Complete Guide to Cake Decorating

Welcome! PHOTO: Sharon Mccutcheon, Unsplash PHOTO: Paul Plews for A Year in Cake by Peggy Porchen, Quadrille You’re here because you want to open up your world to some sweet new skills (or polish some existing ones)! In this brand-new edition, we’ve brought together some of the best talents of the baking and cake decorating world to share their inspiration and expertise. Whether you want to get to grips with crumb coating, drip cakes, fondant flowers, modelled toppers or buttercream ruffles, this super-helpful guide will take you through the basics and beyond! It’s been a great pleasure too to chat with our guest experts, including Peggy Porschen and Mich Turner, about their experiences and future plans. So have a flick through to see what inspires you and keep this guide…

Meet the cake professionals MICH TURNER www.lvcc.co.uk Mich has a lifelong passion for cake and is the founder of Little Venice Cake Company, soon to open a new boutique in Dubai. We interview Mich and share two of her bakes. Pages 40, 44 and 70 PEGGY PORSCHEN www.peggyporschen.co.uk Peggy Porschen is the name and talent behind a chain of stunning cake parlours, packed with eye watering delicacies. Peggy shares her crumb coating expertise as well as two lovely recipes. Pages 14, 82, 103 and 130 KIM JOY HEWLETT www.kimjoyskitchen.com Kim Joy is one of The Great British Bake Off’s most memorable bakers for her super-cute creativity. She shares two recipes to inspire your imagination too. Pages 28 and 51 ROB BAKER-GALL www.mrbakerscakes.co.uk The aptly named Mr Baker never ceases to…

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BASICS Getting started Take the time to read up on the basics of sugarcraft and you’ll soon be creating your own showstoppers PHOTO: Monika Grabkowska, Unsplash Are you in a muddle over modelling paste or in a jam over buttercream? If you’re new to the world of cake decorating and sugarcraft then let us guide you through the main techniques and ingredients you’ll need to begin… Perfect bakes Before you can start decorating, you’ll need to whip up a cake. From the basic ingredients of flour, butter, eggs and sugar, there are limitless flavour combinations! Many of the ideas in this magazine also include recipes for the cake, but for the ones that focus on the sugarcraft (or if you want to make your cake a different size) try using…

BASICS Toolbox essentials There are a few cake-decorating essentials you’ll want in your toolbox to help you achieve a professional finish on your creations… A Palette Knife This is a must-have tool for spreading buttercream and cream cheese toppings. Spatulas can also be used – it’s a good idea to have a range of options in your toolkit. Palette Knife, £11.99 B Icing Rolling Pin You’ll need this to roll out small pieces of sugarpaste or marzipan, for decorations. You’ll need a larger one for rolling out fondant to cover cakes. The smooth, durable plastic surface ensures a neat finish, unlike a wooden rolling pin which can leave a grainy impression. Icing Rolling Pin, £4.99 C Cutters and Moulds There are a huge selection of cutters and moulds available, allowing…

BASICS How to crumb coat a cake Expert cake designer, Peggy Porschen, shows you how to assemble, layer and crumb coat a cake, so it’s ready to decorate! you will need ✦ 3 sponge cake layers✦ Sugar syrup (optional)✦ Buttercream (at room temperature)✦ Turntable (preferably with a non-slip top or damp cloth)✦ Long serrated knife or cake leveller✦ Cake disc (needs to be a few inches larger than the cake board) – Peggy recommends using the loose base of a 30cm cake tin✦ Large palette knife✦ Plain-edge side scraper✦ Tall jug filled with hot water✦ Kitchen cloth✦ 15cm thin cake board Step one Trim the tops off each sponge layer using a long serrated kitchen knife or cake leveller. Ensure that each sponge layer is even in height. If using…