare a bag with tip 1.

2. Fill the bag half full with thin consistencybuttercream icing.

3. Hold the bag above the surface at a 90ºangle, squeeze to allow the icing to droprandomly in a series of overlapping loops.Cover the area edge-to-edge.

Cornelli laceCornelli laceCornelli laceCornelli laceCornelli lace

The precise, lacy design of this free-hand tech-nique depends on continuous curving stringsthat do not overlap or touch.

1. Use a toothpick to draw the design’s outlineon the cake’s top or sides.

2. Use thinned icing and round tip 1 or 2. Placethe decorating bag at a 90º angle with the tipslightly above the surface so the icing at-taches without scraping the cake with the tipand without flattening the icing strings.

3. Beginning and ending at the edges, pipe acontinuous string of icing, curving it up,down, and around until the area is covered.Stop the pressure and pull the tip away. Makesure the strings never touch or cross.

4. Cover the edges of the Cornelli with a stringor star tip border.

Lattice designsLattice designsLattice designsLattice designsLattice designs

Lattice can cover garland sections, imprintedareas, or entire sides of the cake with spectacularresults. Vary your tip selections for differentlooks–try round, star, or basketweave tips.

1. Use a toothpick to draw the design’s outlineon the cake’s top or sides. Cookie cutters orpattern presses also may be used. Press thedesign gently into the cake.

2. Use buttercream icing thinned with cornsyrup (1 teaspoon corn syrup to 1 cup icing).Hold the bag at a 45º angle with the tipslightly above the surface. Outline the shapeto be covered using tip 2.

3. Starting at the center of the outlined shape,pipe tip 2 diagonal strings to the right andattach them to the outline (not over the topof the icing outline).

4. Drop more lines of string work diagonally inthe opposite direction on top of the first set ofdiagonal strings. Start again at the center,

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MISCELLANEOUSMISCELLANEOUSMISCELLANEOUSMISCELLANEOUSMISCELLANEOUS

working first to one edge and then to theother edge, to complete the design.

5. Cover lattice edges using either a string or astar tip border.

Lattice variation1. Use basketweave tip 47 and buttercream

icing. On the side of the cake, pipe a latticedesign going completely around the side ofthe cake inone direction.

2. Repeat pipingthe latticedesign, cross-ing over in the opposite direction.

3. Pipe a tip 5 string in between the latticedesign.

Grass or furGrass or furGrass or furGrass or furGrass or fur1. Use tip 233 or 234 and medium buttercream

icing.

2. Hold the bag at a 90º angle. Squeeze out theicing, pulling the tip up and away from thesurface. When the icing strand is longenough (about ½ inch), stop the pressureand pull the tip away.

3. For a more natural look, sometimes pull thetip slightly to the right or left, instead ofstraight up.

4. Remember to keep the icing strand clustersclose together so the cake doesn’t showthrough.

Variation–hair1. Use tip 233 or 234 and medium buttercream

icing thinned with clear corn syrup.

2. Squeeze icing strands in lengths necessary tocover the area. Touch the tip at the begin-ning, lift it away from the cake, and pullwhile continuing to squeeze until the hair isas long as you want. Stop squeezing and pullaway. Continue the same process until thearea is covered.

HaystacksHaystacksHaystacksHaystacksHaystacks1. Use tip 233 or 234 and medium buttercream

icing.

2. For the base of the haystack, use roundedcupcakes with the wide end down. Ice thecupcakes with the same color you are usingfor the haystack.

3. Start the first row of hay (or straw) on theside of the cupcake about ½ inch from thebottom. Hold the bag at a 90º angle andsqueeze, pulling out and then down, to forman icing strand about ½ inch long.

4. Start the next row about ½ inch above thefirst and repeat the procedure, making sure tocover the top of the first row with the bottomof the second row.

5. Continue until the cupcake is completelycovered.

PineconesPineconesPineconesPineconesPinecones1. Use round tip 10 and specialty tip 79 with

stiff brown buttercream icing. Pinecones canbe piped on waxed paper, on a cookie sheet,or directly on the cake.

2. Holding the bag at a 45º angle, pipe a hori-zontal mound of icing the size you want yourpinecone to be with round tip 10. One endneeds to be slightly larger than the other.

3. Hold the tip at a 45º angle with the curve ofthe tip up. Starting at the narrow end, pipe

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tip 79 short petals in rows. Start each rowabout ¼ inch from the bottom of the previ-ous row. Overlap the bottom of each rowwith the top of the next.

TreesTreesTreesTreesTrees

1. Use tip 16 or tip 75 and pointed ice creamcones or plastic tree formers.

2. Use medium buttercream on ice cream conesor stiff royal icing on tree formers. Color icinggreen.

3. Trim the ice cream cones in varying lengths.Spread a very thin coat of icing over the icecream cone so the cone won’t show through.Cover the plastic tree formers with waxedpaper and use royal icing.

