Parrish - Maisie Parrishs Naughty Cakes

Hello Everyone

Welcome to my latest collection of cake designs. This book breaks new ground, partly because it is aimed at a grown-up audience and also because we are really pushing the boundaries with the nude body shapes. It is good to try out more testing techniques, and I am sure you will have a lot of laughs while producing some of these characters. I had no idea there was such a selection of posing pouches the mind boggles! so have a lot of fun with those. The aim of this book is to be naughty but nice, and not to offend anyone. Ive done my best to avoid vulgar and rude, and stick to cheeky and nude.

Some of the cakes have a lot of content, especially those featuring several figures. People are one of the most tricky things to make, but Ive given you plenty of advice about shaping limbs and torsos, and how to get the proportions right. Great emphasis is placed on facial expressions, and when you are making a number of different characters you really need a variety of faces, so practise well and you will have very good results.

Of course, it is not necessary to make everything on each cake. You can reduce the number of characters, or just take what you require from each project to formulate your own design. Some cakes, like the Honey of a Bunny Girl, have only one figure, and can be simplified further if you choose not to make the carrots. The Stripper cake is simpler still you could say the design is reduced to the bare essentials!

The structure of some cakes is a little different to the others, such as the tower of huge bubbles in the Bubble-icious cake, giving more interest to the subject, and is something I enjoyed doing. Look out for the beautiful colours of Renshaws pastes, which are a joy to work with and mix together perfectly with their modelling paste.

I think we can safely say that sugarcraft is here to stay. For several years Ive travelled widely, teaching sugarcraft modelling around the world and Ive seen its popularity growing more and more. A few years ago, modelling was not what people wanted to learn, but nothing could be further from the truth today. Marzipan was once the only modelling medium used in many European countries and now everyone wants sugarpaste. So hitch your wagon to a star, and as the musicians on my Rock Your Socks Off cake might say lets rock and roll!

I sincerely hope that you will find something to inspire you in this book and that it brings you lots of enjoyment. Bear in mind that there is absolutely nothing like a hands-on class, so if I can be of further help to you, do visit my website www.maisieparrish.com for details of what is available.

Much love to you all,

All the models in this book are made using sugarpaste (rolled fondant) in one form or another. This firm, sweet paste is also used to cover cakes and boards. Sugarpaste is very soft and pliable and marks easily, but for modelling it works best if you add CMC (Tylose) to it to bulk it up (see ). This section gives you the lowdown on this wonderful medium, revealing everything you need to know for success with sugarpaste.

You can purchase sugarpaste in the most amazing array of colours; just take it out of the packet and away you go. Of all the ready-made pastes on the market, the brand leader is Renshaws Regalice (see ), which is available in white and lots of other exciting shades. This paste is easy to work with and is of excellent, firm quality.

Ready-made packaged sugarpaste is quick and convenient to use. Well-known brands are high quality and give consistently good results.

If you make your own sugarpaste you can then tint it to any colour you like using edible paste food colour (see ). This can be dusted with edible dust food colour to intensify or soften the shade. Humidity and climate changes affect the performance of the paste, so one recipe doesnt necessarily work for everyone and sometimes needs to be adjusted.

900g (2lb) sifted icing (confectioners) sugar

15g (12oz) gelatin

45ml (3tbsp) cold water

15ml (1tbsp) glycerine

120ml (8tbsp) liquid glucose

Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and allow it to sponge. Place over a bowl of hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until all the gelatin crystals have dissolved. Do not allow the gelatin mixture to boil.

Add the glycerine and glucose to the gelatin and water and stir until melted.

Add the liquid mixture to the sifted icing (confectioners) sugar and mix thoroughly until combined.

Dust the work surface lightly with icing (confectioners) sugar, turn out the paste and knead to a soft consistency until smooth and free of cracks.

Wrap the sugarpaste in cling film (plastic wrap) or store in an airtight freezer bag. If the paste is too soft and sticky to handle, work in a little more icing (confectioners) sugar.

500g (1lb 1oz) sifted icing (confectioners) sugar

1 egg white

30ml (2tbsp) liquid glucose

Place the egg white and liquid glucose in a clean bowl. Add the icing (confectioners) sugar and mix with a wooden spoon, then use your hands to bring the mixture into a ball.

Follow steps 4 and 5 above for kneading and storage.

Sugarpaste is such a versatile modelling medium and can be used to create an almost endless variety of characters.

To convert sugarpaste into modelling paste, all you need to do is add CMC (Tylose) powder (see ) to the basic recipe. The quantity needed will vary according to the temperature and humidity of the room, so you may need to experiment to get the right mix depending on the conditions you are working in. As a guide, add roughly 5ml (1tsp) of CMC (Tylose) to 225g (8oz) of sugarpaste and knead well. Place inside a freezer bag and allow the CMC (Tylose) to do its work for at least two hours. Knead the paste well before use to warm it up with your hands; this will make it more pliable and easier to use.