How to make Quilling style decorations

If you love quilled decorations on cakes and it’s something you’d like to try yourself, follow the simple steps below to create quilled streamers and loops from Flower and Modelling Paste. These handy tips will help you create impressive looking cake toppers.

How to make the dark blue icing streamer

You will need:

• 250g Renshaw Flower and Modelling Paste in Forget-Me-Not Blue
• Slim mini rolling pin or dowel

What to do:

1. Take a small piece of the Renshaw Flower and Modelling Paste in Forget-Me-Not Blue and knead until pliable.
2. Lightly dust a board with icing sugar or apply a very thin film of a white fat (TREX) to prevent sticking
3. Roll out the flower paste to a thickness of 2mm.
4. Using a sharp knife cut out a strip of icing 1cm by 6cm.
5. Take a standard plastic cake dowel or slim mini rolling pin and using the pre-cut icing strip begin to twist around the dowel holding one end secure.
6. Wrap gently around the dowel until you reach the end of the icing. Make sure the icing is wrapped tightly, but not too tight that it will not slide off easily.
7. Set to one side and leave to dry for 20minutes.
8. After 20 minutes, gently slide the streamer off the dowel taking care to keep the shape. The icing will still feel slightly soft; this helps to slide it off the dowel.
9. Once off the dowel, leave to harden overnight.
10. When fully dry you can apply to your cake.

How to make the yellow quilled loops

You will need:

• 250g Renshaw Flower and Modelling Paste in Daffodil Yellow
• Cocktail stick

What to do:

1. Knead your Flower and Modelling Paste in Daffodil Yellow until pliable.
2. Lightly dust your board with icing sugar or apply a thin layer of white fat (TREX).
3. Roll out some of the yellow flower paste to a 2mm thickness.
4. Using a sharp knife cut out 2x 1cm by 6cm strips.
5. Take one strip of the yellow flower paste and make a small loop shape. Using a dab of cooled boiled water, fix into place by pressing one end of the strip to the other depending on the size you want your loop.
6. Cut off the excess end to leave a neat edge.
7. Now take the second strip and create a larger loop around the small loop you have just created.
8. Fix into place using cooled boiled water. Trim off the excess paste to leave a straight base to the two joined loops.
9. Using half a cocktail stick, insert it in to the base of the loops, making sure not to insert too far that it protrudes through the top of the join.
10. Set to one side and leave to dry overnight.
11. Repeat this process 3 more times to create 4 double loops. Leave all 4 to harden overnight.
12. Once hardened, you can now apply to the cake using royal icing to attach them for extra stability.

We’d love to see what quilled cake decorations you make. Be sure to share them with us on Facebook (Renshaw Baking), Twitter and Instagram (@renshawbaking).