Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network May 2014 | Page 112

Sally Ryan
interview with

How and when did you first become
involved in cake decorating?
I started decorating after attempting
a cake for my son’s first birthday. I
attempted a hungry caterpillar cake
and I was very happy with how it
turned out so I started to do a few
classes and teaching myself until I had
the skill and confidence to open my
business.
What is it about cake decorating that
you enjoy most?

When it comes to equipment, what are
the necessities for making and piping
royal icing?
A super fine sieve to get out all lumps
in the sugar and seamless piping
tubes. I prefer PME tubes. I also use
parchment piping bags, but like all
things in cake decorating it’s up to
personal preference.
What are a few guidelines people
should follow in terms of piping and
drying royal icing?

The key is the icing consistency. If you
do not have this correct your project
will be frustrating and unenjoyable.

Get to know the icing before you
attempt projects. Spend time playing
with icing and getting to know its
limitations. Learn the effects of too
much water in the correction brush.
Learn how far you can stretch a string
so you can design a cake with this in
mind. Do some practice pieces of any
filigree or flood pieces to discover any
weakness in the design structure, so
you have time to make adjustments
to the design. The same applies for
drying time. It all comes with practice.
You will get to know this as you go,
but if in doubt do a testing piece at
the same time as the others or leave
it overnight.. Some large flood pieces
can take days to dry.

Sifting the icing sugar through
something finer then the piping tip you
want to use. If you get large crystals of
sugar in the piping tip it will block.

Does weather play a factor in working
with royal, or does it affect drying
times?

Be prepared. Know your design and
have your surface prepared before
you mix your royal icing. Fresh icing is
much nicer to work with.

I live in a fairly dry area so I have
never had any trouble with humidity,
but on cold day I find I always need to
extend my drying time.

What have you found to be the trickiest
part of working with royal icing?

There are a lot of pre-packagedsimply add water royal mixes on the
market these days. Do you believe it’s
better to make it yourself?

Piping. I love to see the creation come
to life.
You particularly love experimenting
with royal icing, what is it about royal
icing that intrigues you?
I love how it has such amazing
strength, yet is amazingly fragile. It
takes skill and a lot of patience.
What are the three most important
things someone should know when
preparing to work with royal icing?

Hot on the heels of some of Australia’s best decorators, is rising cake star Sally Ryan.
Despite only first trying her hand at decorating four years ago, Sally has a natural talent and
passion for cake art that’s already taken her on a wild rollercoaster.
Written by Marianna Saran
Sally’s talent was spotted by an
American company with whom
she has now teamed up with, to
produce some amazing tutorials
that focus on teaching the art
of royal icing, all while living in
regional New South Wales.
Sally has also established a new
cake decorating school in Central
Western New South Wales, to
pass on her knowledge to other
enthusiasts.
The Australian Cake Decorating
Network team was excited to sit
down with Sally to share in her
cake journey so far.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and
your cake business?
I am a passionate decorator who loves
doing classic and elegant cakes. The
Sally’s Cakes… business is only new
but I am having a fantas ѥ