Making a curved board for your cakes

Tailor

I recently made a wedding cake for my niece, Tailor.  She wanted a cake with piping, not molded lace.  I showed her some cakes that I had done in the last year with royal icing piped details and we designed her a small cake.  I wanted the board to be curved up - not flat and since this was for a family member and a gift, I could essentially "play" with this cake. 

The bottom cake was a 12" cake that was on a 1/2 piece of foam core board cut to the exact size of the cake.  Make a batch of royal icing (I think you could use chocolate in the cooler months or even buttercream to do this with.)

Royal Icing

I then used a 13", 14" and 15" round pans turned upside down

(so that I was actually drawing a slightly bigger circle) and cut them out. 

Dab Royal Icing on the bottom board and add the next size to the top of it and then do the same to the next board.  Let dry til set.

Fill in between the boards with royal icing, smoothing as you go

Go around the board holding your palette knife at an angle to completely fill in the spaces between the boards.

Set it aside and let it dry to the touch.   

 

This can be made way in advance or the day of the wedding. 

 

Cover the board with fondant and mark the center the same size as the cake.

 

Cut the center out and remove the fondant circle where the cake will be set.  

Dab in royal icing to hold the cake in place.

Place cake into the opening on the board.  

I then ran a bead of royal icing around the seam.  I then sectioned it off to add in the lattice and pearls.

I added pressed lace pieces below the lattice, piped a ruffle with a shell on top of that, used a pressed flower petunia (you can get the lace piece and petunia cutter/veiner from Jennifer Dontz's Sugar Delites.  I piped royal icing details and used luster dust to bring out a pearl sheen to the board.  I added a piece of tasseled gimp to the edge of the board to finish it off.

  Voila!!!!  A board that is very romantic and part of the cake decor.

Tutorial and Photography by Denise Talbot

Copyright 2011

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Creating Scrolls on Your Cake by Denise Talbot

Scrolls 1

 

 Scrolls 2



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 Scrolls 4

Tutorial by Denise Talbot

Copyright 2010- All rights Reserved

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Going to a Cake Challenge

Here is a picture of our team - left to right, Denise Talbot, Texas, Jennifer Dontz, Michigan, Martha Hebert and Becky Guidry, Louisiana


I recently had the thrill of a lifetime - one of the highlights of my life as a cake decorator. I think I have arrived as a professional.

On May 21, 2009, I was hauling my Quarter Horse, Dashing Big Red, up to Texas A & M to be shod. Hubby was driving and we were chitchatting about nothing. My phone rings and I see it is Martha Hebert calling. Martha is always fun to talk to so I eagerly answered the phone. Martha asked me what I was doing in July...what did I have planned? I said "Whatcha got going, Chickie?"


Martha, being the sly fox she is, just asked what I had going on! I said I had a wedding cake on Friday the 3rd and a wedding cake on the the following Saturday. She then dropped this bomb on me:

"Can you go to California with us?"

"Do y'all have a class there?" I asked.

"No...can you go?" she asked again.

So I said "Sure...I can go...where are we going and why?!"

Then the bigger bomb......

"Hollywood...we are going to Hooolllllyyyyywooood for a Cake Challenge!!"

Oh my gosh...I nearly passed out in the truck...thank goodness my hubby was driving or we would have ended up in the ditch. "Cake Challenge? CAKE CHALLENGE????? ON TV????"

Martha just laughed and said "yes!!!" My brain went blank I think for a few minutes. Martha was still telling me details. She said "You know how to do poured sugar and gum paste right?" I said "of course" and that is how it began.

Jennifer Dontz, my good friend from Michigan was brought on board after numerous phone calls from me and a wrangling of schedules. Jennifer and her husband drove down to the coast to visit his friends in southern Louisiana and I met them in St. Martinville, Louisiana to meet with the Two Sweet Sisters. We got a game plan going and we were all so excited.

The six weeks went by so fast it was frightening...the next thing I knew I was on a plane to Houston to meet the Sisters. We flew together to Los Angeles and met up with Jennifer. We arrived in LA to a fabulous display of fireworks going off in honor of the Forth of July.

