Cake Masters Magazine

Cake Masters is a magazine issue which sells world wide, but is most popular with in the UK.

I decided to look at this company as it is more local to me than most of my inspirations I've previously looked at. This shows me the standard of  some companies with in the cake business which are more relevant to me.

Cake Masters magazine give top tips on how to do exquisite cakes for all occasions and the issues link monthly to current events seasons or dates, such as summer themes, Christmas themes, Easter themes, wedding themes, birthday themes and many more. They give you a list of the best equipment you can use to create the piece and they guide you through how to do it with the best tips on how to do so, I.E the best piping tip-end and size to use and the motion in which to use it.

The variation of the cakes is amazing and it covers a wide surface of genres and tastes as they include lots of different artists/bakers works.

For me personally, this image represents how high the standards are of local cake decorators and this is because not only is it visually beautiful and fun but it is also got a sense of structure and you can see how much hard work has gone into putting this cake together.

Cake magazine also includes competitions within the issues, which means that they're also offering opportunities for in-established bakers to become recognized.

The magazine issues will often have a couple of show stoppers or eye catching larger and more advanced cakes with in them and then have several smaller and simpler works with in them. I think this is good because it means less advanced or amateur bakers can start with the simpler methods and techniques and work their way up. It also means that the reader will learn how to create a perfect center piece but a long side that how to make appetizers as well.

Cake Masters also have a Facebook page where people can enter competitions and where they show local cake decorators works.

                                       https://www.facebook.com/CakeMasters

These last two images of cookies really caught my eye as so much beauty and detail has been produced and they literally look like art work, only they're edible which I absolutely love and admire. For me, having art work with purpose and to be used in another way then being visual, and especially if it's edible, is my ultimate goal.

• I started off by setting out my pans. I had a large silicone pan which I used for the larger bottom section of my cake stand; a smaller tin which could open to release the base, which I lined with grease proof paper; and I had small rounded silicone cases which I was to use for the legs of my stand.
• I then went on to heat my sugar and water. I made a mistake the first time around as I added too much water. I then had to restart it as the sugar wouldn't set with that quantity of water.
• I then made the correct measurements of water and sugar which ratios should be 2 parts sugar 1 part water. I kept stirring it at first so the sugar would dissolve into the water. I then left it to simmer and waited until it was a yellowy brown color before removing it from the hob. At the start of heating I would have it on a low/medium heat as I was scared for the sugar burning, however because I was doing it in a large bulk, towards the end I would up the heat to medium/high and kept an eye on it.
• I then poured the mixture into the large pan and had to make another batch ready for the second pan.
• I did the same technique again to melt the sugar. This method used a lot of sugar and water, I probably used around two large bags of sugar during this experimentation.
• I then had to think how to create the center column to hold the tiers of the stand. I was working on a low budget so I couldn't afford to spend any more on molds or equipment to make my own molds so I made a tester mold out of a cup which I cut to make it rounded and duck tape to secure it. When I poured sugar into it though, where there was small gaps in-between the plastic, the sugar would seep through and melt through the tape.
• I then tried this test again with a better version of this test making sure the plastic was as tightly pushed together as possible, however there was still the tiniest gaps which the mixture melted through. Another mistake I made in this was that I was so anxious to make this and get this going after so long doing this that I took the sugar off the heat too quickly, which meant it wouldn't set or harden properly.
• This process ended up taking a few days for me to get all the pieces done properly. I then used the same molds I used for the legs to make the column for the center. I made them and then used melted sugar to glue them to each other making a stack of them. I then used the melted sugar to attach all the pieces, which worked well in some ways since it was strong and edible and the same mixture used through out; however some issues with it is that it can actually slightly melt through some pieces, dis-shaping them slightly if too much of the sugar is added, also if it cools too quickly from touching the cold sugar, it can dry fairly tacky and need cleaning up after.
• As you can see when it is done it does hold well and it is very strong.
• In future I could experiment making more edible stands using different materials, I've thought about making hard biscuit stand or isomalt stands or even rocky road stands.

    

making a modelling chocolate figure

• 

I started off by using a polystyrene ball and I used a sharp tool to keep the head steady in the stand. I covered the ball in white modelling chocolate and pinched the edges and smoothed it over to appear circular.

• Afterwards I used my fingers and thumbs to indent where the eyes will be. I used some extra chocolate and made an over-sized nose to add character. I used a pointed tool to firstly cut the nostrils out and then I used a rounded tool to shape them.

 

• I then used dark modelling chocolate which I used for making the mustache eyebrows and pupils of the eyes. I used a sharp tool to score into the eyebrows and mustache to give them some details.
• For the eyes I used some more white chocolate and rolled two equal circles out. I used edible glue (a mixture of TYLO and water) to attach the eyes and used my rounded tool to flatten them into place. I then used the same techniques for the pupils.
• I then used some thin strands of white chocolate to make the eyelids which I blended more at the top to just add some definition.

