Anyway, I don't know if I've mentioned this in a previous post, but I've enrolled in a cake course at my local campus. It's a ten week course with a class every Monday evening. So far I've done two weeks - the first was just an introduction with information on what I'd need to bring and the things we'd be doing. I went for the advanced course, but apparently that and the improver's course weren't very popular (which surprised me as I thought cake decorating was really fashionable at the moment) so they have merged the two courses into one. There's still only about 6 people on it though!
So the second class was this week, which covered how to make a lavender sprig and how to use stencils. The lavender was actually started on week one - we learnt how to make each individual flower head and that was our homework... to make 16 of them! I managed but it's fiddly work, it involves making five little rice-shaped 'petals' for each flower head - that's 96 in all! Just for one sprig! It just goes to show how people can easily justify charging hundreds of pounds for a high quality cake with sugar flowers. The amount of work that goes into it is phenomenal.
It was the first time I've ever used flower paste as well, when I made roses I stuck with fondant (also known as sugar paste) and they never really dried out properly. The flower paste has more glue in it which makes it stronger - you can roll it out thinner and it dries harder.
So here's my fully formed lavender sprig:
Not much considering it was at least 2 hours' work. But hey ho, it's given me the chance to try something new.
Then there was stencilling. I'd been instructed to buy some dusting colours for this, and also for the lavender, so the colours I bought were 'Foliage Green' and 'Lilac'. The green said it was edible, and the lilac said it wasn't edible, but only 'non-toxic'. I couldn't find any lilac that was marked as edible. I don't know if that means it's not available or what. I'm sure I'll find out.
I was really pleased with how my stencils turned out, so much so that I've bought a load off eBay today! Although the second time I tried one of them, I put it upside-down, so it got all smudged from the powder left over from the previous attempt. They also ended up a bit battered after being carried home in the box:
Together with the lavender.
The first attempt (sat on a rubbish half eaten cake.)
The smudged (and squashed) second attempt.
Quite possibly my favourite of the three.
Next week: shoes!
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