[Ariana]

Огромная благодарность Автору cutesweetthings за Мастер-класс

Materials needed
7" and 9" round card for the base of each tier.
Doweling for support
Bottle Green satin ribbon - 6mm wide by 2m
Bottle Green satin ribbon - 2 inches wide by 2m
Black satin ribbon 1 inch wide by 2m
Diamontes buckle
13" diameter cake board 4mm or 6mm thick


7” Dark Chocolate Mud Cake round
135g butter
135g dk choc
15g coffee
100ml water
75g SR
75g plain
30g cocoa
.3 tsp bicarb
295g caster
2.5 eggs
4.5 tsp oil
60ml buttermilk


Ganache
735g dark chocolate
365ml pure cream


Fondant
740g sugar-paste


9” Dark Chocolate Mud Cake round
220g butter
220g dk choc
25g coffee
160ml water
125g SR
125g plain
50g cocoa
.5 tsp bicarb
480g caster
4 eggs
7 tsp oil
100ml buttermilk


Ganache
1200g dark chocolate
600ml pure cream


Fondant
1.2kg sugar-paste

The pattern on the top tier of the cake was inspired by Crewel Embroidery and I looked at many examples on the net for inspiration.

I wanted to use simplified elements of the original designs to create a new and unique black and white design.

First of all I made a template for the top of the cake and the sides from some greaseproof paper...

....and then drew on my design with an HB pencil.


I turned the paper around and traced the design on the back, again using an HB pencil (do not use a softer pencil as it will smudge onto your pure white icing and really make a mess).

I transfered my design onto the cake using a sharp HB pencil, securing the template with sticky tape around the sides and holding the top down lightly with my fingertips.

I scanned my greaseproof paper templates for you to enlarge in your photocopier to fit the exact size of your cake. Once you have the outline transferred to the cake you can paint the motifs larger going over the lines a little covering up all the pencil marks as I have allowed for this by drawing the outlines smaller than i require for the finished work.

The bottom of each stem is covered by the green ribbon and the top of each stem I ended in an RI dot or two. Choose one of the central stems and line it up with the stem on the top of the cake.

I used Cake Art black edible colour on top but it was a little shiny so used Wilton on the sides and was happier with the finish. I used two round Taklon brushes a No 5/0 to outline and a No 4 to fill in.





If your colour is too thick, use a little Vodka to thin it down. I didn't need to use any on this occasion.













Sorry that the video is so boring and has TV noise in the background but it is my first YouTube clip and I hope to improve. It also shows how slow I am at painting on cake. it took me 4 hours to complete! My brush was rubbish with hairs sticking out at right angles which I cut off making the brush almost impossible to use as there were only about 12 hairs left LOL! I have since replaced it.
Another tip! Use a brush with very long hairs as this helps with lines. Lay most of the brush on the cake and pull it along as this reduces hand wobble.
To make my design zing I wanted to add piped Royal Icing dots but decided to wait until the cake was fully assembled.


To assemble the cake I firstly placed the bottom tier on its base using some Royal Icing as glue. I then covered the bare edges of the board using a roll of sugar-paste which I unrolled like you would a carpet around the cake. Join at the back by first overlapping the sugar-paste and cutting with a knife through both layers, removing the excess and joining with a little Royal Icing.

Ali (my partner) marks the length of dowel to be cut while I take the picture.

I needed 4 dowels to support the top tier for this cake and one double height piece for the central dowel (this stops the top tier from sliding about while being transported).

Ali pushes in the first dowel

Ali carefully taps in the central dowel.

The central dowel cuts right through the middle of my design but it is easy to cover this up with a small black sugar-paste cut out, topped with a smaller white round piece of sugar-paste and crowned with a large dot of black royal icing.

Can you see the added dots!

I stuck the black ribbon onto the middle of the green ribbon using 12mm wide double sided tape but left the ends of the bow unstuck so that they could be hanging loosely from the bow as they would look too rigid otherwise.




I didn't cut the ribbon in any way to form the bow. I just made it look good while holding it in my hand then slipped it through the diamonte buckle trying not to lose any of the nice shape I had.