Busy-Girl’s-Guide-to-Cake-Decorating-Create-Impressive-Cakes-and-Bakes-No-Matter-What-Your-Time-Limit...

7/27/2019 Busy-Girls-Guide-to-Cake-Decorating-Create-Impressive-Cakes-and-Bakes-No-Matter-What-Your-Time-Limit (1)

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Ruth Clemens

cakedecorating

TheBusyGirlsGuideto

The fast, simple

way to impressive

cakes and bakes


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ContentsIntroduction 6

GET READY 9

Equipment and ingredients to help you prepare

GET BAKING 17Cake and icing recipes to make your mouth water...

GET DECORATING 35

Techniques and know-how to build your confdence...

NOW GET BUSY! 55

Twenty-fve projects to motivate and inspire you...

EVENING WHIP-UPS 57

(to make in an hour or less)

HALF-DAY DELIGHTS 75

(or when youve got a couple o hours to spare)

WEEKEND WONDERS 97

(longer projects to take your time over)

Troubleshooting 118

Glossary 122

Templates 124

Suppliers 125

About the Author 126

Acknowledgments 126

Index 127


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Int

roduction

6

IntroductionWelcome to The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating!Im guessing you

have this book because you fancy your hand at a spot of cake decorating,

you dont have much time and are the typical busy girl. Well, youre in

the right place. This book is all about cake decorating without the fuss,

the palaver and sometimes the tears too!

The projects within the book are split into three sections. TheEvening Whip-Ups (one-hour projects) are perect

when you have very little time, and are easy to throw together one evening ater work. The Half-Day Delights

(two-hour projects) are or when you have an aternoon to spare. Finally, the Weekend Wonders (three- to our-

hour projects) are or when youve got a bit more time available in your schedule!

In cake-decorating terms, all o the above are tiny amounts o time large, intricate projects take proessional

cake decorators days, i not weeks, o work. We busy girls dont have the time or the patience (OK then, thats just

me) to create those kinds o works o art but this book contains stunning projects that can be achieved in next

to no time.

I cheat, I do things the quick way or maximum impact, Ill have traditional cake decorators up in arms with my

kamikaze ways but, hey, it is what it is and I was never one to toe the line. I am the typical busy girl (perhaps more

the busy than the girl these days) I have three young boys needing my attention, wanting punctures fxed, the

paddling pool flling up and eeding every two minutes; a bustling household flled with amily, riends and pets;

and not orgetting the other boy in the house, my husband. So here it is, The Busy Girls Guide to Cake Decorating

the perect place to start your oray into the world o cakes.

So lets get this show on the road cake decorating the busy girls way

Ruthx


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Introduct

ion

7


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GetRead

y

11

Pearl-headed

pins

Essential items:decorating

Cake boards

and cards

Icing

(conectioners)

sugar shaker

Longsu

garpas

te

(rolledfon

dant)roll

ingpin

Icin

gsm

ooth

er

Sharp

knife

Serrated

knife

Double-

sided tape

Disposable

piping (pastry)bags and

selection o

nozzles (tips)

Set o round cutters

straight-edged and futed

Selection o small

decorative cutters blossoms,

butterfies, stars,

hearts etc.

Edible gel

paste coloursPastry brush

and variety opaintbrushes

Ribbons

Cocktail sticks(toothpicks)


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G

etBaking

22

Chocolate cake

This chocolate cake recipe is brilliantly moist and lovely! The milk

and vinegar combination replicates buttermilk, which can be hard

to fnd (lies too short to hunt or buttermilk!). This recipe makes

a airly deep cake so you should only need one or the complete

cake. Chocolate cake will keep well wrapped in an airtight

container, ideally in the ridge, or up to one week. It can be kept

rozen or three months.

TIP

The base of your baked cake will

become the top when decoratingit. To avoid the cooling rack

indenting marks as it cools, flip

the cake upside down to cool.


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G

etBaking

32

Chocolate frosting

This is a rich and decadent rosting, which is ideal

or a luxurious cake.

Ingredients (or enough to pipeswirls on 12 cupcakes or 24i coating with a palette knie,or to fll a 20cm/8in cake)

200ml (7f oz) double (heavy) cream

200g (7oz) dark (semisweet) chocolate

250g (8oz) icing (conectioners) sugar, sited

Method1 Chop the chocolate roughly.

2 Heat the cream in a pan until just

below boiling. Remove rom the heat.

3 Add the chocolate and allow to stand

or two minutes.

