Rolling out sugarpaste, rolled fondant or ready to roll icing comes with practice. I am hoping that my practical tips below will help shorten your learning curve!
The best approach for rolling out sugarpaste
- Knead the sugarpaste icing until it is soft and pliable – for comments on the consistency of your paste, please see my blog post “Why does my sugarpaste crack?”
Knead sugarpaste until smooth - Ideally use a large non-stick mat for rolling out. Don’t worry if you don’t have one, as smearing your work surface with white vegetable fat e.g. White flora or Trex works really well too. NOTE: These days I never use icing sugar to roll out – it tends to dry out the sugarpaste and can leave unwanted marks on the paste.
- Start with a ball of sugarpaste that is perfectly smooth a free of any blemishes.
- Place 5mm spacers either side of your paste. You can buy these commerically or use strip wood cut to size – available from DIY stores.
- Roll the paste out a little in one direction, rotate the paste 90° and roll a little more, you are aiming to keep the sugarpaste in a more or less circular shape.
- As the circle becomes larger and thinner pick up the paste using the rolling pin rather than your hands as this prevents the sugarpaste stretching.
- If you have an air bubble in your sugarpaste, pop it as soon as you see it, by inserting a scriber needle or pin at 45°and stroke out the air, then continue to roll.
- Keep rotating the paste and rolling a little more until the rolling pin runs smoothly over the spacers.
- You should now have a circle of sugarpaste of even thickness that is ready to cover your cake.
Practice makes perfect
Remember that, as will all things, practice and patience are key when it comes to rolling out sugarpaste perfectly.
If you’d like to see me demonstrate this technique why not come along to a demonstration or book a class? Contact me for details.
Rachel de Chabert says
I have always used icing sugar to roll out my sugarpaste, and wondered why sometimes it dries & cracks, now I know why! I would have never thought of putting white fat on the surface. I have a wooden rolling pin since forever, I suppose its time to get another one! Keep the tips coming, its really helpful!
Davina says
I am new to the cake decorating lark and throughly enjoying it. I especially like your book Cakes to inspire and desire.
When I roll my sugarpaste, I tend to use cornflour. Is this ok? I am a bit hesitant to use white fat, because I worry in case it makes the paste greasy.
Your advice would be appreciated
Lindy Smith says
Hi Davina
The problem with cornflour is that it can cause fermentation between the icing and the cake causing the cake to ‘blow’. This is also true of some icing sugars as they contain anti caking agents. Why not give white vegetable fat a go, you only need a very little! To most people I teach its a complete revelation!
Keep enjoying your new found hobby
Lindy
Hilary Jordan says
Hi Lindy,
I use one of those big green non stick boards and I have never had the paste stick to it. Should I be using Cookeen (Irish Brand) does it help with making the paste softer.
I just pre-ordered your DVDs can’t wait.
Keep Inspiring
Hilary
Lindy Smith says
Hi Hilary
Pleased to hear that you’ve ordered by DVD’s, I can’t wait either – everything is being edited at the moment, all 19 hours worth!
Regards using white vegetable fat, yes try adding it to your paste, it really depends on which brand you are using as to the effect it has, Regalice certainly improves with a little white fat.
Thank you for being a loyal customer
Lindy
Adeola Folarin says
Hi Lindy,
I am new to cake decoration though your book
CELEBRATE WITH A CAKE has been of great help.
I have problem with rolling out my sugarpaste and I still do not understand how to use the spacers. I know you just explained it above
Your advice is important, please keep it rolling
Lindy Smith says
Hi Adeola
Spacers are just placed either side of your sugarpaste so that when you roll out your paste, they stop it getting too thin. Make sure when using them that you always roll in the direction of the spacers. In the States you can buy rubber rings to place onto your rolling pins which act in much the same way. Be warned however – these rings do not fit our UK rolling pins!!
Emma says
Thanks for all this helpful advice! For spacers, I ordered some rubber rings, (£1.75) which works great on my non-stick roller pin. How ever! I was a bit miffed when I realized they are just O-rings really! I could have gone to the garage and got some O-rings to fit! Have a look at your well stocked garage, they are even available in different thicknesses, for thinner or thicker rolling. Bring your rolling pin with you!
Lindy Smith says
Thanks for the tip Emma, I’d only ever seen these rings in the States but yesturday one of my students brought some to class. They do work well, but I still perfer my wooden DIY spacers but its probably because I’m so used to using them!
joanne says
hi lindy, i’m new to sugar craft, & really enjoying it. I was looking for tips when modelling sugar paste when i got to your site & saw the vegetable fat tip! Does that work on your hands to? I find that icing sugar makes my hands too sticky & cornflour leaves white marks on the sugar paste (even when dry). Thanks for all these tips there really helpful.
Lindy Smith says
White fat is a wonderful product for sugarcraft and yes it does work on your hands too. Also I always rub some into my hands before colouring paste as it prevents the paste colour staining my hands so much!
louisa says
i’m new to cake making and wanted to know what brand of white fat is suitable? i need help!! love the blog though
louisa
Lindy Smith says
Hi Louisa
I prefer to use white flora, but trex is also fine. If you are not in the UK then I suggest you ask locally for a brand name.
Hope this helps
Lindy
joanne says
thankyou very much lindy, thats really useful information i will definately give white fat a go, hopefully i will have much better experiences now while modelling. I do have 1 other question, do you add the fat to the regalice paste aswell to the work surface? If so how much? Thank you again joanne
Lindy Smith says
I usually add it just to the work surface but if your batch of regalice is dry and crumbly then add a pea sized amount to the paste as well and may be a drop or too of water.
joanne says
thank you so much, ive just finished watching your dvd clips on youtube, the bead fountains look amazing! I will definately be purchasing them when they are available to buy. Thank you once again & look forward to seeing more hints & tips soon. Joanne
Elizna says
I want to make my own Sugarpast. I’ve got the recipe on a website. But i don’t know what “Gum tragacanth or Gum arabic” is, the ingrediance also includes “white fat” and “liquid glucose”. I have an upcoming tea party. Im 20 years old and would appreciate if someone could help me out plz!!!!
Lindy Smith says
Firstly, take a look at my sugarpaste recipe and all the comments below. Regards white fat, I’ve written a whole post about this so I suggest you take a look.
Hope this helps and good luck with your tea party.
Lindy
Sarah says
What a wonderful helpful blog! I am icing my first cake at the moment for my son’s first birthday party. I have had most of the problems I have read about already! Sugarpaste cracking, sticking to the rlling pin, my hands, my work surface argh!
I have been using icing sugar to prevent sticking and now my sugarpaste has white marks, is there any way of removing these? I will be using white fat from now on!
Lindy Smith says
I don’t think there is a lot you can do so either….live with the white marks…..hide them under some decoration. What ever you do don’t use water as this will discolve the surface of the sugarpaste as well!! Does anyone else have any suggestions?
Cat says
Hello there – you could try getting a big blob of leftover sugar paste and flattening one side against the work top to make a flat surface, then using it in circular movements to “polish” the top of your cake. This should smooth out any lumps and bumps and get rid of the white marks. It will also give your sugarpaste a slight sheen.
joanne says
hello, i think i might be a bit late but i was watching a woman on youtube making sugar flowers using cornflour to roll out her flower paste, she ended up with lots of white marks on her roses! but at the end of it she dangled the rose over a boiling kettle for 10 seconds & said that all the white marks dissolve and it helps to bond the petals! i don’t know about cake surfaces though! i used white flora to roll out the sugarpaste and got really good results for a 1st attempt! ive just ordered some of lindy’s beads and wire to make a fountain for my daughter’s 5th birthday! trying something new is exciting, but with cake decoration your imagination can run very wild its great. joanne
Lindy Smith says
Steaming sugarflowers is a trick that sugar florisits use all the time, as it sets the dusts use to add a realistic finish – it makes the flowers more vibrant and lifelike.
Sonia Rivera says
I just got your DVD on Jewellery gems and love it. But I was trying to download the wire converting chart, but could not find it on your site. Please let me know.