4. Beginning at the bottom, pipe tip 16 pull-outstars around the base while turning the cone.Repeat, overlapping each successive row untilthe cone is covered.

5. Pipe an upright pull-out star at the tree top.Let it dry thoroughly.

Corn stalksCorn stalksCorn stalksCorn stalksCorn stalks1. Use leaf tip 68.

2. Follow steps 2 and 3 fortrees, using palegolden yellow or palebuttercup yellowicing.

3. From the bottom tothe top of the form,

pipe tip 68 side-by-side stripes and floppyleaves for corn stalks.

4. Set aside to air dry for about 5 hours.

Wheat stalkWheat stalkWheat stalkWheat stalkWheat stalk1. Insert a 6-inch length of florist wire into a

decorating bag filled with yellow royal icing.Use round tip 4.

2. Squeeze and pull the wire out of the tip,coating it with icing. Stick it in Styrofoam® todry.

3. Use round tip 1 to pipe yellow points aroundtwo inches of coated wire. Start at the base ofthe cluster, and pipe a pair of points on eachside of the wire. Pull them out at an angleand slowly roll the wire between your fingersas you move up to the top of the stalk.

Pine needles and catPine needles and catPine needles and catPine needles and catPine needles and catwhiskerswhiskerswhiskerswhiskerswhiskersUse the same technique as for the wheat stalk(brown or black icing for cat whiskers and greenicing for pine needles). Coat a 3-inch piece ofuncooked spaghetti. If using royal icing, dry it ina Styrofoam® block or on waxed paper. If usingbuttercream icing, push it directly into the cake.

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Pictures using thinned icingPictures using thinned icingPictures using thinned icingPictures using thinned icingPictures using thinned icing(Color Flow(Color Flow(Color Flow(Color Flow(Color Flow®®®®®)))))

This technique creates a glossy, smooth designusing both stiff and runny icing made withpowdered egg whites. Color Flow® is a magicalway to copy a picture or design in icing.

1. Choose a pattern, preferably one with a fairlyopen design without too much detail.

2. Place the design on a smooth cake circle,cake board, or cookie sheet. Cover the designwith waxed paper and smooth out all thewrinkles. Tape it down securely.

3. Mix icing in a glass or stainless steel bowl.Follow the directions on the Color Flow®package. Set your mixer at a slow speed toavoid whipping in air bubbles. Keep the icingcovered with a damp towel at all times toprevent hardening. Color the icing to comple-ment your design and use it full strength tooutline the design.

4. When softening the icing to fill in outlineddesigns, place a portion of the icing in a glassor stainless steel container and add a fewdrops of water, stirring by hand (never beat),until the icing flows properly. To test, spoonout a small amount and let it drop back intothe bowl. When it takes a full count of 10 forthe icing to sink back into the mixture andthe outline ring to disappear, the icing isready. Always use parchment or freezer paperbags for meringue-based icing. Grease causesany egg white icing to break down.

5. Fill a decorating bag only half full of softenedicing or it might squeeze out the top and drip

on the design. For a larger area than one bagwill fill, have a second bag filled and ready.Color Flow® icing crusts quickly and crustmarks show, so you must work quickly.

6. Use Color Flow® icing and round tip 2 or 3 tooutline the design. If you will be filling inwith a contrasting color, let the outline drythoroughly (an hour or two) so the softenedicing won’t feather. If filling in with the sameor similar color, proceed after a few minutes.

7. Fill a parchment bag only half full of softenedicing. Do not use a tip because it might breakthe outline. Cut a small opening at the papercone’s tip. Begin filling in along the outlinesfirst, aiming the bag opening toward theoutline for a pillow effect. Work from theoutside in, top to bottom. Gently press outthe icing, letting it flow up to the outlinealmost by itself. (Use a small artist’s brush tohelp it along if necessary.) Fill in the sectionimmediately. Pop any air bubbles with a pinwhile the icing is wet. Check for any lowspots and fill them in. Color Flow® shoulddry with a slight pillow effect.

8. Make test puddles beside your design and letthem dry. Remove the puddles first and checkfor dryness. Test puddles eliminate thepossibility of removing a Color Flow® piecetoo soon and breaking it.

9. After you have filled in the complete design,dry it thoroughly (48 hours at room tempera-ture or two hours under a heat lamp at adistance of two feet, then without a lamp for12 hours). This gives the icing a high shine.

10. After your Color Flow® piece is dry, you maywant to add a message or trim to it. Use yourleftover Color Flow® icing (full strength) in aparchment bag fitted with tip 2.

