Elegant lace celebration cake tutorial

Edibles

• 3.5kg sugarpaste: white plus tools required to cover cakes
• 150g sugarpaste for decorations
• a pinch of CMC or Tylose powder
• 12.7cm (5in) round cake, 3” high, on a cake card
• (7in) round cake, (3in) high, on a cake card
• 25cm (10in) round cake, 6” high, on a cake card
• 30cm (12in) round cake, 3” high, on a cake card
• edible sparkle: silver and gold
• FMM dab-a-dust or cornfl our duster
• Cake Lace Premix in Soft Gold
• 1 cup crusting buttercream
• Caramel and Black gel food colours
• edible lustre dust: gold and silver (to make edible paint)
• isopropyl or lemon extract if required
• 3mm gold and silver pearls, if desired

Equipment

• dowels or bubble straws
• 35cm (14in) round board
• 40.6cm (16in) round board
• contact paper
• 1.25m ribbon: gold metallic
• 3m ribbon: gold sparkle
• 1.25m ribbon: silver sparkle
• 1 large (approximately 3cm) and two small (approximately 1.5cm) brooch or jewel moulds of choice (Claire Bowman)
• Ophelia Cake Lace mat (Claire Bowman)
• spatula
• scissors
• ruler
• cellophane piping cones or disposable bags fitted with no.1 tip
• paintbrushes
• small pots or containers to mix in

Cover and stack cakes

1

Cover all cakes with sugarpaste and trim with gold ribbons, alternating between metallic and sparkle gold. Line the boards with contact paper or cover with sugarpaste and trim with ribbon, then dowel and stack cake as shown.

Make cake lace

1

Make three cake lace strips according to the instructions on the packet, and allow to dry fully before removing from the mat. The cake lace strips can be prepared up to a week in advance.

2

Cut each strip into two portions as shown, being careful not to damage the lace. Use the features of the design to ensure you cut all strips exactly the same way.

Prepare buttercream

1

Prepare two cones or piping bags full of buttercream, tinted grey and caramel using a little gel colour. The buttercream must be crusting to allow it to be painted once dry.

Make decorations

1

Knead the CMC into the 150g of sugarpaste, and tint it a caramel colour. Make eight to ten large and thirty to thirty-eight of each small brooch or jewel design. Dusting the moulds lightly will aid release.

Decorate the tiers

1

Apply the peaked part of the lace to the 25cm tier as shown, adhering with caramel buttercream. Start with one strip in the centre front, and attach the others laterally to hide any join discrepancy at the back.

2

Apply the remaining fishnet strips similarly to the 18cm tier, again adhering with caramel buttercream. You may discard any remaining lace after this step, or use snippets in the rest of the design.

3

Take the partially dry brooch details and start building the design, following the spacing in the features of the cake lace. Use caramel buttercream piped on the underside to adhere the jewels.

4

Build the design on upper and lower tiers, using a rule to ensure you line up with the features of the lace mats and any brooch elements already placed. Keep the design symmetrical around the front centre.

5

Pipe small buttercream dots and place gold pearls atop them to form concentric swags, or pipe larger beads and skip the pearls if you prefer. Repeat with the grey buttercream or silver pearls to build a chandelier-like design.

Add a metallic sheen

1

Mix some lustre dust with enough isopropyl or extract in a small pot to form a thick paint. Paint carefully onto the brooches, jewels and dried piped buttercream details. There should be no bare caramel or grey features remaining on your finished cake.