Lindy Smith says
You’ll find it in a couple of places, the easiest to direct you to is the dvd page of the online shop
joanne says
hi lindy, im making my 2nd cake for my daughter’s 5th birthday party & i wanted some advice because i wanted to paint some letters gold, what do i need to colour them is it dust or paint? Also what colour should the reagalice be for gold to have full effect? Thankyou
Lindy Smith says
Hi Joanne
Colour your sugarpaste with sugarflair Autum leaf colour or similar and then use some edible lustre dust mixed with clear alchol or water to paint over the letters – the paste colour and lustre dust are available via our online shop
Good luck with the cake
Lindy
Yin says
Hi Lindy, I live in Singapore. As it is humid here, I have problems with my sugarpaste getting very sticky and after moulding them into shapes, e.g. little animals or flower, I’ll find them drooping and the colours bleeds. It’s virtually impossible to get them dry – very disheartening! Do you have any suggestions on working with sugarpaste/fondant in hot and humid weather?
Lindy Smith says
Hi Yin
I’m flying to Singapore myself today and I know it’s hot and humid, however it sounds as if you are using straight sugarpaste to model and make flowers. Can I suggest that you add some gum (gum tragacanth or CMC) to your sugarpaste to make a stiffer paste which will stand up to moisture better. Also add some white vegetable fat to the paste to help stop the paste sticking to your fingers. For flowers, I suggest that you use flower paste/gum paste to make these.
When covering cakes, try to work in air conditioning with prehaps with a dehumidifier and store finished items carefully with silica gel to help a absorb excess moisture. Can I also suggest that you ask a number of local cake decorators how they cope with your climate, as they will no doubt have other solutions – try asking in cake decorating supply shops, there a few in Singapore!
Hope this helps
Lindy
Deepika says
Hi Lindy – i’ve actually recently switched to using white fat on sugarpaste and i must say its brilliant – i used to find icing sugar made my sugarpaste very fragile and hard so easier to crack. I’d like to know how would you place the sugarpaste onto a cake after you’ve rolled it – so many times my sugarpaste has ripped and means i have to start again – i have a long rolling pin but even using that as a support it rips 🙁 Any thoughts would be really great! Thanks a lot Deepika
Lindy Smith says
Hi Deepika
Pleased to hear that you find the white fat helps. Regards your sugarpaste, you are doing the right thing by using a rolling pin to lift the paste however to prevent it tearing you need to make sure that the paste is the right consistency – read the tips on my blog post “why does my sugarpaste crack?” (just click on the orange text)
Hope this helps
Lindy
Helen says
HI Lindy,
Do you have any tips on cutting the sugar paste after it has been rolled onto the cake. I’m finding that the sugar paste looks a bit scruffy at the base of the cake after cutting it ?
Thanks in advance.
Helen
Lindy's Cake Team says
Hi Helen
Lindy finds that using the smoother to smooth the sides and gently pressing as you get down to the board will gradually remove the excess sugarpaste. A knife can then be used to tidy up.
I hope that this helps
Kind regards
Andy
Nutan Chapman-Parmar says
Hi,
How many days in advance can i cover and decorate my madiera cake with fondant, as I want to put buttercream filling in it? Is there an alternative to buttercream for a longer shelf life. It’s for my daughter’s 1st birthday party.
Thanks
Nutan
Lindy Smith says
I usually say a week to decorate and a week to eat for madiera cakes
Hope this helps
natasha says
Hi, love your work btw. Im interested in rolling out my sugarpaste on the trex as i do it when making my sugar flowers but im a bit wary of it tasting like fat, my sugar flowers are never eaten as they have wires etc in. Does it taint the flavour at all?
Lindy Smith says
Hi Natasha
You only want to use a smear, so no it doesn’t taint the flavour. White vegetable fat is often added to various types of paste used in sugarcraft as it helps to prevent the icing becoming too sticky without it drying out the paste as well.
Hope this helps
Lindy
Hany says
Hi. Love your web site.
I’ve made several large 25″ to 30″ chocolate cakes and they keep flopping in the center asaide from being raw while the sides a baked. What is happening please help/
thanks.
Vicky says
Hi,
I’ve been trying to cover mini sponge cakes with sugarpaste and I cant seem to get the sugarpaste smooth it looks bumpy. How do I solve this?
Thanks
Lindy Smith says
Hi Vicky
You need to crumb coat the cakes with buttercream first i.e. spread a thin coat of soft buttercream over the cakes to fill in any holes and to act as glue for the sugarpaste. Then cover the cakes with sugarpaste using a smoother to smooth out any lumps and bumps – for mini cakes I find 2 smoothers work best.
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hello Hany
That’s a very big cake! We’ve never baked such large cakes so unfortunately can’t help you this time. Can any other bloggers help?
Louise says
Hi Lindy
I have used your recipe and books for making decorative cookies (brilliant book by-the-way). I have a small problem when I try to remove the cut out sugar-paste from my work surface to place on the cookie it tends to stretch and get a bit out of shape. The result is that my cookie and my cut out sugar paste aren’t the same shape. I noticed in your cookie book that the picture of you placing cut out sugar paste on the shoe cookie – the sugar paste looks surprisingly stiff. How do I achieve this?
Thanks for your help (if this is clear at all).
Louise
Angela @ A Spoonful of Sugar says
Hi Lindy!
Is it still possible to paint sugarpaste-covered cakes if you use white fat to roll the sugarpaste out? I’m quite keen to try it, but the next couple of cakes I have coming up all have painted elements.
Thank-you!
elaine says
Hi Lindy-can i use lard instead of trex for rolling out sugarpaste.Also do you roll the paste from the middle out-then turn and roll again.Any tips on lifting large rounds of sugarpaste. i.e. for 12 x 4″ cake.Can i cover this on the actual presentation board or do i have to put it on its own cardboard disc first cos its a heavy cake! thanks
Lindy Smith says
Hi Elaine
You should use an vegetable fat not an animal fat, so please no not use lard. If you want to see how I roll out my sugarpaste then I suggest to put a copy of my wonky cake DVD on your Christmas list, but it seems to me that you have the general idea. Regards large amounts of sugarpaste, you need a really large rolling pin and perhaps a spare pair of hands and by all means cover the cake on the presentation board.
Good luck
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Angela
The white fat is only used to roll out the sugarpaste, you should not be flipping the sugarpaste so the white fat will not be on the upper surface of cake. Regards painting on cakes, I love doing this, use edible paste colours diluted in alcohol and good quality paintbrushes for a watercolour look. Add superwhite dust to the diluted colours to make paint more akin to acrylics.
Have fun and enjoy
Lindy
Lindy Smith says
Hi Louise
It sounds as if the sugarpaste you are using may be a little on the soft side, either leave the cut out shape to dry for a few minutes before transfering or add a little CMC to the sugarpaste to stiffen it up a bit. There is a knack to lifting the sugarpaste, I always lift the rolled out sugarpaste before cutting out the shape to make sure its not sticking to my worksurface, I then quickly swipe a pallet knife under the paste and lift.
Hope this helps
Lindy
sally says
Hi Lindy
I have been asked to cover a cake in army-type camouflage sugarpaste. How on earth would you go about creating this effect? I don’t think just marbelling dark green, beige and brown would work would it?
Kindest regards – Sally
sally says
To the lady baking 30″ cakes – when I make square/obong cakes this size I tend to make a few smaller ones and place them together with buttercream on the sides acting as a glue. As long as you use buttercream sufficiently enough to fill in the joins adn they are snug next to each other, the sugarpaste covering will hide all the rest.
Sarah says
Wow! What a find this blog is, thank you so much for all the advice. I have made two cakes for my son (tractor and Mr Men) but now it’s my little girl’s 2nd birthday so I will be using your tips to try and improve on the previous attempts. Many thanks again!
Jane Dolder says
Hello Sally,
You would need to knead all the colours separately and roll each into sausages, put them together and make a large sausage shape. Slice the sausage into rounds and then stack them. Slice down the stack, line them up then roll out. Lindy recommends a book called patterned paste by Geraldine Dahlke with this technique in, here’s a link to it on Amazon
Jane
Claire says
brilliant site , will be my 1st attempt with sugapaste for daughters 2nd birthday tomorrow have picked up some great tips that i will try . Thanks
Leanne says
Hi
Love your tips. Just attempted my first sugarpaste model – Iggle Piggle from the kids programme In the Night Garden for my little girls 2nd birthday.
However, I have two questions… how do I now store the model? Will it last for a week?
Also, how best do I store my left over icing? I want to use it for more decorations later in the week. Will it last ok?