4 Stir to a smooth glossy ganache.

5 Allow to cool ully to room

temperature. The ganache needs to be

ully set beore adding the sugar.

6 Beat in the sited icing (conectioners)

sugar until smooth.

TIP

Chocolate with a high

percentage cocoa solidscontent gives the best flavour,

but make sure its a cooks

chocolate otherwise the

ganache may split.

I youre in a hurrywhy not use shop-boughtrosting? There are lots

o variations availableand then youre readyto go without the uss.


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GetDecorating

43


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GetDecorating

45

6 Using a sharp knie, cut cleanly around

the base o the cake to cut away the

excess sugarpaste and remove.

7 Use your hands and the smoother to

fnish o the cut edge. Set to one side

and allow to dry beore decorating.


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Evening

Whip-Ups

60

Loveheart

fountainMAKING A WIRED CAKE-TOPPER

A mini-cake is brought to life witha dramatic yet super-easy fountainof wired hearts. See what ribbonsyouve got in your box and adjust

the colour scheme to match.

TIPWhen making cake toppers,

push the posy pick into a piece

of polystyrene or a potato to

keep it steady and upright

while youre working on it.

Getittogether6.5cm(2in)roundmini-cake,preparedorcovering0cm(4in)roundcakecardSugarpaste:white,purpleandhotpink

Cutters:0cm(4in)round,miniheartcuttersset(PME)ButtercreamorroyalicingPosypick

SevengoldforistswiresRibbon:purple2cm(in)thick,hotpink5mm(18in)thickPearl-headedpins

Basicequipment(seeEquipment)

1 Brush the cake card with a little water.

Roll out the white sugarpaste to a mm

(18in) thickness. Cut out a 0cm (4in) circle

and place onto the cake card to cover

it. Neaten around the edges with your

fngertips and polish the surace with an

icing smoother (see Covering a board

with sugarpaste).

2 Roll out some more white sugarpaste,

this time to a 5mm (36in) thickness. Cover

the mini-cake, trimming the excess neatly

and polishing with an icing smoother

(see Covering a mini-cake).

3 Place the covered mini-cake in the

centre o the covered cake card, securing

with a dab o buttercream or royal icing.

Set aside to let the sugarpaste dry.

4 Trim the bottom o the cake with the

purple and pink ribbons, securing at the

back o the cake with pearl-headed pins.


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EveningWhip-Ups

65

Dont worry if youdont have a cake board decorate the cake ontoa pretty plate instead.

You dont need specialbrushes either a clean,dry make-up powderbrush is the ideal toolfor adding lustre dust.

4 Roll the shape out thinly on your

work surace dusted lightly with icing

(conectioners) sugar to stop it sticking.

Once it is in a long rectangle, old it in

hal widthways. Lightly press the two

edges together leaving the top old

slightly pufy.

5 Still on the work surace, start to roll

the ower up rom one end. Once the

roll is started, lit it up and hold it with

your hands as you continue to roll up the

ower (see Making a rolled rose). Pinchof the excess sugarpaste rom the base

o the ower and set it aside.

6 Repeat the process making seven

owers in total in graduating sizes.

Secure the owers in place on top o the

cake using a dab o water.

7 For the leaves, roll small balls o green

sugarpaste and atten with your nger.

Pinch the ends o each attened ball

to create the points o the lea. Mark a

central vein down the lea with the back

o a knie. You will need 14 leaves in total,

again in graduating sizes.

8 Place a sugarpaste lea between each

o the owers on both sides, securingwith a dab o water. I desired, dust the

cake with sparkle lustre dust or bit o

extra shimmer!


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EveningWhip-Ups

71

TIP

You can buy special modelling

tool sets that include a stitch-marking wheel, but a serrated

knife works just as well and

can be found in every kitchen.

TIPDont be tempted to apply the

ribbon strips in two pieces

instead of four. Long lengths

of sugarpaste rip and crack

very easily and youll be

back to square one short

pieces are the way to go!

3Gather the trimmings together andknead until a smooth even colour is

achieved. Form a thick sausage and roll

out into a long, thin strip 4mm (18in)

thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut the strip

into our 4cm ( in) wide strips, each

20cm (in) long.

4Using a serrated steak knie, gentlyimprint the stitching pattern on each

edge o the strips, approximately 5mm

(36in) away rom the edges.5Apply a little water to the cake andsecure each strip in place. Trim any excess

of the strips in the centre.

