Cake! magazine Download and Print February 2019 Cake! Magazine | Page 10

Step 4: Step 2: Step 1: Start by stencilling the floral background design on to the cake. If your stencil is quite detailed you can mask off areas with masking tape to reduce the density of the pattern as I did here. If you are using a stencil which has a big gap at the bottom of the design you may need to raise your cake up on a sturdy platform, slightly smaller that the size of the cake. Make sure it isn’t going to move and use non-slip mat if necessary. Step 3: Wrap the stencil around the 9” tier. Hold it in place with some pins either side. Try to make it as tight and as flat against the cake as possible. Mix some black paste colour into two tablespoons of royal icing until you have a dark enough colour. You want the consistency to be fairly stiff but spreadable. Cover the bowl with some damp paper towel or cloth to prevent it from drying out while you work. Step 5 - 7: Use a palette knife to carefully apply the icing to the cake. Work from one side to another taking care not to allow the icing ooze under the pattern. Once you’ve covered the entire area, remove the pins and carefully remove the stencil. Wash it and dry it, leaving on the tape, if using. Continue stencilling around the cake. With this particular stencil, there isn’t any need to make everything match up perfectly, as the floral embroidery design on top hides any imperfections. It’s best to wait for the icing to be dry on the cake before moving onto the next section to avoid any smudging. Set the cake aside, then stencil the pattern onto the 6” tier. Continue cleaning the stencil and palette knife off after each use.