Thanks
Lindy Smith says
Hi Leanne
Thanks for your comment. Your model will be fine as long as you store it away from moisture, ideally store it in a cardboard box some where warm and dry – I use my airing cupboard!!! Icing lasts as long as it’s use by date, this is usually 6 months to a year from when you buy it. The secret in storing icing sucessfully is to exclude air, wrap the icing in thick plastic, not cling film, then place in an airtight box.
Hope this helps and your models are a hit – my niece loves ‘In the night garden’ as well!
Lindy
Leanne says
Hi
Thanks for your advice. I’ve just decided to check on Iggle Piggle and whilst he has been tucked away in a box, he is quite soft. Should I leave him out in the open air to harden a bit?
I am daring to make the cake tomorrow – should I be going for Madeira rather than traditional sponge mixture? It is a 9″ round cake and I think I need to use two separate 3 egg mixtures as I was thinking I’d rather make 2 cakes than cut one in half – is that the best way to do it?
The main reason I am going to do this is because we’ve just moved house and I’ve not got to know my oven yet and it can be a bit fierce!!! If I go with 2 separate cakes, I can then cook for less time, say at 150 for 1hr 15. Thats if I do Maderia of course. Any tips?
P.S my model obviously looks ok as my 2 year old recognised him so at least that is something!
Lindy Smith says
Hi Leanne
I’m please to hear Iggle Piggle was reconsided! Yes you need Iggle Piggle to dry so somewhere warm and dry is ideal e.g. an airing cupboard. I’d always opt for a maderia but I’d cook it as one and if your oven is fierce at a lower temperature.
Good luck
Pam says
Hi there my problem is that I have already put the fondant onto the cake and it is bumpy, I realise now i should have used a smoother but its too late, is there anything I can do now?
Jane Dolder says
Hello Pam
Unfortuantely it is too late. Once the sugarpaste starts to crust there is nothing you can do. Sorry I can’t help you further.
Jane
Emma says
Hi
I wonder if anyone could offer any advice on how to make a head board out of icing my local shop said it wouldn’t work either collapse or snap. If i use fondant and Tragacanth make it quite chunky and store it flat for a week would that work? Also when should i paint it, one side at a time or wait until i can pick it up to paint the whole thing.
Thanks for any help
Lindy Smith says
Hi Emma
I once made a wedding bed cake, see below. The headboard was made from pastillage which I coloured and then painted once the shape was complete. Pastillage is very strong so ideal for a headboard, however it is also very brittle so you have to be carefull when putting it together. You could try using gum trag in sugarpaste but it is susceptable to moisture so may not retain it’s shape, I would recommend pastillage – recipe in my books.
good luck
Lindy
wendy normington says
Hi Lindy, do you have a brand of sugar paste that you prefer and if so, for what reason? what conditions are best for rolling out sugar paste? I have a large cake to do and i am a bit worried about getting any cracks in it. I have used white fat for rolling out sugar paste for smaller cakes but does it work as well for larger amounts of sugar paste? Help please!
Davina says
What am I doing wrong? I had a go at making my own flower paste made from a recipe. The problem I have is that it does not dry as hard like the shop bought packets. It is so frustrating, epecially when I make sugar flowers. There are so many different recipes out there it is a job to know which ones are the best because they are all made in different ways with different ingredients. Please Help!! Plus one other thing. Why do my roses always seem to look like cabbages? lol 🙂
Deepika says
Hi Lindy
I just wanted to ask a quick question – if I wasn’t able to get to colours like Sugarflair, Wilton or Squires, could I use petal dusts to create colour into my sugarpaste? Im in a situation where I dont have access to colours except for dusts! Help! Thanks a mil! Dee x
Jane Dolder says
Hello Wendy,
Lindy prefers M&B Sugarpaste. This is the one that works best for her, but everyone is different. The heat of your hands makes a difference to which paste works for you. White fat is good for rolling out the paste for a larger cake too. Don’t knead the paste using the white fat though as it will make it sticky and too stretchy.
Jane
Anna Brooks says
Help! I’ve just finished covering three cakes in sugarpaste for my brother’s wedding this Saturday. The top two tiers are madeira cake, sandwiched and coated with butter cream. No problems here – they look pretty good. The bottom tier is a fruit cake covered in marzipan (left to dry for a couple of days). The only problem is that I forgot to brush the marzipan before covering with the sugarpaste! I had the bottle of vodka out on the table and completely forgot. I think I just got carried away with the rolling out! It looks fine, no air bubbles. I guess the worst that could happen is that when they cut the cake into portions, the icing will come away from the marzipan. Not the end of the world I suppose. Has anyone done this before?
Jane Dolder says
Hello Davina,
If you have one of Lindy’s books try the flower paste recipe in them. It may just be a case of the amounts of each ingredient. As for your “cabbages” (!), start with your cone and then overlap three petals round it, slightly bending them outwards. The next layer using five petals. Do not put the petals too far up the cone. Hope this helps.
Sally
Jane Dolder says
Hello Deepika,
The problem with using dust to colour your paste is it will dry out the paste and it does not give a very good result. You can paint the sugarpaste using dust colours and alcohol if you are really stuck. We can supply paste colours through our online shop if you want to try.
Sally
Jane Dolder says
Hello Anna,
Don’t worry – the sugarpaste will probably stick to the marzipan as it is sticky anyway.
Jane
Davina says
Hello Jane,
Thank you for your reply. I have made up the flowerpaste recipe from cakes to inspire and desire book. I am going to have another go at making my cabbages, oops I mean roses with the flower paste and see what happens. Just one other question, sorry to be a pain. When making up a batch of paste, if you wanted to make it in one particular colour, what would be the best to add when mixing all the ingredients together, liquid colouring or paste colouring? This is such a great site for advice and your help is much appreciated. 🙂
marion hutchinson says
HI,I have been doing trial runs for different tiers for a wedding cake.The latest was for a chocolate cake which I had frozen for 1 month, defrosted it and immediately covered lightly with a coffee sugar syrup and coated and filled with a white chocolate buttercream. When that had firmed,I covered with sugar paste(I only used the shop bought Dr Oketer as I didn’t want to use the more expensive that I will be using for the final cakes).I kept it for 2 days before eating as I plan to do this 2 days before the wedding.The cake remained very moist during this time but the icing was quite soft and seemed to get softer the longer the cake was kept.
Is this because it was not the “real” sugarpaste or will this happen with it too.The bride does not want marzipan.
Jane Dolder says
Hello Davina,
It’s always best to use paste colour rather than liquid to stop the paste getting to soft.
Jane
Jane Dolder says
Hello Marion,
Your icing was probably soft because the cake was not fully defrosted before covering. You shouldn’t need to use marzipan just make sure the cake is defrosted completely.
Jane
Debbie says
Hi, how do I do a wood effect on sugar paste icing, I am making a roulette table and the surround has a wood effect.
Any help would be appreciated.
Deb
claire says
Hi
I was just wondering whether the trex or white flora can be used when using the mexican modelling paste. i usually use cornflour to stop it sticking but find that i lose the vibrant colour of the paste. I steam the model once dried but it still lacks the vibrancy that i would like.
Many Thanks
Claire.
Lindy Smith says
Hi Claire
I always use white fat, I gave up using cornflour many many years ago!!!
Siobhan says
Hi,
I have been asked to make a birthday cake for a friend, and she wants a chocolate biscuit cake (tiffin cake). My query is what would you recommend using to adhere sugar paste to such a cake?
thanks
Siobhan
Lindys Team says
We would suggest texturing the sugarpaste with a cutting wheel and painting over with streaks of a strong brown sugarpaste colour.
Make sure the colour is quite strong – do not over dilute it.
Hope this helps.
Lindys Team says
We would recommend using piping gel to fix on the sugarpaste.
Click on the above link for more details.
Jo says
Hey Lindy, I’m attempting one of your cakes but every time I practice putting the sugar-paste on the cake I find that the butter-cream underneath is all squishy so makes it hard to smooth…would you leave the crumb layer on for a while before putting on the sugar-paste to let it firm up, or should i be putting it straight on as I am doing?
Also, it says in the book that you can freeze the cakes before carving them, but do I have to wait for the cake to fully defrost before covering it…how long does it usually take to defrost?
