Sugarveil Answers

Decorating By emilyg Updated 15 Oct 2009 , 12:57am by weirkd

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emilyg Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 4:15am
post #1 of 15

Hi guys,

Here are some answers to some SugarVeil posts:

1. What is the shelf life for SugarVeil? - SugarVeil is a dry powder. Although it's never around for very long here, it'll keep for years if tightly sealed and out of sunlight.

2. How far does it go? - Amazingly far: If you mix just one cup of
SugarVeil at a time (there are more than three cups in a one lb. pouch), you end up with more than 6 square feet of SugarVeil "fabric", which
makes about 14 big bows with tails. Or if you are making veils (see our
website www.sugarveil.com for the how-to), you can wrap about
81 cakes with veils - and this with using only one cup. Keep all of your
dried bits (I sort them by color) - you can do a great mosaic cake with
all the little pieces.

3. Can you work on the cake, too? Yes - pipe with a parchment cone,
the Icing Dispenser, or a regular piping bag with a 0 or 1 tip.

4. How can you tell when SugarVeil is "set"? - The surface of set SugarVeil will be dry and smooth to the touch. If it is tacky to the touch and stretches a bit out of shape when you begin to peel it from the parchment or silicone mat surface, it is not yet set. Store your set
SugarVeil decorations between fresh sheets of parchment in Tupperware or a Ziploc bag and they will remain flexible. Otherwise, if left in open air, they will eventually dry to a fragile consistency (so you can bite into them).

Tips: Always use 1/3 c. plus 2 Tbl. boiling water per one cup of mix,
and always beat with an electric mixer.

When piping (and remember, pipe very fine lines, if this mixture seems a bit thin to your liking, refrigerate it in the piping bag for a short time (less than 30 minutes). Your piped lines will be more dimensional, and will set that way,too.

When making bows in a humid environment, you can paint the inside
of the SugarVeil bows with white chocolate to retain their 3D look. Allow
the bow to dry a bit, then use your finger to smooth a layer of melted
but cooled white chocolate invisibly on the inside of the bow.

It's spider web time - attached is a line design (rough, I know, but you get the idea) that I've used for cakes and cupcakes. Just be sure not to draw it too perfectly - they really look better if they are not perfectly drawn (which looks too mechanical).

Please let me know if there are any tips I can share, or questions I can be of help with. You can email me at [email protected]

Thanks much,

Emily at SugarVeil
LL

14 replies
Sugarflowers Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
Sugarflowers Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 4:21am
post #2 of 15

Thanks so much for this post. I've been considering trying it.

Michele

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kayla1505 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 5:07am
post #3 of 15

I read something about baked sugerveil. how does that work ?

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dragonflydreams Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 6:00am
post #4 of 15

. . . I just received my starter kit . . .

. . . glad to have this info . . . looking forward
to playing with my new toys . . . icon_biggrin.gif

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Susie53 Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 10:23am
post #5 of 15

Thanks for all the info, can't wait to try SugarVeil!

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emilyg Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 2:44pm
post #6 of 15

Kayla - Hmmm...baked SugarVeil. We do have a customer that does cookies and places die-cut shapes of SugarVeil onto her cookie dough. You might have to experiment a bit - she makes colored SugarVeil "fabric", then uses a decorative paper punch to punch out different shapes.

Also a general FYI - I forgot to mention that when I pipe (trace) the spider web pattern onto greased parchment with SugarVeil, I don't make the "tails" (strings that extend beyond the webbing). When the web is set, I peel it from the parchment, place it on the cake, and then pipe the tails directly onto the cake - emilyg

deetmar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
deetmar Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 5:17pm
post #7 of 15

After the Sugerveil is mixed and colored, how do you store it, and how long can it be stored until the next use?

I had mixed it and used it for something, and had some left over. So I put it in a tupperware bowl, but when I went to use it the next time, it was to stiff, I couldn't use it.

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emilyg Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 6:16pm
post #8 of 15

Hi Deetmar,

When SugarVeil is mixed, I find it's best to go ahead and make decorations (like stenciled monograms, or sheets for later making bows and die cuts, or combed lines) for later use with any that's left over, and then store the sheets/decorations for later use. You can store mixed SugarVeil (covered in the fridge) up to a few weeks or so, but the consistency is a bit different - you need to allow it to come to room temp, then beat several seconds, then add a few drops of water and beat for a minute or so. That's why I use it the same day - I like to mix it in the morning, cover it with plastic wrap, then later beat it a few seconds for use in the afternoon. And I use all I've mixed to make decorations - even if I've only time to comb lines with the leftovers, I'll do that. Then later, when I've a bit more time, I'll come back and paint a different color over those lines for making striped bows (see below). EmilyG
LL

deetmar Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
deetmar Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 8:22pm
post #9 of 15

When I got mine, it only have the directions on the back. Is there someplace that we can learn more about it?

