contents

I N T RO D U C T I O N

RECIPES & TECHNIQUES

Alternative Ingredients
Tools
Favorite Vegan Gluten-Free Recipes
Cake Construction
Working with Fondant, Sugar Paste,
and Marzipan
ASPECTS OF CAKE DESIGN

Classical
Classical Whimsy
Modern
Modern Whimsy
Dessert Tables
RESOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INDEX

INDEX

vi

T H E A RT O F V E G A N & G L U T E N - F R E E C A K E S

000

 h oW to :

Sculpting Flowers on Wire

This technique is used to create a flower with petals that lay directly around the center and
that can be layered with more petals to create a fuller look. Sizes vary from small flowers, such
as these daisies, to larger flowers, such as roses.
u S e t hi S t eC hn i Q u e to M ake:

Daisies,Vintage Tin cake, page 000

Thistles, Gold in Chaos cake, page 000
Ranunculus, Posies cake, page 000

Taper one side of the flower center into a cone

shape.

Bend one end of the wire into a hook shape to

better secure it to the sugar paste. Dip the hooked
end into the watercorn syrup mixture. Insert the
hooked end of the wire into the tapered end of
the sugar paste ball.

Further taper the end of the cone around the

wire, removing excess sugar paste.

Flatten the rounded top of the flower center.

Abstract flowers, Mod Earth cake, page 000

Sweet peas, Sweet Peas and Ferns cake,
page 000
to o L S :

Sugar Paste (page 000)

20-gauge wire, trimmed to 8-inch lengths
1:1 mixture of water and corn syrup
flower center mold
cornstarch in muslin bag (for dusting)
cake dummy
silicone rolling pin
daisy cutter,
damp tea towel wrapped in plastic wrap
(see page 000)
foam pad
small-medium ball tool
paintbrushes
green floral tape

For each flower, to make the center, roll a small amount of sugar
paste (here, yellow) into a smooth ball.

green powder dye

142

PURE ARTIS TRY

W o r k i n g W i t h F o n d a n t, S u g a r P a S t e , a n d M a r z i P a n

143

stormy
lavender

m O O Dy AN D RO mAN Ti C

stand three of my personal

favorite cakes, which defy balance in more than one

sense, and as a grouping create multifarious layers. The
diverse cakes are carefully placed in such a way that no
one takes center stage over another. Amid this trio, a
variety of complementing petite desserts are scattered
around the composition, creating a beautiful rhythm
among the tablescape.

G O L D

i N C H AO S C A K E

(page 000)
S H E D D i N G

L AC E C A K E

(page 000)
C A N D i E D

GEm CAKE

(page 000)
>>>

D E S S E R T TA B L E S

321

edible pop

S I m P L e To o L S

I have around the kitchen inspire many of the designs I create. Instead

of going out and buying new gadgets, look around and try making a pattern or design
from things you have at hand. For example, after stacking tiered cakes, I end up with
a slew of dowel rod scraps I never know what to do with. When I wanted to achieve
a stamped circle pattern, voil! The end of a scrap dowel, used like a stamp, was the
answer. Never feel like you have to own all the fancy tools to create something beautiful.
The design on this cake is drawn from styles used in the pop art movement of the
1960s, which featured flat, layered imagery and simple color schemes. I pasted bright
fondant blossom and leaf cutouts on top of the stamped dots to add dimension but
still keep the effect of a flat canvas. The graphic black stripes on the bottom tier, which
balance the busyness of the top two tiers, are cut from thinly rolled pieces of fondant and
then carefully applied with a mixture of equal parts water and corn syrup.

MODERN

271

piata

PI ATAS H AVE M ATURED q UITE A bIT

since I was a kid. You can now find many

piata shapes beyond the traditional donkey, often in hip colors and metallic finishes.
So, why not a completely edible piata? This piata cake is covered head to toe with
fringed strips of fondant in muted green, dark teal, gray, and light blue. The tallstacked cake tiers in different shapes and sizes create a multitude of spaces, curves,
and edges to accent the fringes versatile movement. You can re-create this piata texture
in any shape, color, or size. I would recommend using caution if smashing.