Thanks
Jo 🙂
Lindys Team says
Hi Jo
Firstly, you need only a very thin layer of buttercream under your sugarpaste – it’s to act as a glue, look at the step photos in the book you have for guidence. If you do wish to have a slightly thicker layer, you will need to let the buttercream set firm in a fridge first then soften the surface with a warm palette knife.
Regards freezing the cake, cake usually only takes half an hour or so to defrost so by the time you have carved it, is fine to cover – this does however depend on climatic conditions.
Good luck
Nicola says
Hi Lindy,
Fab blog, really helpful!
Quick question I find after I’ve rolled out my sugar paste ready to cover my cake, I just can’t seem to lift it up without it tearing or stretching, despite my work top being covered in a thin layer of Trex. Please help is there an easier way to use my rolling pin to help me?! Should I place my rolling pin in the middle and fold my rolled sugar paste over it in half and pick it up that way? Also it sometimes seems to start slightly tearing once it’s on my cake!
Any advice would be great!
Thanks
Nic
Lindy Smith says
Hi Nicola
What brand of sugarpaste are you using?
It sounds as if the consitency of the paste isn’t quite right – click here for a few tips
Alternatively making your own!
Regards picking up your paste, the way you describe is how I do it, however you must find what works for you.
Hope this helps
Lindy
Kate says
I’ve just made my first ever model for my daughters christening cake, but with not really looking into things properly before hand I left it out over night thinking this would be best as I knew your not supposed to put them in the fridge. However I’ve checked on it this morning and while it is still in shape it’s gone almost sweaty and sticky. Is there anything I can do to make it dry again or have I blown it?
Carol says
Hi Lindy
what a site, great tips for the novice cake maker.However could you give me a tip on CUTTING a cake,(sounds stupid)but I end up with a lopsided cake, I cooked my first madira cake and left it to cool, but found the sides a bit hard to cut through.Due to this I ended up with a lopsided cake. any help or tips would be greatly recieved many thanks.
Carol
Lindys Team says
Hello Kate,
It sounds like the atmosphere in which you stored your model was too humid.
Are you working in a warm climate?
In order to dry it out you need to alter the atmosphere – either by placing it in an airing cupboard to dry out or by using a dehumidifier in the room in which it is stored.
I hope this helps
Ana says
Hello,
I’m writing from Portugal and I have the following problem: what can I use to substitute marzipan wile covering a fruit cake when I’m baking for someone who is allergic to almonds and insists on a fruit cake? Can I use chocolate paste and then sugar paste? Will it work?
Many Thanks
Ana
Isabelle Bambridge says
Hi Lindy,
Great blog, I’m learning so much from it! Quick question though… where do you buy white flora from? I’ve tried all the local supermarkets and can’t find any.
Thanks
Isabelle
Lindy Smith says
Hi Isabelle
It can sometimes be hard to track down, look for Trex as another alternative. It is usually in the chiller section near the butters. Waitrose and Tesco usually stock it, anyone else any suggestions?
Lindy Smith says
Hi Ana
In Australia cake decorators sometimes use a chocolate ganache between their cake and the sugarpaste. When I’ve had a request for no marzipan I have always used two layers of sugarpaste instead as I’m not convinced that chocolate and fruit cake go together!
Lindy Smith says
Hi Carol
Firstly have you see our blog post on baking the perfect madeira? Follow the tips to bake cake edges that are soft. Regards cutting/carving, it’s worth investing in a sharp pastry knife and then it’s just down to a good eye and practice!
Nicki says
To the lady making big cakes.
My Aunt made me a big round bottom layer for my wedding cake and she did this by getting a large tin and then putting a smaller tin inside it (ie baking a ring). she then baked a smaller cake in the tin she had used for the inner ring and slotted it into the middle!
Hope that helps
Lydia says
Hello
I’m making a 9 inch square madeira cake and have bought a 1kg packet of white fondant icing. But, I’ve been told i’ll need about 1.25kgs to cover this cake completely. I also bought some packets of multi coloured fondant so was wondering if i can join them together some how to create a multi coloured cake? I’ve never actually iced a cake with fondant though so not sure how i’d go about this or if it’s possible?
Thanks, Lydia
Lindys Team says
Hello Lydia,
Yes you do need 1.25 kgs of sugarpaste to cover a cake this size.
There are ways of combining coloured and white sugarpaste to create some very visually appealing cakes. These techniques are fun to do but as you are a complete beginner we would recommend that you ideally buy yourself a good reference book before starting. Please note: corners of square cakes make covering more tricky than on round cakes.
Also as this is your first time covering a cake with sugarpaste, we would recommend reading our blogon how to handle sugarpaste.
Good luck!
Anna says
Hello Lindy,
I have to make my own sugarpaste as there is non readily available in my country. I am new to cake decorating and have been having trouble rolling out my sugarpaste. It turns out fine when i make it (I have even tried your recipe) but crumbles after i add colour or CMC. What am i doing wrong?
P.S. I love your blog, it’s very helpful.
Thanks
Jane says
Hello Anna,
It sounds like you paste is too dry. Try adding white fat and water to it. Also look at Lindy’s blog on using sugarcraft cutters which may help you when adding CMC.
Good Luck
Jane
Dee says
Lindy,
I am from Alabama in the USA and I have just found your website. Your cakes are absolutely beautiful and all your tips are so very helpful. I have just finished taking 12 weeks of Wilton classes and am so excited about trying some of your recipes. I would like to order some of your books. How do I go about changing the currency to US dollars? Are your books available at any American book stores?
Keep up the good work. You are blessed with a special talent.
Hugs!
Dee
debbie nunn says
Hi there,
I am attempting to make some cakes for my grandsons 1st birthday next month, being a complete novice with regards to icing cakes etc i was wondering if you could advise on what to use for the decorations ? Will be using sugarpaste , but do i add gum trag or cmc to keep the toppers firm so they dont wilt, or do i just use sugarpaste,and leave it to dry completely ? i wanted to make some letters for his name and stand them on the small cakes .
thanking you
Debbie 🙂
Lindy Smith says
Hi Debbie
Definately use either CMC to Gum Trag to firm up your sugarpaste: Here is a blog link to explain the difference between the two and how to use them. Hope this helps. We sell both CMC and Gum Tragacanth via the edibles page of our online shop, should you need some!
Lindys Team says
Hello Dee,
Any good bookstore should be able to order Lindys books in for you.
Alternatively, we send many orders overseas to the US – just visit our website and when you check out an estimated US dollar equivalent price will be shown underneath the pounds sterling price.
We are delighted that you are enjoying Lindys work!
Thea Morris says
Hi
I was hoping that you could help with a quick question. When creating a novelty cake, if you cover the cake board in a coloured sugarpaste different to that covered by the cake, do you place the cake directly on the sugarpaste covered board, or do you cut out an area on the covered board where the cake would sit, or do you place a piece of greaseproof paper between the cake and the board? Hope this makes sense.
Your help with this would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Thea
Lindys Team says
Hello Thea Morris,
You can either place some waxed paper or an appropriately sized cake board between the cake and the board.
Aly Flint says
Daft question alert…I was making cake toppers for cupcakes using sugar paste, which I rolled flat and painted on with food colouring. Now are these edible?? Would the food colouring colour your tongue?! (I have used black to create a zebra print effect)
Thanks in advance
Alyx
Jane says
Hello Aly,
If you have used sugarpaste and edible colouring the topper would be edible, but I think they would make your tongue black if you used black colouring!
Jane
Lorna Hall says
Hi Lindy,
I am finding all this information brilliant, but i am having problems with sugar paste, i am making butterflies, leaving them to go hard then putting them on my buttercream frosted cupcakes and then i put them in an airtight container, the next day the sugar paste has gone all soggy and soft and the butterflies have flopped over and not standing up or hard any longer. Why is this happening..?? is it the airtight container..?? I am new at making cupcakes and have no idea how to resolve this problem. Please help.. xxx
Many thanks xx
Jane says
Hello Lorna,
You need to make your butterflies from pastillage. With pastillage you can put the butterflies into the buttercream and they will not absorb the moisture.
Jane
Oei-Chi says
Hello Lindy,
I’m very glad to have found your website and hope that you can answer some of my questions.
