Since shows like The Great British Bake Off first appeared on our screens, the UK has seen a huge rise in the number of people picking up an apron and wooden spoon and taking to the kitchen to whip up a sweet treat. Mastering the art of cake design is just important as a good sponge if you want professional looking cakes, so we bring you a guide to sugarcraft, and how to master it.
So what is Sugarcraft?
In simple terms, sugarcraft is a type of cake decorating, used to make your cakes stand out and al
low you to create three-dimensional designs. Similar to the techniques used by clay sculptors, it’s the art of modelling 3D figures in a cake using rolled fondant. Rolled into sheets, sugarcraft can be draped over cakes and also used to make intricate designs including ribbons, bows and flowers.
So Where Do I Begin?
One of the best ways to master the art of sugarcraft is to purchase a DVD or watch some videos online, to watch some experts in action. If you can, a class in sugarcraft is an even better option as you’ll have an instructor on-hand to personally show you some techniques and show you where you might be going wrong. Before you start, just remember that learning sugarcraft takes some time to master, and it can be very fiddly and irritating to get right. There’s really no right or wrong way, you’ll just need to use your artistic eye and try some different methods to find one that’s right for you.
What Do I Need?
There are a number of different utensils used in sugarcraft, and you can find them all on sites such as MakeBake. Here are just a few of the instruments you might want to pick up:
- Stainless Steel Metal Cutters – for creating delicate blossoms, leaves and flowers.
- Sugarpaste- prepared to use, sugarpaste gives you a smooth and sleek finish every time, allowing you to decorate cakes without the fear of cracking. Icecraft is a good brand to sue for this, being significantly less gritty and oil than other sugarpastes and offering a vibrant white, unflavoured colour.
- Spray Can Colours – spray cans are a great way of colouring a variety of icings including sugarpaste, marzipan, buttercream, modelling paste and much more. You’ll also find a great selection of colours available.
- Rosebuds and roses – perfect for decorating delicate cakes, sugarcraft roses and rosebuds give you cake a beautiful finish and are available in a variety of quantities and colours including lemon, peach, violet, pink and red.
- Piped roses – if you’re making cupcakes, piped roses are a great option and are usually available in pink and white.
How It’s Done
Before you start, make sure you’ve prepared the fondant in advanced and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until you need to use it. Then let your imagination run wild! Be aware that liquid food colourings shouldn’t be used when rolled fondant is ready for cake decorating. Colouring paste is a much better option, preventing the fondant from turning runny.
And remember, sugarcraft is a difficult art to master. If you don’t get it right the first time, practice is sure to make perfect. And just think of all those delicious cakes you’ll get to eat along the way!