The next day on Sunday we were able to go set up our kitchen - everything was laid out and ready to go. On Monday, we went to the studio and met the other teams - wonderful, talented folks. We filmed a few shots of the teams together and it was so much fun!!!

Tuesday was the big day! Off we went to the studio and gave it our all. We worked like little machines, each with a task to do, tasks we do every week in our on kitchens as we make wedding cakes for brides.

No matter what the outcome was I felt like a winner because I had been chosen by Martha and Becky to be on their team. That I had this fabulous opportunity to work with them so closely on something that was so much fun, a major challenge, and the thrill of competing.

I came home with so many good memories...spending days with my good friends, laughing and talking, learning new things and having new experiences. What more could I ask for?

I can't wait for it to air. I hope that I look like I knew what I was doing!!! It is supposed to air either in September or October and I can't wait. We are going to have a party at my house to watch it on our big giant 64" TV. I expect to get tons of critiques from my family who aren't shy about their opinions!

It was one of the highlights of my professional life and a personal thrill as well. I had such a good time I am ready to go again so if Martha calls and says "what are you doing?" I am going to do my best to be right there with her and Becky, making cakes and talking up a storm...someone said we all had accents. Accent? What accent? A girl from southeast Texas, two girls from southern Louisiana and one girl from Michigan don't have accents.

Thanks so much, Martha Hebert, Becky Guidry and Jennifer Dontz. I had a blast and will forever cherish the memories.

Denise Talbot

Cakes So Special

Proudly standing by my wedding cake in my Ultimate Cake Off by TLC pink jacket that the Two Sweet Sisters ordered for themselves, Jennifer Dontz and me. My pink jacket caused quiet a stir at the Country Club! Not because of the Ultimate Cake Off - but the pretty pink color!!

Cherry Blossom Tutorial

Cherry Blossoms are easy to make and so beautiful in arrangements and as center stage on a cake. I have made them with cutters (JenniferDontz.com has some darling cutters that I have used) and by hand. This demo will show you how to make them by hand.

I use a JEM Silk Veining tool (my favorite tool!), PME star, ball tool, 26g wire, Cel pad, small sharp scissors, piping gel and a corn starch puff. I use straight Wilton Fondant for these. I have found that it works better than gumpaste.

Start with a small cone and flatten the top slightly.


Use the PME star tool has a side with a 6 point and 5 point star. Use the 5 point side to impress into the top of the flattened side.


Cut the points of the star with the sharp scissors, taking care not to cut all the way through.

Separate and flatten the petals with your fingers.


Dust your thumb and fingers with corn starch. Use the Silk Veining tool to vein and thin the petals. Use a crescent shape movement to go around each petal. I press hard into the sides of my thumb.


Take the Star tool to impress a 5 point star into the center again. Use a ball tool to gently to ruffle the edges of each petal taking care not to tear them.

Use a ball tool to gently to ruffle the edges of each petal taking care not to tear them.

Dip three stamins in piping gel and gently insert into the center. I always make a bud shape and wire "twig".


Wrap with floral tape and tape the blossoms together in a delicate branch. Make branches with 3, 5 or 7 blossoms for good balance. You can also add in leaves.

Tutorial and Photos by Denise Talbot all rights reserved 2009

This tutorial cannot be reproduced for commercial or teaching purposes without permission from the author.

Calla Lilly Tutorial

Calla Lilies are really easy to make. I bought these cutters at an ICES convention in a set of 3.

But you can order these from D&G Occasions. Click on the pictures for a better view.

Make the pistils in advance and let dry. Roll a small sausage about the 2/3 the length of your cutter. If you are making natural looking calla's start with yellow paste. I use long toothpicks and insert after dipping the end in piping gel. After they are dry, brush them with a thin coat of piping gel and roll them in a little bit of massa cornmeal for a realistic look.

Roll the paste out but not really thin. Calla's are fleshy flowers so keep them a little thicker than other flowers.