1. Is it essential to freeze madeira cake before carving it? I am making a birthday cake for Sunday and wish to bake the cake on Thursday evening, carve it on Friday during the day, buttercream and cover it in the evening and finish off the details on Saturday evening.
2. I want a silvery but not shiny surface to put my cake on but don’t want to use sugarpaste to cover the board. Would the taste and appearance of a covered cake be affected if I were to cover the board with metallic wrapping paper?
3. I will be making sugar lego models to go with the cake. Would it be best to assemble the model immediately on the cake once made or would I need to let it dry before attaching it on and what would I attach it with?
4. If I need to leave the models to dry first and do not have sugarcraft foam (fingers crossed that it has arrived), then what could I use instead and where would I need to store it before using?
Many thanks for reading and I look forward to your response.
Lindys Team says
Hello Oei-Chi,
– It is not essential to freeze a madeira cake before carving it but it does make it easier.
– For the silvery surface, we would recommdn using sugar paste with edible lustre dust (light silver) http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/OnlineShop-Edibles.htm#MetallicLustreDusts or foil upside down.
– Before attaching the Lego Models we would let it all dry and then attach with sugar glue. Here is a quick video that will help about sugar glue: http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/LindysWonkyCelebrationCakesDVD.htm
We hope that it all goes well!
Lynne says
Hi Lindy! Your advice please. I am a very new, inexperienced cake decorator.
I have to make some cupcakes for my nephew’s wedding. This will be in 2 parts: a Hindu ceremony on Saturday 7th May and a registry office ceremony Sunday 8th May. Cakes will need to be dropped off at the reception venue on Saturday 7th, and I will not be able to access them again until I set them up on the stand, about an hour and a half before the Sunday ceremony.
I will be using piped buttercream icing with a butterfly decoration on each cupcake. I was wondering: will the butterflies folded wings “flop” if I fix them on the cakes on Saturday 7th? If so, how can I get over this problem? I really need to put the butterflies on the cakes Saturday, and leave them alone – quite confident they will be OK on Sunday 8th!
Desperately need your help. Many thanks!
Sarah says
Hi, can you give me advice on covering a square cake? What do I do with the corners? Thanks.
Lindys Team says
Hi Lynne,
If you are putting the butterflies in the buttercream they need to be made from pastillage as this won’t absorb any moisture.
Good luck and enjoy making these.
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Sarah,
To cover a square cake always start with the corners. As you work around it cup up the paste and with the elasticity of the sugar paste it will naturally follow the correct shape.
I hope this helps you.
Marina
elizabeth says
i live in spain and the weather is usually hot can you tell me how to store a lot (20 kg) and how long will it keep
janice says
I love your design.,With pastillage you can put the butterflies into the buttercream and they will not absorb the moisture.
Carolyn Mclaren says
Hello Lindy, I am doing a 3 tier wedding cake and intend to use your recipes from Cakes to Inspire and Desire for the fruit and Madeira cakes.I want to know if the temperatures given in the book are for a fan oven. I assumed they werent so lowered the oven temperature when I did the fruit cake and it took a lot longer to bake than expected. I would like to know before doing the Madeiras.
Also I would like to sandwich and crumb coat the Madeiras with buttercream but am worried about it staying fresh in summertime. I did read somewhere that the high sugar content stops the butter from going off is that correct?
Mandy Knight says
Hi Lindy
I am a big fan of your cakes and love using your books as inspiration for my cakes.
Would you be able to advise me on using my chunky cookie cutters.
I use cornflour on the cutters and I roll my sugar paste on cornflour quite thickly so that i can use my chunky cutters and then the letters can stand upright on the cake. However i have trouble getting them out of the cutter as they are so chunky. i ususally end up trying to tease them out with a a paint brush or a modelling tool, but this normally leaves small marks on the letter.
would you be able to suggest how i can get my chunky letters out of the cutter without marking the sugarpaste.
Thanks
Mandy 🙂
Lee says
How far in advance can I decorate a fruit cake with Marzipan and sugarpaste?
Corrine says
Hi Lindy,
I’m making a tall dragon cake for my daughters 3rd birthday and whilst I’m fairly okay with sugarpaste I’ve always done squarish things in the past. How do I join a head to a body with no visible seam around the neck? Can you just keep smoothing and the seam will eventually disappear or is there another trick.
Fantastic tips and wonderful that you’re happy to share them.
thanks
Corrine
Lindys Team says
Hi Corrine,
How Lindy would cover a 3D shape would depend on the shape of the cake. It is always easier to cover in sections but sometimes it is also possible to cover as a whole. If you are covering in sections think about where the joins are least visible. It is possible to blend the joins away but this takes speed to cover and then time to smooth and of course a bit of experience helps!!!!
Good luck and have fun!
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Lee,
You can decorate a fruit cake with marzipan and sugarpaste months in advance if you want as it keeps, but to prevent any decoration spoilling it is probably best to only decorate your cake a week or two in advance if this is possible.
Enjoy!
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Mandy,
Lindy always use mouding paste to decorate her cakes, the gum in the paste makes the paste firmer than sugarpaste so it is easier to remove shapes from cutters, it also means the paste is easier to handle. I suggest you have a go adding some gum to your paste and have another go!!!
Enjoy practising.
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Elizabeth,
Sugarpaste needs to be kept cool and if this is done it will last until the best before date.
However if this is not possible we would recommend freezing it.
I hope this helps.
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi Carolyn,
The temperature can vary for each oven, we would recommend that if a cake cooks too quickly at the recipes recommended temperature you try lowering it by 10 degrees celcius at a time until you get the desired effect.
Mine needs to be 20 degrees lower than Lindy’s!
Once you have crumb coated the Madeiras with buttercream and covered them with sugarpaste, keep the cake somewhere cool and dry. All Lindy’s buttercream recipes will keep fresh if kept cool. Lindy does not recommend using Swiss Meringue buttercream in summer if it is hot, as this type of buttercream is not stable at warm temperatures.
You are right high sugar content does help.
Enjoy making the wedding cake.
Marina
Tess says
Hi Lindy, I have tried to smear my work surface with white vegetable fat to roll out the fondant as you advised but the fondant keeps sticking to the surface. I was forced to go back to using icing sugar and this of course dried out my fondant. Is there something I’m doing wrong? How do I stop the fondant from sticking to the surface?
Lindys Team says
Hi Tess,
To stop your fondant sticking to the fondant use more white fat than you previously tried. Definitely avoid the icing sugar.
Over and Out
Marina
Jaimee Barker says
Hi,
I have a picture of a cake that someone has asked me to make for their wedding and it has really sharp edges to it. How do you achieve this. No matter how hard I try mine always look curved :0/
Thank you Jaimee
Bex says
Hi,
My husband has just bought me a ‘Sil-pin’ (a silicone rolling pin) to roll out my sugarpaste. I have used it twice, and despite claiming to be non-stick, both times the sugarpaste has stuck to it. It does say it is meant for dough – is this the problem, or am I doing something wrong? Are you familiar with this product? Should I ask him to take it back and buy an acrylic rolling pin instead?
Thanks,
Bex
Caroline says
Hello
When i roll out my sugar paste, i use cornflour to stop it sticking to my hands and worktop, but have found that it marks the sugarpaste quite badly. How can I stop this from happening, I do have a liquid to brush on the sugarpaste, but it doesnt seem to get rid of the white marks, nor does brushing it with a paintbrush?
Help – ppplllleeeaaassseee??
Lindys Team says
Hi Bex,
How nice of your husband to buy you a rolling pin! I would firstly assume that you are not putting enough white fat or similar down before rolling. This usually does the trick and stops sugar paste sticking. Just a small amount wiped on the surface before you start should do it. I would try this first and see if it helps. let us know!
Best wishes
Sara
Lindys Team says
Hi Caroline,
We find rubbing a small amount of white fat on your hands/surfaces works a treat ! Give it a try and let us know if it helps.
Best Wishes
Sara
Lindys Team says
Hi Jaimee,
Lindy would recommend doing each side in pieces, if you take a look in her Cakes to Inspire and Desire book, there is a cake on page 92 called Op Art, and page 86 Christening Bricks which have very straight sharp edges. This should provide you with all the info you are looking for…http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/OnlineShop-Books.htm#CakestoInspireandDesire
Kind Regards
Sara
karen says
Hi there, I have been decorating for about a year now and the only thing that really bugs me is black fibres on sugarpaste, I clean with hot soapy water first and then for an added extra I wipe down my table with white icing that then gets thrown away, someone told me to try it to take away all the horrid little fibres that stay behind, but they are always there, any tips on how to get rid?