MODERN WHIMSY

287

 H OW TO :

Creating and Applying Piata Texture

TO O L S :

powdered sugar in a muslin bag for dusting

silicone rolling pin
different colors Fondant (page 000)
pastry wheel
ruler
damp tea towel wrapped in plastic wrap
(see page 000)

Use the pastry wheel and ruler to trim the

rectangle into three 12-by-2-inch strips. Cover
with the plastic-wrapped tea towel to prevent the
fondant from drying out.

Trim each strip into four 3-by-2-inch pieces,

To attach the pieces to a fondant-covered

Apply to the cake one strip at a time, creating a complete row around the

cake, use a fine-tip paintbrush to dot the back

of the un-fringed edge with the watercorn
syrup mixture. (Work with one strip at a time.)
If applying to an iced cake, apply directly on the
chilled icing without the water mixture.

cake tier. Start from the bottom of the cake tier, and then add each row on
top of another so that the fringe covers the un-fringed section of the piece
underneath. Every now and then, alternate the colors of the rows to create a
festive stripe pattern. To finish the top of the cake, continue layering the fringe
in a circular pattern until its completely covered.

covering the pieces with the tea towel as you

work.

Work with one rectangle at a time. Use the

utility knife to cut fringe on one long edge, leaving
a -inch-wide section un-fringed on the top of
the rectangle.

utility knife
fine-tip paintbrush
1:1 mixture of water and corn syrup

Dust your surface with powdered sugar. Using the silicone rolling
pin, roll out the fondant into a rectangle 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch thick.
Rotate the fondant evenly as you roll, as you would for a piecrust.
If the fondant begins to stick, dust more powdered sugar on
the surface.

Use the pastry wheel and ruler to trim a 12-by-6-inch rectangle

from the fondant.

288

PURE ARTISTRY

MODERN WHIMSY

289

sweet peas and ferns

Q UAIN T Po LKA DoTS

combined with realistic sugar sweet peas and ferns produce a

nostalgically enchanting beauty. This cake is finished with Passion Fruit Icing (page
000) and dots of Madagascar Vanilla Bean Icing (page 000) piped with a small round
tip (#01). After the dots are piped, you can lightly go over the peaks with a damp
paintbrush to round the tops.

TO M A K E T H E S U G A R S w E E T P E A S ,

follow the general instructions for sculpting

flowers on a wire on page 000, surrounding an oblong yellow flower center with two
ruffled pink petals. Dry-dust the finished sweet peas with pink and yellow powder dye.

CLASSICAL

195

At her celebrated bakery, Lael Cakes, Emily Lael Aumiller

creates stunning special-occasion cakes that are as pleasing
to the taste buds as they are to the eyeand theyre all vegan
and gluten-free! As more people are becoming aware of their
dietary restrictions, Emilys exquisite cakes provide a solution
that leaves everyone happy while dismissing the idea that vegan
and gluten-free desserts are by nature unattractive. Pure Artistry
includes recipes for staple cakes (like Mexican Chocolate,
Lemon-Poppy, and Classic Red Velvet) plus icings and fondant,
how-tos on cake construction, and information on necessary
ingredients and tools. The books cake designs are organized
by moodclassical, classical whimsy, modern, and modern
whimsyand i also contains foundational decorating
techniques, like making sugar flowers, while inspiring bakers
with photography that is gorgeous enough to stand on its own.

EMILY LAEL AUMILLER is the founder and

owner of Lael Cakes. Upon opening Lael Cakes
and struggling with food allergies, Emily mastered
recipes that cater to gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan
clients who are in need of high-end custom cakes.

PUBLICITY & MARKETING:

National media from New York

Online marketing and
social media promotion
Author website: laelcakes.com
Publicity Contact:

Rebecca Liss
(212)598-5729
rebecca.liss@hmhco.com
978-0-544-19069-6
Paper Over Board
$35.00
9x10
352 pages
PUBLICATION DATE: 4/12/2016

Cover and interior design: Level Inc./Calistoga, CA

Author photo Lauren Volo

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