6To create the bow, cut another stripo sugarpaste, this time 24cm (9 in)

long and cm (in) wide, and mark withstitching lines as beore. Turn the strip

over so the right side is acing the work

surace. Fold in each end to the middle

and pinch the bow in the centre gently.

7For the centre o the bow, take a2.5cm(in) strip, mark with stitching lines and

wrap the ends underneath the back o

the bow. Position the bow in place in the

centre o the cake.

8Trim the base o the cake and the edgeo the board with purple ribbon, securing

at the back with pearl-headed pins.

Marbling sugarpasteworks with all sorts ofcoordinating coloursand is a great way ofusing up excess pieces

left over from otherprojects. It means youcan get a great cake withthe minimum of fuss!


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Evening

Whip-Ups

72

Polka-dot

candlesINCOPORATING CANDLEHOLDERS

INTO A DESIGN

Often when decorating cakes weforget to leave space in the designfor candles. Not here this cake

is designed with the birthdaycandles in mind!

Getittogether20cm (8in)roundcake, preparedorcovering30cm(12in)round cakeboard

Eight 10cm(4in)celebrationcandlesButtercream

Sugarpaste:pinkandwhiteRoundcutters:straight-edged2.5cm (1in),futed3.5cm(1in)

12mm(in)widepalepinkribbonPearl-headedpins

Basic equipment(seeEquipment)


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16/22

Get it together

Half-DayDelights

78


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EveningWhip-Ups

85


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Half-daydelights

91

107


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Weekend

Wonders

107


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TroubleshootingCake decorating can be frustrating at times when things dont quite work out

the way you wanted. I did this to a cake in my early decorating days, late at night

and in sheer frustration (yes, my husband was rather alarmed!). Please try not to

resort to this! Remember youre always learning, keep practising, appreciate whatyou have achieved and most importantly give it a go!

126


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About the Author

Ruth Clemens writes the very popular baking blog The Pink Whisk. She is completely

sel-taught both in baking and cake decorating, by making cakes or riends and amily.

A passionate baker and decorator, Ruths success just serves to prove that practice makes

perect! A contestant and fnalist on the very frst series o the BBCs Great British Bake Of, she

also took part in The Great British Wedding Cake or the BBC, creating a stunning three-tiered

traditional wedding cake ft or a royal wedding, baked and decorated all within 12 hours

the ultimate busy girls challenge! To keep up to date with Ruths current ventures, please

join the gang at acebook.com/ThePinkWhisk or on Twitter @thepinkwhisk

For more baking inspiration, recipes and tutorials visit www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk

Acknowledgments

My thanks go to a whole host o people who got this book o the ground and into print. My

boys, Ashley, Dylan and Finlay, who have been patient through my projects, not eating things

until they were given the go ahead and generally putting up with an extremely busy mum.

My husband, Damian, who has taken over all the washing, cleaning, cooking (bacon and eggs

counts as cooking doesnt it?) while Ive been doing important stu. He is never-endingly

supportive and everything I could ever have wished or. My amily and riends who have

pulled together to mind children, lend a constructive eye and generally point me in the right

direction when Ive gone o track. Not orgetting their hugs too. To the masses that are The

Pink Whiskers, busy girls (and boys) who have stuck with me through thick and thin, lending

their support when it was most needed. Thoroughly lovely people, I couldnt wish or a better

team standing behind me. Thank you to Kenwood and Pyrex or providing their products

or use on our photoshoots. And last but not least, to the team I have had the pleasure o

working with at David & Charles Ali, Katy, Pru, Lorna, James, Grace and Ame. They have kept

me and the book on the straight and narrow, spotting the potential in the frst place and

oering me the opportunity to get my frst book into print. Thank you all o you.

Aboutthe

Author&Acknow

ledgments

126

CRAFT
http://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/http://www.thepinkwhisk.co.uk/


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Other titles you will like

ISBN-13: 978-1-4463-0164-7

ISBN-10: 1-4463-0164-8

UK 14.99

US $23.99

(Can $24.99)

W8893

Find out how even the busiest ofbusy girls can whip up impressive

homemade treats in next to no time!

Ruth Clemens, finalist on the original series

ofThe Great British Bake Off, shares her

secrets in creating speedy but gorgeous

cakes, bakes and biscuits. Choose from

25 beautiful projects to make in under an

hour, under 3 hours or less than a day and

be amazed at what you can achieve!

CRAFT

Ruth Clemens is a baker,cake decorator and verybusy wife and mother.Completely self taught,

Ruths passion for bakingand sugarcrafting shines

through on her blog,The Pink Whisk.

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