Lindy Smith says
Hi Karen
Little black fibres can get into sugarpaste from a number of sources. To help minimise fibres, think about what you are wearing – we find that our students notice fibres in their paste if they are wearing dark fluffy jumpers for example. Also think about how you are drying your hands, at classes our students all use paper towels but at home many have coloured hand towels which easily transfer fibres into paste – you’ll probably be surpised how many times you need to wash your hands when decorating cakes. Also if you are clearing up your kitchen before cake decorating leave time for the dust to settle and then wipe down your worksurface with a damp cloth and dry with a paper towel before rolling out your paste. I personally think using sugarpaste to clean your surface is a little extravagent!
Hope this helps
Happy baking
Lindy
Sarah says
Hello, just after a bit of advise on sugar paste.
I am helping my friend with her wedding cake, she wants me to surround the out side of the cake with tiny bunting made from icing. I just wondered, if I were to cut out the triangle pieces from the sugar paste, how soon can I make a start on sticking them to the cake? The wedding is in a couple of weeks and I didn’t want to leave it until the last minute. Will it dry out once I have added it to the cake? Also, how do I go about sticking it to the cake?
These are really stupid questions, I know. But I hope you can help.
With thanks, from someone who has never done anything like this before!
Laura says
Hi Lindy,
I’ve been browsing your blogs for about the last two hours and have had so many of my questions answered – thank you!
I do have a question of my own however; I have been asked to create a wedding cake for some friends and plan on totally covering the bottom tier in little tiny flowers How would you attach them? Should I use icing or edible glue or something genious that I don’t know about yet?!
Also, since the wedding is in France (!) and the thought of using someone elses oven terrifies me, I plan on making the cakes (chocolate sponge) on Tuesday, transporting them in air tight containers to France on Wednesday and then covering and decorating on the Thursday and Friday! Do you think that will work, or would you cover them before transporting?
Many thanks,
Laura x
Lindys Team says
Hi Laura,
It’s good to hear that our blog has been helpful.
To attach the flowers (we would make out of modelling paste) on the bottom tier of the wedding cake use sugar glue.
We don’t recommend covering a sponge cake as its not dense enough to carry the weight and stop being mishaped. We recommend Madeira cakes or the chocolate fudge cake – both here on the blog – http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Blog/2011/02/02/lindys-chocolate-fudge-cake-recipe/
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/Blog/2009/12/17/baking-the-perfect-madeira-cake/
In heat sugarpaste changes dramatically so we would recommend covering and dowelling the cakes in the UK first, but not stacking them on top of each other until you get to the venue.
Once covered do not keep these in an airtight container, just a cardboard box will suffice.
Hope it is a sweet success!
Marina
Lindys Team says
Hi sarah,
You could make the flags earlier than they are needed by using modelling paste – Gum trag or CMC added to Sugarpaste.
They can be attached using sugar glue.
The rule with the Madeira or Choc fudge cake, is one week to decorate and one week to eat.
Hope this helps.
Sara
Belinda Berry says
Thanks so much for the great hints and tips; thanks to your sugarpaste recipe I have succeeded in creating the daisies for decorating my son’s big wedding cake; next I’m going to try adding some gum to make the decorations for the cupcakes to go with it.
What kind of cake would be best for the cupcakes for a wedding? Ideally to be made several days in advance or well ahead and frozen.
I propose to cover the tops with sugarpaste or maybe a swirl of buttercream and then some sugarpaste daisies. I will need to make and get them all decorated in advance – how long can I keep them once they are decorated?
Lindys Team says
Hi Belinda,
Its great to hear that you are enjoying the blog and our recipes.
Any of the recipes on this site are good for cupcakes and also the ones in Lindy’s book – Bake me i’m yours cupcake celebration – http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/bakemeimyourscupcakecelebration.htm
These cakes can be frozen so that you can make them in advance before decorating them.
If you are making sugarpaste flowers and using them on buttercream you will need to make them out of pastillage so that they will not wilt.
The buttercream decorated cakes will only last a couple of days.
Kind thoughts,
Marina
Liza says
Thank you for your lovely web page and all the great information and tips. Can you tell me though what brand of Sugarpaste you reccommend. When I want just plain white icing, I tend to use supermarkets own brand for my cakes as obviously its a lot cheaper. In your opinion, are the likes of Regalice, covapaste, PME etc worth the extra money???
Thanks
Lindys Team says
Hi Liza,
Glad to hear you are enjoying the blog.
Lindy uses M & B sugarpaste as it suits her. We sell M&B but only by collection from our premises.
Regards supermarket brands, consistency of quality is often the problem with these. Some times they are excellent and sometimes not. We find all our students have their own favourites when it comes to sugarpaste brands, so suggest you try a few to see which suit you – a lot depends on the heat of your hands! If you are covering lots of cakes then it is probably worth opting for professional paste but if your cakes are for family and friends then supermarket brands will usually be OK.
Kind regards,
Marina
Shirley says
OMG, what a fantastic website. I’ve been searching the web for such a long time for information on sugarcraft and baking but mainly found sites from the US. I’ve just spent the last few hours reading through the previous posts and have picked up lots of tips.
Wonder if you can help with a sugarpaste question. I will be making a cake this weekend and covering with sugarpaste but wondered how do you get a nice ‘shine’ on coloured paste. I’ve used lustre spray in the past which gave a lovely pearlised finish but was not the finish I was after as I had used bright blues and greens and the spray made the colour less vibrant. I sometimes see cakes online which seem to have a shine on them – not sure if it’s the photography or a particular product.
I read somewhere about gently wiping the cake with some trex/white Flora on a kitchen roll – does that sound correct?
Lindys Team says
Hi Shirley,
It is wonderful to hear that our site has been inspiring you.
Most cakes have a matt finish, but if you are looking for a shiny look Lindy also wipes hers with white flora.
Lindy only does this on a few, such as the frog to make it look wet and on a car so that is it shiny.
Happy decorating!
Marina
Kerrie says
Hi there, loving all the tips and tricks am learning on here, just wondering one thing, can i use white fat on my wooden rolling pin before i get the chance to invest in a non stick one to stop my black sugar paste sticking to it ??
Also i am having trouble gettin my letters out of my alphabet tappit cutters if i was to melt some white fat and dunk my cutters in would it help or any other tips ? would be grateful as I am baking my mums birthday cake and desperately want to do a good job
Many Thanks
Kerrie
Claire says
Hi Lindy,
Please can you help me overcome the problem I have when kneading sugarpaste. Everytime I knead sugarpaste I think I have kneaded it long enough so when I get round to rolling it out I always find air bubbles not just one or two but several. I am assuming I am not kneading the sugarpaste properly. Is there a certain technique to rolling out sugarpaste. I am icing a 12″ cake soon so any adivce that can be given to me before I attempt it would be fantastic.
Many thanks
Claire
Jane says
Hello Claire,
It could be your kneading technique, it’s a difficult one to judge without seeing it! It is more likely to be that than you rolling out technique. When you do roll out your paste make sure you start with a nice round ball with a smooth surface and be sure to pop any air bubbles as soon as they appear with a scriber or cocktail stick.
Jane
Jane says
Hello Kerrie,
I wouldn’t recommend putting white fat on your pin, it may change the consistency of the sugarpaste.
For the tappits you need to use firm modelling paste. Roll it out very thinly and then place over the tappits. Use a rolling pin to roll over the paste. Take away the excess paste and then turn the tappit upside down and flick it (a bit like a ruler!). The letter should come out a lot easier.
Jane
Helen Bartlett says
hello Lindy.
I have your book Cakes to inspire and Desire. I have practiced one wonky cake as I need to make one for a wedding in February. My questions are 1. I am starting off with a 11 inch bottom cake, so what sizes will I need for the other two cakes. 2 .In the book there are no instructions for the correct carving of the 11 inch wonky cake, could you tell me what they are please, 3. what is the overall height of a 3 tier wonky cake. thankyou.
