Compendium of Cake Decorating Techniques

Carol Deacon has been decorating and making cakes since 1990 when an old school friend innocently asked her if she could make a birthday cake. Since that first fateful request, Carol has written 11 books, Compendium of Cake Decorating will be number 12! Carol worked for a while at Jane Asher's cake shop in London and has also acted as a cake consultant for a supermarket chain. She has demonstrated her art at all sorts of venues including international cake shows, on television and even once on a cross channel ferry! Carol has also contributed many features for various cake and food magazines both in the UK and abroad.

Sept 13We are all thinking of icing the Xmas cake and hence a plethora of cake decorating books hit the market. This is an all round book. The front cover gives you a fair idea of what is inside. Cakes of all descriptions, decorated in different ways. You’ll find an amazing 300 tips, techniques and trade secrets within the pages of this book. It is not a massive tome, merely a 160 page paperback. The book starts with Cake Basics, where you’ll find equipment and tools you need, cake recipes for square and round tins including pound, chocolate and fruit cakes. There are also many very useful tips in this section. Do you know how to add extra moistness to a pound cake? Section 2 is all about fondant, its varieties and how to use them.This section is quite detailed. It goes from the basic covering a sponge cake to fantastic creations with stencils, writing, and fondant roses or characters. Section 3 is about the love of my life in cake decorating – buttercream. It includes how to make, cover a cake, create different finishes, piping and more. Did I say I love buttercream best? Section 4 is all about chocolate. Learn how to work with chocolate including tempering, ganache and decorating. This book also includes how to make and use templates, with some examples for you to use. I would recommend this to anyone who loves to make cakes. Or anyone who buys a shop bought one to decorate.

• PRELIMS 5INTRODUCTION 7CHAPTER ONE: FONDANT BASICS 24The beginner's kitImprovising toolsBuilding a collection of toolsWhat is fondantWorking with fondantFlavouring fondantStoring fondantStoring models or cakes covered with fondantsStoring and transporting fondant decorated cake pops and cupcakesCHAPTER TWO: CAKES AND BOARDS 20Sponge cakeSlicing the cake and filling the sections with buttercreamCoating the outside of a round sponge cake with buttercreamRolling out the fondantCovering a square cakeCovering fruitcakeWorking small scaleDouble coatingCovering number or odd shaped cakesStacking fondant-covered cakesCovering cake boards with fondantUsing boards as hidden supportsUsing cake boards as background model supportsUsing cake boards for cupcake displaysRibbonsCHAPTER THREE: DECORATIVE TECHNIQUES WITH FONDANT 68Painting on fondantFrills and fanciesMolds, cutters, and crimpersPiping on fondantLaceworkDotty cake pops and cupcakesBroderie AnglaiseBroderie Anglaise cupcakesWriting on fondantCHAPTER FOUR: MODELLING WITH FONDANT 38Making fondant figuresHow to personalise your charactersMaking fondant animalsMaking fondant flowersAdditional informationINDEX & CREDITS