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L E V E L 3L E V E L 3L E V E L 3L E V E L 3L E V E L 3Australian net nailsAustralian net nailsAustralian net nailsAustralian net nailsAustralian net nails

Make lacy shapes using a variety of Australiannet nails.

1. Select a nail shape, and coat it with solidvegetable shortening.

2. Use royal icing and round tip 2 to outline theedge and the top ridge of the nail.

3. Use round tip 1 tofill in outlinedareas with Cornellilace. Lace shouldtouch only theoutlines. Thedesign shouldnever overlap.

4. Put the lace-trimmed nail (suspended from arack) in a 200o oven for 10 seconds. Thengently slip the lace off the nail onto a papertowel. Let it dry thoroughly (approximately20 to 30 minutes) before placing it on thecake.

Royal icing laceRoyal icing laceRoyal icing laceRoyal icing laceRoyal icing lace

Icing: Medium royal icing.

Tips: Round tip 1. Other: Parchment or freezerpaper bags.

1. Trace the lace pattern on the parchmentpaper, then tape it on the cake board. Coverthe pattern with waxed paper. Using tip 1 anda parchment bag, squeeze, pull, and drop theicing string to outline the pattern.

2. Pipe the center design, making sure the linestouch to give the lace stability while remov-ing them from the waxed paper.

3. Embellish as desired. Let dry for severalhours. Carefully slide the lace off the waxedpaper using a small angled spatula.

4. Make sure thecake frosting iscompletely drybefore attachingthe lace to thecake. Place dots ofroyal icing on thecake to secure thelace to the cake.

Modeling chocolateModeling chocolateModeling chocolateModeling chocolateModeling chocolate14-ounce package of Chocolate Candy Melts®(not chocolate chips)

½ cup light corn syrup

1. Melt Candy Melts® according to the packagedirections. Add heated light corn syrup andstir until thoroughly mixed. Turn the mixtureout on waxed paper and let it sit at roomtemperature to dry. Wrap it well, and store itat room temperature until needed. Candyhandles best if hardened overnight. When

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ready to use, knead a small amount until itreaches a workable consistency. This mixturewill keep for several weeks at room tempera-ture in a well-sealed container.

2. The chocolate will be very hard at the start.Knead one small portion at a time until it isworkable.

Modeling a roseModeling a roseModeling a roseModeling a roseModeling a rose1. To make a rose, start

with the base. Shape a¾-inch ball into a coneapproximately 1½inches high.

2. Flatten a 3/8-inch ball ofmodeling chocolate intoa circular petal that’sabout ¼ inch thick onone side and about thediameter of a dime.Make several petals this size.

3. Wrap the first petal around the point of thecone to form a bud. Now press three morepetals around the base of the bud. Gentlypinch the edges of the petals. Make five morepetals using slightly larger balls of chocolate.Flatten and then thin the edge with yourfinger and cup the petals. Press the petalsbelow the first row of petals. Continue addingpetals, placing them in between and slightlylower than the previous row. For a fullerflower, continue adding petals in this manner.

4. Make several roses with different amounts ofpetals for a variety of sizes.

Leaf modelingLeaf modelingLeaf modelingLeaf modelingLeaf modeling

1. Method 1: Roll a 3/8-inch ball and model itinto a teardrop shape. Flatten it into a leafshape. Use a knife to score the veins. Press itonto a rose cone base.

2. Method 2: On the back of a clean, thoroughlydried, grape or rose leaf, paint on meltedCandy Melts® with a soft pastry or art brush.Let it set and when it is completely dry,carefully peel the leaf off the candy.

MarzipanMarzipanMarzipanMarzipanMarzipanRecipe1 cup almond paste (8 ounce can)

2 egg whites, unbeaten

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla or rum flavoring

1. Knead the almond paste in a bowl. Add theegg whites and mix well. Continue kneadingas you add the sugar, one cup at a time, andflavoring, until the marzipan feels like heavypie crust dough.

2. Marzipan will keep for months when refriger-ated in a plastic bag inside a covered con-tainer. Let marzipan stand at room tempera-ture until soft enough to work. If it is still stiffwhen you are ready to use it, soften it withone or two drops of warmed corn syrup.

3. Add food color, one drop at a time, andknead it until the right shade is achieved. To

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make dark chocolate color and flavor, workin powdered, unsweetened cocoa until it is asdark as you wish. To make a deep goldencolor and coffee flavor, use powdered instantcoffee. If these ingredients make themarzipan dough too stiff, soften it with eggwhite or an extract, such as almond, until thedesired shade is reached.

4. When you are making several different fruits,divide the dough equally to keep all of thepieces in proportion. To do this, dust thetable with confectioners’ sugar and roll themixture into a 12-inch by 7/8-inch rope.

