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Chapter 1

Basic Tools and Ingredients

Those old sets of decorating tips for piping buttercream roses are just the tip of the iceberg. Today, you can walk into a craft store and find at least two full aisles of cake decorating tools, pans, and gadgets. So with all of the choices, how do you know what you need? Who even knows what to do with some of these fancy decorating tools and shimmer dusts? In this chapter, I will go over everything you need to make the cakelets in this book. I’ll show you which decorating tools are must-haves, and how to use them.

BASIC PANS

You don’t need to make a huge investment in tons of different pans to make the designs in this book. Most of the designs use standard cake pans you likely already have:

LOAF PANS (9 X 5-INCH) Cakes bake up narrower and taller, perfect for square shapes like dice and treasure chests.

MUFFIN TINS You can stack these to make tall figures like ghosts.

SQUARE 8 X 8-INCH AND RECTANGULAR 9 X 13-INCH CAKE PANS These are perfect for two-dimensional designs, such as T-shirts. Or you can stack layers to make designs that stand up, like purses and shopping bags.

Because many of my designs are carved out of a larger piece of cake, even if you don’t have these pans you can still make a cakelet. Just find an oven-safe vessel (even a skillet will work) and bake a cake in it. Just try to pick a pan that will fit the cakelet design with as little waste as possible. By choosing the right pan, you can save batter for another project or for coordinating cupcakes.

9 X 13-INCH CAKE PAN

LOAF PAN

SPECIALTY PANS

The baking industry has responded to the call for mini cakes by offering specialty pans in a wide variety of shapes. These are the most versatile and the ones I use most.

KING-SIZE MUFFIN PANS Perfect for coffee cups, tree stumps and giant cupcakes. Put two jumbo muffins together and you have a wine barrel.

MINI WONDER MOLD

MINI BALL PAN

KING-SIZE MUFFIN PAN

MINI BALL PAN (SMALL HALF-BALLS) Great for creating sphere-shaped cakelets such as Christmas ornaments and sports balls.

MINI WONDER MOLD (MINI CONE-SHAPES) Great for dress bottoms, teacups, and igloos. Put two domes together and you have the makings of a Fabergé or Easter egg cakelet.

TIERED MINI CAKE PAN SETS These sets come in a variety of shapes—circles, squares, rectangles, octagons, and even topsy turvy. Since these sets usually come with three different sized pans, you can mix and match the shapes or use one of the pans for example, the rectangle pan to create the perfect shopping bag or suitcase cakelet.

TOOLS—THE NECESSITIES

Every project in this book requires this set of basic tools.

CORNSTARCH Used to keep your fondant from sticking to the mat when you roll it out, and it will keep your cutters from sticking, too. It’s much whiter and finer than flour, which is not a good substitute.

FONDANT MODELING TOOL SET These sets typically consist of various sized ball tools used to thin out the edges of flower petals, as well as veiners which you poke into the middle of flowers to add realism. In addition to a standard set, you should add a quilting tool to create stitch marks on your fabric- and fashion-themed designs. You will also need a double-sided flower veiner to create a realistic flower petal texture to both sides of a fondant flower cut out.

GEL FOOD COLORING Think of these like an artist’s paints. They come in an amazing array of shades, are more intense than liquid food coloring, and can be blended to make custom colors. I prefer those in soft plastic squeeze bottles so I can add a drop of color at a time.

PARCHMENT OR WAXED PAPER Essential for keeping your work surface free of stray crumbs and buttercream.

PASTRY WHEEL/PIZZA WHEEL Pastry or pizza wheels make it easy to make precise cuts along a straight line or around the bottom of a cakelet. The best pastry wheels also include a scalloped blade, for those times when you need a scalloped edge to your fondant.

PLACEMAT You are going to need a smooth, nonstick surface for rolling out fondant. Although many people use Silpat mats, they’re expensive and easy to damage when cutting out shapes with an X-Acto knife. Cheap placemats from a dollar store are a great option because they’re affordable, easy to replace, and can withstand the X-Acto blade rather well.

PLASTIC WRAP To keep cakes and fondant from drying out before you work with them, you’ll need to wrap them in plastic.

ROLLING PIN Rolling pins come in various sizes, weights and materials. You can even get bands to put on them to help you roll out your dough or fondant to a precise thickness. They can get pricey, so if you’re looking to save a little money, or want to add a small or medium roller to your collection for rolling out tiny bits of fondant, head over to your home improvement store and ask an employee to cut a short length of PVC pipe. Sand both ends smooth, run it through the dishwasher and you have yourself a rolling pin!