 
 
 

• I then made some ears using white modelling chocolate and a rounded tool to shape them. Again I enlarged them, like the nose, to add more character.
• I then used dark chocolate to make some hair. I added a little flick into his hair to show some movement with in it or some shape.

 

• I removed the head and left it to one side to set.

 

• I then started the legs by using two cake pop sticks to hold the legs up. I rolled out white chocolate into a baggy jeans shape. I placed the sticks into the legs at this stage once they were shaped so I could add details once they were attached. I added a pocket and used a tool to make some creases to add some detail.

 

• I then used edible colors to paint the trousers to appear like jeans. To do this I mixed blue and black to create a dark blue. I added some water in parts so the color distribution was slightly irregular. I also used my fingers to dab some of the color off. This was to create a jeans effect.

 

• I then used dark chocolate to make a T-shirt shape. I used another cake pop stick which I attached into the legs through the T-shirt and left sticking outwards. I used white chocolate to make a neck and attached it along with the head so that I could blend the still soft modelling chocolate into the head to make sure they're attached properly.
• I used my rounded tool to make fairly deep holes into the sleeves so I could later attach the arms. I also rolled out a little bit of dark chocolate the make a lining for the neck of the top.

 
 

• Finally I made some white chocolate arms. I used a sharp tool to indent fingers and to cut the thumbs. I used my edible glue to attach the arms into the sleeves and also a little bit onto the hand touching the stomach to hold the weight. I did this again to add some character or movement rather than being a stood still figure. Once it had set more I made some little shoes which I attached underneath the jeans.

These are some of the links I used as research.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoQ66ef-GN0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3Zmwu-Emrc

The second link I was heavily influenced by. When I watched it I followed several steps to learn how to do the face of my man. As I went along I adapted some of the steps to match the character I wanted for my man. For example I made mine younger and to show that I didn't add wrinkles and I added hair. I also made my man skinnier in the face by not adding chins and making the features quite large on the face. I also made the nose a slightly different size and shape along with the mustache and then I added ears and a body.

Vivian Pham, cakes

Her cakes can completely range from each other, but in each genre she seems to keep a similar style. I like that she has a real modern take on some of her cakes and it's very up to date with themes that are popular today. My favorite style of her cakes are the really beautiful and detailed cakes that are mainly color schemed around gold. This style of hers looks very influenced by rococo and it just looks so elegant and beautiful. She also ranges with shape and structure having top heavy cakes and centered sphere cakes which shows that a lot of planning and artistic and structural knowledge will have been incorporated.

How to make edible sand and water for a cake

To make sand for a cake you can use biscuits or cookies to the color you want and crush them up, some examples of these are:

• graham crackers.
• vanilla wafers.
• shortbread cookies.
• you can also add sparkling sugar or Cake Sparkles into the biscuit crumbs to add a glisten to the sand.

To make water for a cake you can:

• Use piping gel that you've colored.
• Sparkles Gel which is a brand of piping gel which adds a glisten to the water.
• Cover the water section in white acing and create wave like lumps of icing which you can then cover with the piping gel, or you can use a spatula.
• Use butter cream in different shades and use a spatula.
• Use gelatin which works good for ponds, but it has to be directly on cake because it's too wet for fondant.

EDIBLE GEMS

If you get some molds and spray them with cooking spray then it will prevent the gems from sticking when you try to get them out. You don't have to do this if you're using silicone molds. Melt the sugar at 260-275 degrees F and then pour the mixture into the molds and wipe away any access. When they've cooled and set you can take them out and they should be hard, shiny and clear and you can dust them with edible dust to add an extra shine. A problem with this is that if you don't control the temperature right then you're sugar may turn yellow. Another ingredient you could use instead from sugar and probably a better option is to use isomalt as it will always stay clear. A disadvantage of the isomalt is that consuming too much of it can give you a bad stomach, although small amounts are perfectly fine.

Buttercream Flower Tips

You start with a piping bag with the tip size 150 and stiff consistency butter-cream icing. Hold bag at 

90° angle at 6:00. You should start piping at edge of cupcake and work toward the center. Pipe a 

left-cupped petal, then a right- cupped petal.

Move the tip down about halfway on first petals. Squeeze to pipe a right-cupped petal.

Continue squeezing, moving the tip halfway down on previous petal to pipe another right cupped 

petal, then pull down toward the center of the cupcake.

Repeat sequence to cover cupcake, turning cupcake as needed.

You will need to start with a piping bag and a rose petal tip (preferably sized 104). To start you

should place the larger end of the tip in the center of the cake and squeeze whilst then spinning

the cake and squeezing in a rainbow like motion. Carry on piping in a rainbow like motion to create

 petals surrounding the middle rosette. Keep each petal overlapping the next and gradually build

outward.