Wilton Fondant and Gum Paste: Class 3

It’s a weird feeling knowing that I only have one class left of all the Wilton cake decorating classes. At least I know that I am now capable of making many, many types of flowers. Including the ones I made last night including carnations, daisies and “fantasy flowers”:

Next week is my last course and my last cake – I am going to miss them. Would you ever take a cake decorating class?

P.S. Apparently my gum paste worked well enough to make these flowers, even though they did take longer than normal to dry.

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Wilton III Finale Cake

Tonight, I made the finale cake for my Wilton course 3. I have to say that I am terribly impressed with myself – it’s not perfect but it turned out nicely!

Having made my own cake, I now realize why my wedding cake was so expensive!

Making Fondant Roses

For the last cake for the Wilton 3 course requires 40 fondant flowers. Since I’m making so many, I thought I would show you all how I’ve been making them. Tips on my techniques would be appreciated.

To start, add colour and 1 tsp. of gum tex to 8 oz. of fondant.

Making The Base

Take a small amount and roll it into a ball.

Using the heel of your hand, roll part of the ball until it makes a cone shape and place it on a toothpick.

Allow to dry for at least a day.

Making the Rosebud

Take a small amount of fondant and roll it out thinly enough to see the lines beneath it, about a millimetre.

Using your flower cutter (as shown), cut out as many flowers as will fit.

Place one flower cut out on a thin piece of foam and the rest underneath the plastic flap of your practise board (or under a piece of plastic wrap.

Using a knife, cut 1/2″ slits between “petals”.

Using a ball molding tool, press out the edges of the petals until thin.

Using a paint brush, paint a bit of water into the middle of the flower.

Take the base and press the tooth pick into the middle of the flower.

Picture the flower like a body – a head, two arms and two legs. Paint a bit of water on the head and fold it around the base.

Paint one “arm” and opposite leg with water and wrap them around the base.

Paint the remaining two petals and wrap around.You should get a rosebud looking thing like this:

Adding the Second Layer of Petals

Take another flower cut out and cut it and roll it out like before.

Paint a bit of water on the centre and press the toothpick through the middle like before:

Take two “arms,” paint bottom and edges with water and wrap them around the rosebud where the last layer of petals overlapped.

Paint and wrap the remaining three petals, arranging so petals are somewhat evenly spaced.

Adding the Third Layer of Petals

Cut and “flatten” out a third flower cut out. Paint the centre with water and press the toothpick through it.

Paint petals with water, turn over rose and let petals flomp.

Press petals into to place and voila, a fondant rose!

Now you can make fondant roses yourself! I hope this was helpful!

Wilton Course 3: Class 2

Today I made my first “official” fondant cake. I learned how to cover cakes, make fondant roses and make fondant bows. I have to make 40 fondant roses by next week. Holy man.

I used  a buttermilk marble cake and put raspberries in the icing in the filling. Do note that it’s not a good idea to use frozen raspberries – they melt and like to escape, causing a mess. So learn from me and use fresh raspberries instead!

I

Have you tried using fondant before?

Polka Dot Cake

I’ve always wanted to make a fondant polka dot cake. Our friend’s birthday, where I was asked to bring a gluten free cake, was the perfect opportunity to make it. Leftover fondant + requiring cake + overzealous Bean =

I think it’s pretty. What’s in it? Well, it’s Coconut Milk Cake Cockaigne with strawberries in between layers and iced with quick icing that used coconut milk. I want you to know that putting sliced strawberries as filling works really well for sponge cakes but not so much for this yellow cake.

Coconut Milk Cake Cockaigne adapted from the Joy of Cooking

3/4 c. cup grated coconut
1 1/2 c. sifted brown rice flour
3/4 c. sifted tapioca starch
3/4 c. sifted potato starch
1 1/2 tsp. xathan gum
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. margarine, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. coconut milk

1. Heat oven to 350F and grease and flour cake pans (I used two 6″ springform pans, but 8 or 9 inch works well, too.)
2. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Transfer to another bowl.
3. Whisk together flours, xathan gum, baking powder and salt thoroughly in a bowl.  Set aside.
4. Beat margerine until creamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
5. Beat in egg yolks and add vanilla.
6. On low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternating with the coconut milk in 2 parts, beating until just smooth.
7. Stir in Coconut.
8. Fold in 1/4 of egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.
9. Scrape batter into pans, smoothing the top.
10. Bake 20-25 minutes for 3-8″ pans or 40+ minutes for 6″ pans. (Watch the cake through the window in your oven. Once the middle looks “set” and has risen to make a dome shape, start checking the cake. Before that and it is likely the cake will fall!)
11. Leave in pan for a few minutes, then turn out onto wire rack. Cool completely.

Since my 6″ cakes were pretty thick, I decided to cut each layer in half. I did it mostly following these instructions.

Tada! Not bad for my first time! (yes, there is a crack in the cake. It stresses the importance of greasing and flouring your pans well. Haha. Stresses. I just made a really bad engineering joke.)

Once the cake was sliced, I lined each layer with strawberries and created an “icing dam” like so:

But since you’re not going to use strawberries, you’ll need to first make the icing dam, then pour/spread whatever filling you are using.

Stack all the layers and be impressed with your own psuedo Tower of Pisa:

Now, go wild with your icing until everything is covered and smooth(ish). Then cover with rolled fondant:

Yes, I am a messy baker, thank you very much. Now add polka dots to your heart’s content!