How to cover a ball cake class given a seasonal Christmas twist by Lindy Smith

Lindy’s Christmas Bauble cake workshop marks the start of Christmastime at Lindy’s Cakes. Let the celebrations commence. I think it worth celebrating the fact that you can cover a ball shape in sugarpaste… it gets me every time!

On this snowy wintery day we gather for a day or sugarcraft learning and fun in our cosy studio hall, welcoming students from far and wide … UK, Kuala Lumpur and Belgium. We love meeting out students and hearing how they connected with Lindy and Lindy’s Cakes. They come with different stories but share the same passion for sugarcraft. They arrive as strangers and leave as friends… we call them cake friends!

We had a lovely surprise today when our student Ellen told us that she is the current winner of Belgium’s version of the Great British Bake-Off  – How exciting! Ellen is passionate about all kinds of baking and cakes so decided to come on a Lindy workshop to learn how to use sugarpaste and in particular cover a ball shape. You’ve picked the right course and the right teacher Ellen!

Jetting in from Kuala Lumpur is Elaine whose husband gave her this course as a gift. Knowing how much Elaine loved Lindy and her work he treated her to the ultimate masterclass with Lindy. Wow what a guy! Michaela is also joining us as a treat. She was given the course for her 18^thbirthday! Happy Birthday Michaela, great to have you here. Sharon, Rachel, Lynda and Juliet are keen bakers and have many cakes under their belts but have come along to tackle the ball cake. Another one for your repertoire ladies!

Rosheena has taken a busman’s holiday today. She teaches sugarcraft but as she points out there are always things to learn and techniques and tips to pick up from others. What a wonderful approach to your craft. Lizzie made us smile because she was given the ball tin and a set of stencils as a gift from a friend who had visited us at Cake International 2012. She thought she better find out how to use them… smart move Lizzie for Lindy is the ‘go to’ sugarcraft expert for all things sugarcraft.

We begin with covering the board in sugarpaste then adoring it with stencilled pattern. This forms the grand platform for the bauble cake. Our students are particularly interested in colour. Rosheena commented that Lindy’s colour combinations are really special. She’s right! Colour is Lindy’s speciality. You could call her a ‘colourist’ but Lindy is foremost an artist. She really does understand colour and is incredibly brave with colour which wins her many admirers. Of course that’s why she is writing a book about colour… but that’s another blog on another day!

As you know Lindy is a big fan of stencils, her first demonstration is received with a collective‘wow’. Stencils have the wow factor and when you know how they are remarkably easy to use. Lindy’s step-by-step approach to teaching allows our students the time to follow through her instructions which helps them achieve great results. Very helpful indeed when it comes to the next stage of the workshop, the covering of the ball. It really tickles me that you can cover a ball shaped cake, properly round, with a piece of sugarpaste. It is so malleable and the effect is stunning even in it’s naked state! We all know it won’t stay naked for long as Lindy gets to work guiding the students through the creative part of the day, decorating and adorning the bauble. Here they are:

This is Lindy’s last workshop for 2012. As we hang up our class aprons and bid farewell and Merry Christmas to our students we fondly look back at all the work they have created this year. Hand-made is truly special and who doesn’t love cake.

Will 2013 be the year that you let Lindy teach you how to create beautiful cakes with sugarcraft? Hope so!

Merry Christmas cake friends

KiwiRachel