Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating
By Alan Dunn
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About this ebook
Master sugar artist Alan Dunn presents more than 100 of his most spectacular cake decorating designs—all illustrated in the classic Alan Dunn style. This book offers everything you need to create stunning and impressive cakes for every occasion. Each decoration, from “sweet violet” to “moon and sun bouquet” is illustrated from beginning to end, with handy information on all necessary equipment. Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating covers tropical and exotic cakes, flowers, fruit and nuts, celebration cakes, and arrangements, along with tips on technique and detailed recipes. This book delivers joy to both the baker and the sugar crafter, with amazing creations to impress those lucky enough to be offered the end results.
Alan Dunn
He’s been called a “Sugarcrafter superstar” by Library Journal, and for good reason. One of the world’s leading sugar flower artists, Alan Dunn is the author of more than a dozen authoritative sugar crafting books, including Alan Dunn's Celebration Cakes, Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating, Alan Dunn's Tropical & Exotic Flowers for Cakes, and more. An accredited demonstrator for The British Sugarcraft Guild, he teaches and demonstrates his artistry across Europe, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa.
Read more from Alan Dunn
Alan Dunn's Sugarcraft Flower Arranging: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Sugar Flowers for Exquisite Arrangements Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlan Dunn's Celebration Cakes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlan Dunn's Tropical & Exotic Flowers for Cakes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Alan Dunn's Ultimate Collection of Cake Decorating - Alan Dunn
Fringed nigella
I came across this unusual fringed form of nigella recently – it was quite a surprise as nigella, or ‘love in a mist’ as it is often called, is generally a much smaller delicate blue flower! There are some green versions of this flower too.
MATERIALS
33-, 30- and 28-gauge white wires
Pale green cold porcelain (p 14–5)
Nile green floristry tape
Vine, daffodil, sunflower, plum, coral, white and foliage petal dusts
White seed-head stamens
Hi-tack non-toxic craft glue
White flowerpaste
EQUIPMENT
Wire cutters
Dusting brushes
Non-stick board
Stargazer B petal veiner (SKGI)
Fine curved scissors
Plain-edge cutting wheel
Ball tool
Dresden tool
STAMEN CENTRE
1Cut several short lengths of 33-gauge white wire. Blend a small ball of pale green cold porcelain onto the end to create a fine, tapered carrot shape. This is to represent each section of the ovary at the centre of the flower. Pinch a slight ridge down one side at the base. Repeat to make 5 to 8 sections. As the cold porcelain begins to firm up you should be able to curl and twist each section prior to taping together with quarter-width nile green floristry tape. I use cold porcelain for the centre as it enables the stamens to be glued easily around it to create a neat join.
2Dust the centre with vine green petal dust. Next, take small sets of white seed-head stamens (3 to 5 in a set) and glue each set together at the centre with non-toxic craft glue. Flatten and work the glue from the centre towards either end of the stamens. Repeat with the other groups, trying not to apply too much glue as this will cause bulk and also take much longer to dry. Once the glue has set, cut the stamens in half and then trim away the excess using sharp scissors to leave only a short length to each group with a fine line of glue holding them together.
3Apply a little more glue to the base of each short stamen group and attach around the base of the ovary sections. Squeeze the base of the stamens into place. Leave to set. Dust the filaments (the length) with vine petal dust and the tips with a mixture of daffodil and sunflower.
FRINGED PETALS
4These vary in size and are a little random in their make-up too which is good for the flower-maker! Cut several lengths of 33-, 30- or 28-gauge white wire, depending on the size of petal you are working on. Blend a ball of well-kneaded white flowerpaste onto the wire to create a long, tapered petal shape. Keep the base broad and the tip fine. Flatten the shape against the non-stick board using the flat side of the stargazer B petal veiner. You might need to trim the edges slightly to neaten them up with fine scissors or a plain-edge cutting wheel.
5Soften the edge of the petal with the ball tool and then texture using the double-sided stargazer B petal veiner.
6Use fine curved scissors to make a long cut on either edge of the petal to create a tri-lobed shaped petal. Open up the sections and then add finer shorter snips to the edges of the three sections.
7Next, place the petal against the non-stick board and press each of the fringed sections with the broad end of the Dresden tool to thin them out slightly.
8Pinch the petal from the base to the tip to create a central vein. Repeat to make numerous petals, curving them slightly to give the flower more movement.
COLOURING AND ASSEMBLY
9The petals can be dusted before or after assembly with a mixture of plum, coral and white petal dusts, concentrating most of the colour at the base of each petal. Tinge the edges with vine green and small amounts of foliage green too. Tape the petals around the centre using quarter-width nile green floristry tape.
LEAVES
10 These are very fine and look good made from fine 33-gauge white wires and twisted nile green floristry tape. Add groups of leaves directly behind the flower. Dust them with foliage and vine green.
Sweet violet
The sweet violet, with its heady fragrance, has been used to symbolise love for thousands of years. It is also the flower of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In years gone by, violets were strewn on the floors of cottages and churches to conceal the musty smell of damp and to sweeten the air. Although there are cutters available for making violets, I actually prefer to use the method that was first taught to me 20-odd years ago: simply using a pair of scissors to cut the varying sizes of petal and then pinching and pulling each petal between finger and thumb to create the desired petal shape. This method, commonly known as the pulled flower method, can be used to make many types of filler flowers.
MATERIALS
White and holly/ivy flowerpaste
Cornflour bag (p 11)
26-gauge white wire
Nile green floristry tape
Fresh egg white
African violet, deep purple, daffodil, white, sunflower, vine green, foliage and aubergine petal dusts
Black paste food colour
Isopropyl alcohol
Edible spray varnish
EQUIPMENT
Smooth ceramic tool
Scissors
Fine-nose pliers
Non-stick rolling pin
Heart-shaped cutters
Dresden tool
Ball tool
Violet leaf veiner (SKGI)
Dimpled foam
Dusting brushes
Fine paintbrush
Calyx cutter (R15 OP) (optional)
FLOWERS
1Form a ball of well-kneaded white flowerpaste into a cone shape. Open up and thin out the broad end using the pointed end of the smooth ceramic tool – you might need a light dusting of cornflour to prevent the paste sticking to the tool.
2Next, divide the shape into five unequal-sized petals using a pair of scissors. You are aiming to end up with one larger lip petal with two small petals on either side of it, plus two medium-sized petals together at the top of the flower.
3Spread the petals apart and then carefully pinch each into a pointed shape between your finger and thumb. The next stage is to ‘pull’ each petal between your finger and thumb: hold the petal firmly across the top with your thumb uppermost and your forefinger supporting the underside of the petal. Rub your finger against the petal but keep your thumb steady. This will flatten the petal and enlarge it. Repeat the process on all the petals.
4Rest the flower over your forefinger and gently broaden and thin each petal using the ceramic