Читать книгу Cake Decorating Basics - Rachel Brown - Страница 11

There is no need to rush out and buy everything on this list before you decorate your first cake. Generally, tins (pans), a rolling pin, sharp knives, a palette knife (metal spatula), a smoother and, if you plan to work with sugarpaste (also known as rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing), a paintbrush will suffice. Over time, you will work out which pieces of equipment you need most, and your collection will gradually build.

Airtight bottles (4) Useful for storing the alcoholic mixture used to ‘feed’ fruit cakes.

Airtight containers (16) A selection of large and small containers stores ingredients between use and protects fruit cakes while they mature.

Baking trays Use with frames to prevent cake mixture from spilling out during baking.

Balling mat (13) Use with a balling tool to frill or give ‘movement’ to sugarpaste and Mexican paste.

Balling tool (14) Use to model shapes and figures, and to frill or give ‘movement’ to sugarpaste and Mexican paste.

Boards (6) Place under cakes as a finishing touch; boards should always be 7.5cm (3in) larger than cakes.

Cake wire (2) Use to slice sponge cakes in half for filling.

Cel stick (11) A slender stick with a pointed end used to model shapes and figures; usually made of durable, non-stick plastic.

Cling film (plastic wrap) (8) Use to line novelty tins and to prevent sugarpaste and marzipan from drying out.

Cocktail sticks (toothpicks) (10) Ideal for adding colour to sugarpaste and royal icing.

Cooling racks (20) Use to cool cakes.

Crimpers (1) Tweezer-like tools used to create patterns on sugarpaste.

Cutters (17) Available in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Dowels (19) Run through pillars, separators and stacked cakes to support the tiers; available in plastic and can be cut to size.

Drums (7) Thick boards that lift up cakes for decorating.

Embossers (15) Leave imprints of pictures or words when pressed into sugarpaste.

Food colouring (18) Adds colour to sugarpaste, marzipan, royal icing and buttercream; available in paste, powder and liquid forms.

Food dust Apply with a paintbrush to add colour to sugarpaste and marzipan.

Garrett frill cutter (12) Scalloped cutter that gives sugarpaste and Mexican paste frilled or scalloped edges; ones with interchangeable centres are the most versatile.

Glue stick (3) Essential for attaching decorations to boards and drums.

Greaseproof (waxed) paper (21) Use to line tins (pans) and to make piping tubes (nozzles) and templates; comes in pre-cut rolls and sheets.

Icing ruler (5) Smoothes buttercream and royal icing; usually made of metal or plastic.

Kitchen (aluminum or tin) foil (9) Adds an extra layer of protection to fruit cakes while they mature.

Kitchen paper (paper towels) Use with embossers and food dust, and to tidy up imperfections on cake coverings.

Measuring spoons (12) Ensure you use the right quantities of ingredients every time you make recipes.

Mixing bowls (7) Essential for making cake mixtures, buttercream, marzipan, sugarpaste and royal icing.

Paintbrushes (20) Use to paint and to add delicate details and food dust to marzipan, sugarpaste and Mexican paste. Also useful for dampening modelled figures before assembling them.

Palette knife (metal spatula) (19) Useful for spreading jam (jelly) and buttercream on sponge cakes, and for lifting small pieces of sugarpaste and dried royal icing.

Pillars (5) Use to separate tiers of a cake; often made of plastic and can be round, square and octagonal.

Piping (decorating) bags (3) Use with piping tubes (nozzles) to pipe royal icing; usually made of greaseproof (waxed) paper.

Piping tubes (nozzles) (1) Come in a range of sizes and shapes, including plain writing tubes and star and shell tubes (see page 66 for the most useful sizes); the metal ones last the longest.

Pizza wheel (18) Use to cut marzipan, sugarpaste and Mexican paste when crisp, clean edges are required.

Plastic bags (4) Can be wrapped round fruit cakes while they mature, and sugarpaste before use, to prevent them from drying out.

Rolling pins (14) Invaluable for rolling out marzipan, sugarpaste and Mexican paste.

Scissors (13) Use to cut linings for tins (pans) and to make piping (decorating) bags and templates.

Scriber (scalpel) (11) Essential for marking outlines on marzipan, sugarpaste and Mexican paste.

Separators (6) Use to separate tiers of a cake; available in a range of shapes and sizes.

Sharp knives (10) Use to shape and slice cakes, and to trim marzipan and sugarpaste.

Side smoother (15) Smoothes marzipan and sugarpaste round the sides of cakes.

Sieve (strainer) (9) Use to sieve (sift) flour and icing (confectioners’) sugar, and to create sugarpaste special effects.

Smoother (16) Invaluable for smoothing out the lumps and bumps on marzipan and sugarpaste cake coverings.

Stands (see page 102) Useful for displaying two- to five-tier cakes; usually made of metal or Perspex.

Sugar shaker (22) Use to dust work surfaces with icing (confectioners’) sugar to prevent marzipan, sugarpaste and Mexican paste from sticking and tearing.

Tape measure Measures the height and circumference of cakes; a washable variety is the best.

Tins (pans) (see page 14) An assortment of shapes and sizes comes in handy.

Turntable (2) Lifts, turns and in some cases tilts cakes, enabling you to decorate the sides with ease.

Veiner (17) Creates realistic vein effects on sugarpaste and marzipan flowers and foliage.

Wooden spoons (8) Use to stir cake mixtures.