I use this veiner to impress my calla. I purchased it at a DOS with Frost A Tiers. I got it from a vender, Noi. She was selling all kinds of veiners and I was lucky enough to get this one!

Impress the paste heavy enough that you can see the veins.

Place the paste on a pad to soften the edges with a ball tool. Some calla's are frilly and some are very smooth. I make each one a little different so they look as natural as possible.


I use piping gel on my flowers. It doesn't run and is very sticky and only needs a dab! Put the piping gel just on the bottom and barely up the sides of the flower.


Place the pistil in the center. Wrap the straighter side (look at your cutter - each are different but mine have two different shapes on the sides and it does matter which one I wrap first!) and wrap to the opposite side of the pistil. Wrap the other side and gently press with your fingers to make a tight bond. Can you see the dark burgandy calla just beyond my hand? That is a plastic flower that you can get at JoAnne's craft store. Pull the plastic stem/pistil out and you have a PERFECT flower former. I have quiet a few of those!


Place your flower in the former and use your fingers to gently roll the edges over the edge of the former. This will give your calla a natural look instead of a straight sides. Pinch the tip end together and curve down slightly. Let your lilies dry overnight if possible but I have used them pretty quickly after leaving them under a fan. They are just soft so be careful if you use them before they are dry. The calla lilies in this tutorial were used on a wedding cake that I made. They were dusted a silvery blue.

If you check out my website ( Cakes So Special ) you will see different colored calla's. I have dusted and airbrushed callas and used colored paste. There is no right or wrong way to do them.

Find the method you like best to make your own callas.

Photos and tutorial by Denise Talbot (Cakes So Special ) 2009 all rights reserved
This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.

Creating a Floral Wedding Cake with a Flair

This is a cake I did recently for a wedding with a Tuscan theme. The grandmother and the bride made all of the flower arrangements and the backdrop of the cake. The cake sat on glass blocks that had gorgeous fabrics flowing through it. The cake was fairly simple. It had a grape impressed fondant border that was dusted with Frosted Lemon by ECG that is one of my favorites. A cascade of gum paste roses, calla lilies, grapes, 5 petal blossoms, grapes and fall leaves tumbled down the side. Flickering candles were placed on the corners of each cake and glowed so pretty. They were LCD lights.

I started by placing the candles on the cake. I attached them with a little bit of piping gel and fondant. Next I placed the grapes to cascade downward. I moved them several times to get the placement that pleased me.

Next I added the roses. I started with the smaller roses at the top and moved down the tiers with the larger roses. The roses are on long toothpicks so they are easy to anchor in the fondant. Move them if necessary. Do not line them up. Tilt the roses in different directions to give them a natural look. The more "relaxed" they look the more natural they will appear. Do not be afraid to pull them out and readjust even after the florals are complete. Be gentle with them but adjust if you feel it will give the arrangement a more pleasing look. Tuck the roses around the grapes and then add the calla lilies. Again, tilt at different angles to fit the arrangement.

Tuck in filler flowers in random spots on the edges and in between the flowers. Make plenty of filler flowers so that the arrangement has a balanced look.

The twigs are "fillers" too. Tuck them in at the edges and the ends of flowers to extend the arrangement. Tuck them in the middle of the flowers randomly. Bend to suit the situation.

Step back and look at your cascade from all sides. Does it please the eye? Does it flow? Move the flowers as needed. Several of the flowers in this arrangement were moved to suit the cake.

Tuck in the leaves on the ends and edges. Have them going in different directions so they flow.Tuck in between flowers, making sure they don't cover the flowers.

Add a few to the top of the cake and attach with buttercream or piping gel.

I hope this helps you in some way. Practice makes perfect. Get silk flowers and practice on cake dummies so you can feel confident when you are ready to place gumpaste flowers on a real cake.
Happy Decorating!

Photos and Tutorial by Denise Talbot. all rights reserved. 2009

This material may not be republished or reproduced in any manner without the expressed permission of the author.