I was wondering if you could use it for lettering on parchament paper, then how would you pick it up to put it on the cake?

emilyg Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
emilyg Posted 20 Oct 2008 , 11:44pm
post #10 of 15

Deetmar, go to www.sugarveil.com for lots of information and instruction on techniques. Our home page shows how to make the striped bows. Page down further, and there's a link to an American Cake Decorating article "Flower Faces" which shows how to work with SugarVeil fabric to decorate cupcakes in fun ways.

Near the top of the home page, there are tabs across the page. Click on "Contact Press", then from the drop-down list click "Press Releases", then go to the American Cake Decorating article from March, 2006. This article gives instruction on many techniques, including how you can quickly stencil scroll designs - you can use the same technique for stenciling monogram designs. Be sure to grease the parchment. When SugarVeil is set, you can peel it from the surface and bend it around the contours of the cake.

Then go to http://www.sugarveil.com/confectionery_icing/icing_instructions.htm for Frequently asked questions and complete instructions for using SugarVeil. That page also has instructions for using the Confectionery Comb and many techniques for making veils, strings, and loop designs.

Finally, we have a great DVD with lots of instruction packed into 45 minutes - "SugarVeil Dessert Garnishes" - which shows everything from mixing SugarVeil to sophisticated techniques like gold leafing monograms.

And if you have need of any further information than the above, please contact us at [email protected] with your questions - we're more than happy to help. Thanks! - emilyg

FatAndHappy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
FatAndHappy Posted 14 Oct 2009 , 9:24pm
post #11 of 15

I finally started to play with my kit I got for Christmas. The first batch was too thin, I tried spreading it out to make a bow and it just bubbled and broke after drying. The second batch I think was to thick. How do you know the right consistancy.

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CarolAnn Posted 14 Oct 2009 , 9:49pm
post #12 of 15

I am soo intrigued with Sugar Veil. My sis brought her machine when she visited once and I got to see a demo at a DOS a couple years ago. I'd love to see more demos. Can't afford to play with it until I'm doing more cakes. I'm glad to see this thread. Will try to follow it and learn.

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HamSquad Posted 14 Oct 2009 , 10:06pm
post #13 of 15

Wow, Good INFO, Somrthing new to try.
Thanks,
Pamela

emilyg Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
emilyg Posted 14 Oct 2009 , 10:58pm
post #14 of 15

"I finally started to play with my kit I got for Christmas. The first batch was too thin, I tried spreading it out to make a bow and it just bubbled and broke after drying. The second batch I think was to thick. How do you know the right consistancy."

Hi Fat and Happy,

You mix 1 cup SugarVeil to 1/3 c. plus 2 Tbl. boiling water. Beat on high speed for four minutes. I usually like to cover and leave it for 90 minutes or so right after I beat it, but be sure that when you come back to it you beat it again for a minute (by hand is O.K.) before you spread/comb/stencil/pipe or otherwise use it. Always use these measurements, and the consistency will always be right. If you would like for your piped lines to have a bit more dimension, or if your lines seem to flow when combing, refrigerate the bowl or piping bag of SugarVeil for 30 minutes or so, and the SugarVeil will have more body (and set exactly that way, too).

And remember there are three stages in setting: (1) Wet - just mixed, (2) Set - this is the flexible stage. Big window of time here you can play with it/shape it/ form it to place on a cake or dessert. If you're not going to decorate with it right away, this is also the stage that you want to place it between two sheets of parchment, air-tight into a Ziploc bag -out of light- for later use, and (3) Dry stage - decorations will eventually dry to a very fragile dry state (so you can bite into them) - also the stage that you can smear the inside of a SugarVeil bow with white chocolate, if you'd like to give it more support. This stage is also dependent upon surrounding humidity as well as the recipe of the icing it is placed upon. On whipped cream icing, for example, SugarVeil decorations will always be soft.

FYI - If you're attending the Retail Baker's Show in North Carolina this weekend, master baker Julie Bashore will be teaching a wonderful SugarVeil class and will have some new exciting examples and techniques. Hope this answers your questions, and thanks for asking! EmilyG

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weirkd Posted 15 Oct 2009 , 12:57am
post #15 of 15

Ive been itching to buy this since I saw the Fashion Challenge and Jennifer used it to make fishnet with!
Thank you for all the information Emily!

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