Clark - Dusky Lace Dream

Lace wedding dresses have always been classically popular and since Kate Middleton wore a lacy gown on her wedding day, they now seem to be even more on trend. So many of my brides want a wedding cake that matches the theme of their dress and its one of my favourite ways to decorate a cake; making a beautiful creation thats also tailored to them.

Although I wouldnt call the style of lace in these designs particularly vintage; the colour scheme, with its romantic dusky pink hues and delicate ivory detailing is certainly classic. With its exquisite floral lace design, soft ribbon trim and the subtle hint of sparkle from the pearl white lustre, this really is the wedding cake of dreams.

It is all about the detail with this sophisticated three-tiered wedding cake design. The elegant floral lace pattern is created using a combination of appliqu techniques, including a type of piping that resembles embroidery in its method of creating tiny zigzags and lines. The use of a lace mould adds texture to give a realistic finish. Tiny teardrops are added for the beading on the large flowers and edible pearls bring that extra wow-factor to the cake.

• One 13cm (5in) round cake, 10cm (4in) deep and one 23cm (9in) round cake, 11.5cm (438in) deep, prepared and iced in ivory sugarpaste (rolled fondant)
• One 18cm (7in) round cake, 13cm (5in) deep, iced in pale dusky pink sugarpaste (rolled fondant)
• One 30cm (12in) round cake board, covered with ivory sugarpaste (rolled fondant)
• 1kg (2lb 4oz) pale dusky pink sugarpaste (rolled fondant) (the same colour as the paste used to ice the middle tier)
• Half quantity of royal icing
• 15ml (1 tbsp) each of royal icing in dusky pink and ivory to match cakes
• Edible white pearl drages
• 100g (312oz) white flower (petal/gum) paste
• Pearl white lustre
• White non toxic/edible glitter

• Card
• 7 hollow pieces of dowel cut to size
• Large flower template (see Templates at www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/patterns )
• Pins
• Piping bag and nos. 1, 1.5 and 4 piping tubes (tips)
• Scallop edge cutter (Orchard Products)
• Lace mould or textured mat (CK)
• 3 small size primrose cutters
• 2 small blossom plunger cutters
• 1.5cm (58in) ivory/bridal white, double-faced satin ribbon

Roll out about 200g (7oz) of dusky pink sugarpaste (rolled fondant) into a long strip measuring 50 x 7.5 x 0.2cm (20 x 3 x 516in). Cut down one side of the strip with a knife to achieve a straight edge, then wrap and glue the paste around the 13cm (5in) tier. Cut a piece of card to 6cm (212in) in height and use to neatly score and cut away the icing above this height all around the cake to form an even band. Set aside to dry for a few hours or ideally overnight this should be done on the same day as you ice the cakes.

Roll out the remaining dusky pink sugarpaste (rolled fondant) to a 2mm (516in) thickness and cover the top of the 23cm (9in) tier. Use your hands to smooth the icing down around the sides until about halfway down. Cut another piece of card about 7.5cm (3in) in height and use to make a level cut in the icing all the way around the cake, this time working from the top down. Continue smoothing the icing against the cake, trimming the bottom if it becomes slightly out of shape. Set aside to dry for a few hours or overnight.

Dowel and assemble the three tiers on the iced cake board.

Using an edible pen, trace the large flower template onto greaseproof (wax) paper ten or eleven times. Pin each one onto the cake, spacing them evenly apart and positioning each flower at a different angle. Secure each template in place using four pins. Using a needle scriber, prick through each flower to mark its outline on the cake. Carefully remove the paper and pins, putting them safely away.

Use a no. 1 piping tube (tip) and fill a piping bag with soft peak royal icing then pipe over the design. Your piping should not be perfect; aim for a bumpy stop-and-start effect, such as in embroidery or stitching. Next, pipe tiny adjoining pairs of teardrops around the outside of each flower.

Use a ball tool to make some small round indents in the centre of the flowers then press in some pearl drages, using a little edible glue to secure in place.

For the scallop edging around the top and bottom tiers, roll out some white flower (petal/gum) paste into a long, 7mm (38in) thick strip and use the scallop cutter to cut out a border. Add texture by pressing the scalloped pieces into a lace mould, brushed first with pearl white lustre to prevent the paste from sticking and to give it shine. Alternatively, press the pieces into a textured mat and paint them with pearl white lustre mixed with clear alcohol. Use edible glue to attach the trim around the top tier with the curved edge upwards and around the bottom tier with the curved edge downwards.

For the smaller appliqu flowers, thinly roll out some white flower (petal/gum) paste and press it into the lace mould, as in Step 7. Cut out a flower with the largest primrose cutter and use the smallest primrose cutter to cut out the centre. Use the largest blossom plunger cutter to cut out the centre of the medium primrose and the smaller blossom plunger cutter to cut out the centre of the smallest primrose. You can save the cut out centres and use them to decorate the cake.

Attach the appliqu flowers on to the cake with edible glue, using the main photograph as a guide for positioning. Attach the largest blossoms into the centre of the largest primroses and use a ball tool to indent the centres before the flower (petal/gum) paste dries. Glue white pearl drages into the indents.

Roll out some more white flower (petal/gum) paste and leave it to dry for about five minutes. Use a no. 4 piping tube (tip) to cut out lots of tiny little dots these will resemble sequins on the cake. Stick them on to the cake in the centre of the little flowers and around the outside of the larger flowers using edible glue.