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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
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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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Get it together
Half-DayDelights
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EveningWhip-Ups
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Half-daydelights
91
107
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Weekend
Wonders
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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!
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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.