Lara says
Hi there
I wonder if you can help. Today I used fondant icing to ice a round sponge cake which I had covered in a thin layer of buttercream. The fondant icing went on OK, but I couldn’t seem to smooth out the ‘pleats’ on the side of the cake where the icing had overlaped.
Do you have any suggestions please?
thanks, Lara
Lindys Team says
Hi Lara,
This is a common issue with round cakes and sugarpaste.
Do not press down on any pleats, instead open them out and redistribute the paste using a cupping motion going upwards will encourage smoothness.
I hope this makes sense.
Lindy details this process with photos in her new book The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible
Best wishes
Marina
Lindys Team says
Dear Helen
Thank you for your enquiry.
To give your cake a similar look to Lindy’s, the difference in size between each cake should be 3″ (7.5cm).
Please see the link below which details all the carving instructions.
Good luck with your wonky cake!
Regards
Zoe
davina says
hi, can someone help. when using sugarpaste to cover your cakes. how do you work out how much sugarpaste to use. unless I am following a cake from a book a lot of the time it is guess work and i end up with a lot of waste. many thanks 🙂
Lindys Team says
Dear Davina
I’m afraid it is guess work. I usually use 1kg sugarpaste to cover an 8″ (3″ deep) round cake. If you have any sugarpaste left why not make some cupcakes? Sugarpaste keeps well if stored in an airtight bag/container.
See the link below for inspiration!
Hope this helps!
Zoe
Anna says
Hi
Just wondering if I can put cake wire directly into a sponge cake?
Thanks
Anna
Bambi says
Hello
I started sugarcraft classes last year and I am having a fab time, though I
wish I had more time to make celebration cakes so tht I can use the skills I
am learning. I also purchased the Conteporary Cake Decorating Bible and it
is WOW. All the projects are beautiful.
Question: I have looked at so many books now and one thing I have realised
is that there are not a lot of ideas for decorating cakes for men. Am I
the only one who thinks this is a problem??
Ragards
Bambi
Lindys Team says
Dear Anna
I would not put cake wire directly into a cake if the cake is to be eaten! Apply some oasis fix at the bottom of a posy pick then push the posy pick into the cake. Wire will then stick to the posy pick.
Hope this helps!
Zoe
Lindys Team says
Hello Bambi
I have noticed that too. Maybe I will suggest to Lindy that she includes some cakes for men in her next book!
Glad you like the Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible. I hope it inspires you!
Regards
Zoe
Ollie says
Hi
I was wondering if anyone had any tips on covering a chocolate cake with white icing? I covered one and managed to get bits of chocolate icing on the white icing, hopefully I will be able to hide it with the decoration but I just wanted some help for future reference please?
Cheers Ollie
Lauren says
silly question but is pastillage edible
Lindys Team says
Hi Lauren
Yes, pastillage is edible.
Regards
Zoe
Cne says
HI, I’ve just used corn flour to roll out sugarpaste which I then used to cover a butter creamed cake. I’ve only just read that cornflower can react to marzipan under certain conditions?!! Should I be worried?
Jane says
Hello Ollie,
It’s always tricky when covering a chocolate cake, not to get any crumbs on your sugarpaste. You just need to make sure your surface is free from crumbs before you start kneading and rolling out your paste.
Jane
Caroline Halliday says
Hello Lindy and team, fab blog! I am new to cake baking/decorating and am bravely (or foolishly?) attempting a wonky cake for my friend’s 40th birthday. I have 2 questions. Firstly, can I use packet royal icing to stick wonky tiers together? I am worried about using raw eggs in home made icing as there will be lots of little children eating the cake. The brand I have (silver spoon) always seems to end up a bit runny. It stiffens up OK if I add some normal icing sugar, but I am worried it won’t be strong enough to stick the wonky tiers together. Thanks. Second question – once the tiers are covered in sugarpaste, how long does this take to dry before I can stack the tiers together on the board? I don’t want to distort my (hopefully) lovely sugarpaste covering by trying to stack on top of soft icing. Ideally I plan to cover the cakes in the morning and had hoped to stack them the same day. Great DVD by the way, it has been a huge help. Hope you can help!
Lisa says
Hi,
I was wondering if anyone has a ‘ready reckoner’ for how much paste is needed for covering different sizes of board. I have searched through countless books and websites and have not found anything. I am looking to cover a 14in square board and have loosely guessed at 500g. Would that be about right?
Thanks, Lisa.
Jane says
Hello Caroline,
Using the packet royal icing will work. If it is a bit runny, just add a little more powder. It depends where you are storing them but you would need to leave the cakes at least overnight. Check that the paste has crusted over before transferring as you will get finger marks.
Good Luck
Jane
Jane says
Hello Lisa,
You will need more sugarpaste, try 700g.
Jane
Jane says
Hello Cynthia,
Yes, cornflour will react with sugarpaste and marzipan! We always use white fat (Trex, white Flora or Crisco) to roll our sugarpaste out.
Jane
Ros says
I bought the 2″ mini cake pans. The cakes turned out really well. The problems started when I tried to cover them in sugar paste. It was so frustrating as the paste kept splitting around the top. Do you have any tips to help me.
Lindy Smith says
Ros, they are a little tricky make sure you knead the paste really well so it is soft and pliable and then when covering the cake make sure you stroke your hand upwards and not downwards you’ll find step by step instructions in my Contemporary cake decorating bible book or why not come on a class and master the technique with us to help and guide you?
Hope that helps a little
Happy Baking
Lindy
Ros says
I shall keep trying to do better. I do have your books and they have inspired me to tackle many new techniques and I have been pleased with my efforts. I would love to attend your classes but I live near Glasgow therefore the cost of travel etc would make it too expensive for me. Thanks for taking the time to answer.
Leoni says
This blog is excellent and can’t wait to try out the white flora/ trex tip!
I’m making a 3D Digger cake for my sons birthday. I’m starting with an 8″ square cake cut in half and then one half cut again in half to make the cab. Do you think it will be possible to cover the whole cake in one go? It should be around 6″ high (at the cab end) and 8″ long. Will 1.5kg be enough to cover the cake? What size circle of sugar paste might I need to roll out?
I’m going to make the wheels from rice krispy bars moulded into circles and covered in sugar paste. I’ve never done this before – any tips?
Thank you so much
Jane says
Hello Leoni,
You would need to cover the cake in sections. Don’t really know how much paste and what size circle but you could measure roughly with your rolling pin.
Jane
Debbie says
Hi,
I’ve seen a Hello Kitty cake which I’m going to attempt to copy. The cake is covered in stripes of pink and white sugar paste. How do I go about this? Does each strip just get placed on the cake or do I need to dampen the edges to seal to the adjoining strip? I’m worried that the cake might dry out if its not all covered properly, will this happen? Thank you in advance for the answer to my question, I hope I’ve made myself clear!
Lindys Team says
Hi Debbie
Lindy explains how to make striped sugarpaste in her book, The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible.
Good luck with cake, I am sure your daughter will love it!
Fiona
Lindys Team says
Please can you put my mind at rest. I have made a large fruit cake for a wedding in october and marzipand and sugarpasted it this week.(cake is 5 weeeks old) Now i keep reading that you cant do this until a fortnight or so before the wedding and i didnt put anything between the cake and board. I am having major kittens right now!! If i dont have to rip all icing off where do i store the cake? Please help as all the different websites give different answers.
I would love it if you could send me the answers by email.
victoria says
please can you put my mind at rest. I have made a large fruit cake for a wedding in october and marzipand and sugarpasted it this week.(cake is 5 weeeks old) Now i keep reading that you cant do this until a fortnight or so before the wedding and i didnt put anything between the cake and board. I am having major kittens right now!! If i dont have to rip all icing off where do i store the cake? Please help as all the different websites give different answers and an email back would be really appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Lindys Team says
Hi Victoria
There is no problem with the marzipan and sugarpaste, you are fine to have done this in advance! You do however need to put a barrier between the cake and the board, the fruit will react with the foil covering and can transfer to the base of the cake, you just need some wax paper or something to act as a barrier. Hopefully you will be able to do this without having to rip any of the icing off. The cake should be stored in a box (not in an airtight container!!)
Hope this helps, Good Luck!!