5. Cut and model all the similar pieces at once.For example, cut 1-inch pieces for apples,larger ones for pumpkins, smaller ones forstrawberries, etc. Roll them into ball shapes,then model them between the heels of yourhands or roll them with your fingertips.

Glaze the marzipan by brushing on thinned,heated corn syrup. Add texture to oranges andlemons by rolling them over a grater. Make stemsfrom cloves. Roll strawberries in red-tintedgranulated sugar. The stem and leaf should bemade with marzipan.

Use your imagination for other variations anduses.

Rolled fondant icingRolled fondant icingRolled fondant icingRolled fondant icingRolled fondant icingRolled fondant has a very smooth appearanceand a smooth rounded edge, usually with noborder at the top edge. Cover a cake with rolledfondant icing using either cooked or ready-to-usefondant.

1. Prepare the cake by covering it with a crumbcoat of buttercream icing.

2. Before rolling out the fondant, knead it untilit is a workable consistency. If the fondant issticky, knead in a little confectioners’ sugar.Lightly dust a smooth work surface androlling pin with confectioners’ sugar toprevent sticking.

3. Measure the cake to determine what sizefondant you’ll need to cover the cake. Mea-sure the opposite sides and top of the cakeacross the center and add the measurements.For example, an 8-inch two-layer cake, withtwo sides of 4 inches, equals 16 inches. Thefondant would need to be rolled in a circle 16inches in diameter to cover this cake. Roll thefondant to ¼-inch thick with a rolling pin,lifting and moving the pin as you roll. Addmore confectioners’ sugar if necessary. It isextremely important to remember to lift therolling pin and move it several times to keepthe fondant from sticking to the rollingsurface or it will tear when you try to pick itup.

4. Gently lift the fondant over the rolling pin orslide it onto a cardboard cake circle that hasbeen dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Liftthe circle and the fondant and position themover the cake. Gently shake the circle to slidethe fondant off the board and into positionon the cake. (Take care not to tear the fon-dant with your fingernails.)

5. Shape the fondant to the sides of the cakewith a smoothing tool. The warmth of yourhands can affect the fondant. Mark the

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fondant at the base of the cake and trim offany excess using a sharp knife or pizzacutter.

6. Smooth and shape the fondant on the cakeusing a smoothing tool. Beginning in themiddle of the top of the cake, move thesmoother out and down the sides of the caketo smooth and shape the fondant to the cakeand remove any air bubbles. If an air bubbleappears, pop it with a pin and smooth thearea again.

Fondant icing decorationsFondant icing decorationsFondant icing decorationsFondant icing decorationsFondant icing decorationsFondant decorations can be made by molding thefondant like Play-Doh®. Look through decoratingbooks for examples and experiment with differ-ent tools to make ruffles, bows, braids, ropes,flowers, and leaves.

Roll out the fondant to a thickness of about 1/8

inch to ¼ inch for most decorations.

1. Flowers can be shaped by making individualpetals and forming them around a base into arose (see Modeling chocolate, page 73).

2. Flower variations: Cut a small strip of fon-dant about 2 inches by 5 inches. Begin rollingthe strip lightly from one end, graduallyloosening the roll as the flower gets larger.Trim the flower so it is ¾ to 1 inch high.

3. Use small cookie cutters to cut leaf or flowershapes, geometric shapes, or letters and placethem on the cake.

Gum pasteGum pasteGum pasteGum pasteGum pasteThis pliable dough-like mixture molds intobeautiful flowers and figures. Purchase a gumpaste mix or find a recipe using Glucose andGum-Tex® Karaya. Leaf and petal cutters andshaping tools are available for making theseunique and delicate decorations.

Adaptations of basic cakeAdaptations of basic cakeAdaptations of basic cakeAdaptations of basic cakeAdaptations of basic cakedecorating techniquesdecorating techniquesdecorating techniquesdecorating techniquesdecorating techniquesPetits fours1. Bake petits fours in shaped pans, or cut a

regular-sized cake into smaller pieces beforefrosting.

2. Find recipes for the special petits foursfrosting. Frost the cakes, allow them to dry,and then decorate them. Use some of thesame or smaller flowers, leaves, and bordersthat you have been using on cakes.

CupcakesUse the same decorating techniques, such asflowers, leaves, etc., on cupcakes. Make flowersand figure piping large enough to cover the topof the cupcake.

Hors d’oeuvres and gelatin saladsCream cheese or other softened cheeses aresimilar to frosting in consistency. Make cheesedecorations on small sandwiches or on smallmolded gelatin forms.

Pulled sugar flowersFind directions for pulled sugar flowers anddecorations in advanced cake decorating orculinary books. Experiment with the technique,and if you are pleased with the results, use themon one of your decorated cakes.