SCISSORS Don’t use your kids’ art scissors or that rusty pair from the junk drawer. Every kitchen should have a dedicated, sharp, food-safe pair of scissors on hand.

SERRATED KNIFE A serrated edge cuts through cake without squashing or flattening it.

SPATULA When working with cakelets, I prefer a tapered angled spatula. I prefer the Ateco brand because the metal is very thin and flexible making it easy to ice contoured cake shapes.

WATER AND PAINT BRUSH These are essential for adhering fondant pieces to each other.

X-ACTO KNIFE Commonly found in art supply stores and hardware stores, X-Acto knives are essential for making detailed, precise cuts.

REVITALIZE DRYING FONDANT WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF SHORTENING APPLIED TO THE SURFACE.

SHORTENING When working on fondant decorations, you may find that your fondant is drying too quickly, causing it to tear and wrinkle. Just put a little bit of shortening on your finger and work it into the fondant to make it workable again.

OTHER ESSENTIALS

EMBOSSING ROLLERS Easily add beautiful patterns and dimensional textures to fondant with these handy tools.

FONDANT CUTTERS There is a wide variety of cutters out there, including flowers, geometric shapes, damask patterns, themed sets, and funky shapes. Don’t limit yourself to the cutters in your local craft store. Online cake decorating stores offer an amazing selection of cutters, and eBay is a great source of cutters not available in the U.S. Consider buying a craft organizer for storage.

FONDANT SMOOTHERS Although you can smooth fondant over a cakelet with your hands, a fondant smoother will help you make perfect edges and super-flat surfaces. They’re also useful for making perfectly rounded and smooth handles for purses and shopping bags.

IMPRESSION MATS These textured plastic sheets are used to press an embossed pattern into a sheet of fondant. They come in a huge variety of patterns, from bricks and stones, to swirls, stripes, and laces.

LETTER PRESSES Adding a monogram or name is a great way to personalize a cakelet, and letter presses ensure it’ll look slick and professional. Although there are letter and number cutters known as Tapits, they’re not always user friendly. Instead, I use letter presses designed for clay projects. They are easy to use, affordable, and commonly found in most craft stores.

MOLDS Using molds makes your cake look like a pro’s. Simply push a ball of fondant into a silicone mold and you get an edible design or figure that would take ages to create by hand. Molds can be expensive, so shop around and try to pick a mold that you’ll find multiple uses for.

PIPING BAGS Use piping bags to place a neat bead of frosting or royal icing precisely where you want it. They are great for adding fine details or lettering. The bags are available in many different varieties including silicone, reusable cotton, parchment assembled, and plastic disposables.

STENCILS Even if you have no artistic ability, you can use a stencil to add intricate decorations to your cakes. Just place the stencil on top of the fondant, then use a spatula to spread royal icing over the stenciled pattern. Remove any excess icing and gently peel away the stencil. That’s it!

DUSTS

Dusts are a great way to add shading for flowers, contour to sculpted shapes, and a shimmer or a metallic shine. They come in dozens of colors. When choosing which one to use, try to match it closely to the color of the fondant. There are three main types that I use:

DISCO DUST Edible glitter! That’s the best way to describe this relatively new kind of dust.

LUSTER DUSTS These are like eye shadow. They add a shimmery, luster effect to your fondant. When mixed with vodka, they turn into metallic paint.

PETAL DUSTS These dusts add a matte finish, which is great for adding depth and shading to your designs. And if you’re interested in hand painting on fondant, petal dust is the way to go. Just mix it with vodka.

INGREDIENTS

There have been many times when I’ve been in the middle of a cake design when I suddenly realize I don’t have exactly what I need. Over the years, I’ve been able to improvise and have found that there are plenty of ingredients commonly found in your local grocery store that will do just fine.

CAKE Since cakelets are small, there is no need for complex support systems or ultra-firm cakes. Almost any recipe (except angel food) will work, including box cake mixes.

FONDANT There was a time when fondant had a bad rap—it didn’t taste good and it was hard to find. Thankfully that’s not the case today because it’s so much fun to work with. Every design in this book relies on fondant. You can buy delicious fondant online or in craft stores in a rainbow of colors.