Fiona
carol pritchard says
hi
im new to working with with sugarpaste or fondant, what i would like to know is does fondant dry out enough and go hard to make small toppers etc as would like to make stars on a wire to decorate a cake im making and if so how long should i leave them to dry
many thanks
carol
Lindys Team says
Hi Carol
To make small toppers and decorations we would recommend using modelling paste. Modelling paste is firmer than sugarpaste and holds its shape better. To make modelling paste, you would mix 225g sugarpaste with 1tsp of gum tragacanth, this should be left overnight (1tsp of sugarcel CMC can also be used and can be used straight away).
Hope this helps but if you need any further information please let us know.
Fiona
Lou says
What a great site!!
I’ve got a really silly question to ask. I’m about to start making my first decorated cake for a 70th birthday and was wondering where I put the cake when waiting for the sugarpaste to dry? Airtight container in fridge, box in airing cupboard or out on kitchen work surface!!!
Many thanks
Lou
Lindys Team says
Hi Lou
Once a cake is covered with sugarpaste leave it in a cardboard box, NOT an airtight container. Leave somewhere cool.
Hope this helps.
Zoe
laura x says
I love this site its amazing !!!
I have a question that has puzzled me, I normally use regalice or dr oetker when i am covering my cakes as they are mainly for the kiddies birthdays or for them to help mummy and find these are more affordable especailly when most gets eaten 🙂 . However i attended one of your classes on the 28th sept ( the 2 tier with beaded fountain, which i must say was excellent and i will be saving up to go on another course asap ) and brought some M&B paste as advised to do the course, which handled lovely and gave a lovely finish. I found everyone wanted to see the cake so it was a few days before we cut it but after a couple of days i noticed the sugar paste got lighter and lighter which has never happened to me before, i used Americolor gel colours which are a USA brand but brought form the cake decorating company in the uk but i have been using these for a while now and never had any problem can you help what could i have done wrong ? xx Many thanks for your time laura xx
Lindys Team says
Hi Laura, Great to hear you enjoyed the workshop. Am surprised to hear your cake faded as we don’t usually have any problem with this occurring. I can only think that maybe it was left out of its box and in direct sunlight for a period of time. Could this have happened? We do sell sugarpaste in ready mixed colours and they tend to keep their colours for a long time. Lindy uses Sugarflair or Squires Kitchen paste colours and doesn’t have problems with fading so perhaps it was the USA colours.
Hopes this solves the problem and thank you for your positive comments.
Susie
Holly says
Hello, love the tips on this site, so wondered if you could provide any words of wisdom to help me with my next project. I am going to be icing a ball cake – a 3D rugby ball as it happens – and I just wondered how to get the sugarpaste icing smooth all the way under the cake as well as on the top of the cake. I imagine it all gathers up into large folds of icing as you try to smooth it back in under the widest bulge of the cake.
Tips to help would be very much appreciated!
Lindys Team says
Hi Holly
It is the same principle as covering a ball cake, and full instructions are in Lindy’s book, The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible, The excess sugarpaste is cut off and the sugarpaste is them smoothed.
We’d love to see a picture when you have finished!
Fiona
Rachel says
Hi
I use your chocloate cake recipe and I have a problem with ‘bulging sugarpaste’
I bake the cake, leave it overnight then split in half and fill with butter cream (quite a bit as I like it to have quite a bit) I then crumb coat and put in the fridge for half an hour. I then sugarpaste and smooth down the sides with a professional paddle but the cake seems to buldge round the middle so you can kind of notice where the butter cream is and there is a bulge. Am I using too much butter cream in the middle or is my sugarpaste too thin? Help becuase it does not look very good!
Thanks
Lindys Team says
Hi Rachel
We would recommend leaving in the fridge for longer, eg overnight. It also sounds like you may be using too much buttercream, and the sugarpaste may be too thin! Let us know how you get on!
Fiona
Lucy says
Hi,
I’m making a 14 inch round madeira cake and always seem to find it difficult to roll out and then cover larger cakes. do you have any tips for rolling out sugarpaste and transferring it onto cover the cake with large cakes?
Thanks
Lindy's Team says
Hi Lucy
The same techniques are used for larger cakes as with the smaller sized cakes. Make sure you have a long rolling pin and large enough spacers as this will help.
Try clicking on the link below to Lindy’s Blog for more tips.
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/2009/03/08/rolling-out-sugarpaste-top-tips/
Good luck.
Susie
Daniela says
Hi Lindy & team, I love your cake decorating bible, after baking & decorating my 1st ever Christmas cake from scratch I got the bug and i am now baking & decorating my mother in laws birthday cake for her 60th.
I want to cover the bottom layer in brown icing, I could only buy Silver spoon food colouring so i tryed to colour the leftover sugarpaste I had from covering the board, but it makes it really wet and sticky. I added more icing sugar, but the colour is really not nice to say the least…. I wondered if i could use cocoa powder to colour sugarpaste, as it will be for covering chocolate cake I thought it would be a nice touch to have chocolate sugarpaste….. is this possible?
Thanks, Daniela
Ms Cecilia Dawn Chalmers says
Karen
I have the same problem with black fibres and it drives me crazy.
I clean twice and I only ever use paper towels to clean with and to dry my hands after washing. I never use fabric towels but sure enough I will start using the paste and black flecks appear out of no where. I do where black clothes all of the time and i wondered if it was that. when I take my clothes out of the dryer, no matter how worn out they are they still shed plenty of fibres into the filter. Quite amazing.
It is impossible for me to wear anything but black. I just cannot and definitely not white but that may be the solution in the end.
I also use a small ball of paste to clean with.
No matter how well I wash my hands my paste goes greay if I have to handle it for making toppers or sculptures. Very scary. Freaking me out a lot.
Lindys Team says
Hi Cecilia
I think you may need to invest in some pale cake decorating clothes! If you are decorating in black clothes, you will inevitably get some black fibres flying around.
Give it a try next time and see how you get on.
Kind regards
Susie
Darshi says
Hi Lindy
This is regarding the squires kitchen sugar florist paste. I made some flowers for some cupcakes I made for easter. I left the flowers to dry for 24 hrs before I put them on the cup cakes.. Then I put the cakes on a cup cake carrier over night and the next day flowers were all soft and weren’t holding there beautiful shape. Could you please explain why this happened? Should I dry them for longer or shouldn’t I put it in any kind of air tight container/carrier?
Many thanks
Lindys Team says
Hi Darshi
The flower paste flowers need to be dried for longer – about a week. Lindy suggests putting them in your airing cupboard so that they really dry out.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Zoe
steph says
Hi
i am maging silhouette wedding cookies, i have got 2 sihlouette cookie cutters and i am rolling out white sugar paste first the same shape as the biscuit, then using the shilhouette cookie cutters to punch out the shape in black sugar paste, how far in advance should i roll out and punch out the silhouettes, should i let them dry before i attach them to the biscuits? what do i do to prevent my cookies icing from sticking to the cellophane bags i am putting them in?
Hope you can help
Thanks
Steph
Ollie says
Hi I was just wondering how much sugarflair super white I should add to say 1kg of white sugarpaste to make it more white? I added a tsp to 1kg and it made it go dry and crack, I tried to add vegetable shortening to it but I couldn’t get it back to normal and ended up throwing it in the bin! I know in one if Lindy’s books with the snowflake cake it says to add a little but it didn’t say what a little was and to how much sugarpaste? Could you advise please?
Ollie
Lindys Team says
Hello Steph,
You should roll out, cut your shape and place it on the cookies all at once. You can then use your finger to smooth around the outside edge of the sugarpaste so it fits smoothly on the cookie. Leave them to dry before placing into the cellophane bags.
Jane
Lindys Team says
Hello Ollie,
With Superwhite it’s a case of adding a bit at a time. You should be able to start with a teaspoon in 1kg of sugarpaste without it becoming dry – there may have been something else wrong here. I would suggest trying again, keep kneading it until it comes together.
Jane
Steph says
Hi
Thank you for replying, much appreciated. How thick should I roll out the sugar paste for cookies.?
Thanks
Steph
Lindys Team says
Hi Steph
The sugarpaste should be rolled out to 5mm thick. We sell spacers in our shop which help you roll your sugarpaste to this thickness. They come in 50cm and 30cm lengths. Here are links to them:-
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/shop/Sugarcraft-Spacers-5mm-50cm-Long
http://www.lindyscakes.co.uk/shop/Sugarcraft-Spacers-30cm-5mm.html
Regards
Zoe