Getting Started With Painted Cakes
Thursday 14th May 2015
Using your cake as a canvas opens up a whole new world of possibilities for cake decoration. You can create stunning floral designs or abstract washes of colour, it’s no wonder painted cakes have become one of the most popular baking trends this year.
A painted cake however, does involve a whole new set of skills and if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before you may need to ease yourself in gently.
There are some fantastic examples of stunning painted cakes that will combine both your painting and sugarcraft skills that create end products that will take your breath away.
But you can start painting on your cakes without needing the skills of Natasha from Nevie-Pie Cakes, one of the UK’s leading cake painters. So let’s give it a try:
[Nevie-Pie Cakes via Pinterest]
WHAT DO YOU NEED?
Edible colour tints
These are readily available and there are no limits to the colours you can create. They come as a powder so you mix into a paste, often with alcohol, but some recommend using melted cocoa butter that creates, in effect, an oil paint that won’t soak into the surface of your icing.
A good set of paint brushes
Different painting techniques rely on a range of different brush types. Precision work calls for a fine brush, washes of colour and design elements like petals and leaves are often achieved with wider brushes. There is some debate surrounding whether to use natural or synthetic brushes but remember brushes shed and you need to find a brush that won’t leave hairs stuck to the surface of on your icing.
A paint palette
A small tray that allows you to mix your colours.
GETTING STARTED
Rome wasn’t built in a day and if you are just starting out with painting it’s probably best to start with a straightforward design approach. Cake decorator supreme Mich Turner MBE recommends starting out with simple traced designs. She has some great advice and tutorials over on YouTube:
Some striking effects can be created using designs inspired by works of art and nature and combined with some 3D fondant icing can create magical cakes that are simply breath taking.
[Image via Dreme Cake Artistry]
Are you just getting started with painted cake decoration or are your fondant icing cakes masterpieces already? We’d love to see your examples so do share them with us on social media.