I decided to engage in some serious masochism, and I'm trying Lambeth on a dummy. Looking pretty good so far, especially for someone firmly in the fondant camp. That, and I'm just going from a pic. LOL

So I was wondering - do any of you offer that through your business? If so, what to you charge for it vs your regular price?

I've gone through SERIOUSLY crazy amounts of royal icing, and I'm probably only 1/2 done.

Why is it so hard to find any information on this technique?? I've been searching for years and only have a handful of resources.

Maybe I answered my own question...lol and yours.

I think, based upon your talent in other areas that you should charge approximately one arm and one leg for YOU to do lambeth on a cake lol.........that stuff takes serious amounts of time, talent and anger management to pull off!

Not just no, ____ no.

I mean seriously, who would want that nowadays when less is more.

I mean maybe the next trend will be no icing at all.
We should all be so lucky.

But no Lambeth.

But yeah for like $15 a serving min. Maybe more huh.

Just say no.

I've done only one Lambeth-style cake, I repeat Lambeth "style." I've only ever had one request for that type of cake and it was adapted from Marth Stewart's latest cake book. My husband was so worried for me as in "How are you ever going to get that done?!!?" The bride also wanted all BC, so once again I emphasize Lambeth "style" I didn't think there was any way to do that much layering with the heavy BC. Here's a link and yes my hand/arm/ nerves were a little shot when I was done! http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1272309.html

Mencked, that is a beautiful cake! Okay, call me stupid, but what the heck is Lambeth?

I've just been subject to a few rude comments about my "inability" to do buttercream.

The biggest cake company here really bashes the use of fondant, so some people have it in their head that I'm a lesser decorator for not really doing much piped work.

I figure doing a Lambeth cake and sticking it on the site would shut them up.. I just know better than to do that without having some sort of figure in mind.

Here is a pic of the cake I'm basing it on. It's 3 tier, though.

Also, apologies to whoever made the inspiration photo. I saved it a few months ago, I have nooo idea from where. I don't think it was here.

Holy Crow! That is gorgeous! That is truely amazing, I can't wait to see the finished cake!

Don't expect much! First time, combined with me being shitty at piping

Ummm.. no.

I have a severe disdain for overdone and fussy. Not to mention needing a chainsaw to cut through the MF'er.. but it would be nice to stick it to the "man"..

Lambeth work takes DAYS to complete.. you'd have to do it on fruit cake or a nice mudcake to have the cake still be edible by the time you were done. I'm all set with that. Not that I don't love me some mudcake, but to be fair to yourself you'd have to charge so much that the average bride would never touch it. $20/serving.. no way I'd do it for less.

Oh.. and did those lovely comments about your BC skills come from who I think it came from???????

If so I'm flying out there to lay some smack down. Hit 'em upside the heads with a big ole' bucket of Massa Grischuna.

One was a bride at a tasting, one was my (former) friend. I may have told you about her.

Are we gonna give those-who-shall-not-be named a cake crumb nap? LOL

Yes.. yes we shall. It's been a while since I was in a scrap.. I think I'm about due.

Maybe a candy caning..

ok, after reading this whole string, i still dont really know what Lambeth is.... but we did a whole nother string on it...

here is the link... http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-486643-0-days0-orderasc-.html


HTH! Good luck, it sounds complicated.

I consider myself a decent decorator, but Lambeth? I don't think so.
Like you FlowerGirlMN I do almost all fondant. Your cakes are wonderful and I'd love to see the BC cakers try and pull off a fondant cake as nice as yours. I get sick of people bashing all fondant cakes, there's nothing bad about them it's just a different method! It's just as time consuming and difficult as piping with BC.

The local place that really bashes fondant also:

- carries on and on about the butter they use in their cakes, that they won't use coloring because it's un natural.. but use mixes.

- claims that, while they use butter in their cakes, that it's such a rarity because "the industry standard is to use lard in cakes"

- has on their website and elsewhere that fondant tastes bad (Not even hinting around at it, flat out says it tastes bad!), that it's too hard to cut, etc

In short.. douchebags.

Lard????



Gimme a break! I guess they are really trying to play up their buttercream use with the whole fondant schpeal, but lard???

I've never seen a cake recipe that called for lard.. and I've seen MANY.

I swear I'm not making it up!

They don't even use buttercream, they use some weird whipped frosting... and as far as I can tell, that doesn't have butter in it.

I asked around, and have yet to come across anyone who's ever used lard in a cake.

It's probably Bettercream.. <insert yicky face here*

dmich and scoutmamma- did you get your question answered about what Lambeth method actually is?

In short, as seen from the previously posted photo, it is overpiping: layer-upon-layer of piped lines/scrolls. You start with a small star tip to pipe the initial scroll, then pipe a series of layers- each layer a bit smaller than the one beneath it. It creates a tall piped scroll. In the class I took, I think we started with a #2 or #3 and went to a #0 or #00.

You can create a "Lambeth style" by simply overpiping a decoration just 2 or 3 times (in larger tips, I might add! )

And NO...I absolutely do NOT offer this to customers!!! are you NUTS!! Show work only.

I sure would love to see your finished cake!

Honestly, I don't think you really could offer a true Lambeth cake, at least with typical American-style cake inside, and definately no with buttercream on the outside. It would be sooo unbelievably time-consuming, it would take days (or longer!) and you would have to use dummies, or fruitcake. For something with the detail like the inspiration photo you're using, I'm thinking at least $25/serving, maybe $50! I've never actually done one, but I think I could; I just don't know that I would!

I would offer much more simplified designs inspired by the technique, using overpiping, just not so much. Something in the $5-$10/serving price range. Anything that would be more than that, would be so involved I wouldn't want to do.

I was thinking doing lambeth on top of a plain fondant base would work well.

I do a really dense, but moist cake that holds up really well. Between that and the interior supports we use.. I think there's a potential it could work.

Do I think there's actually a market for it here? No idea. I would love to have a finished one on the site, either way. I should take a progress pic.

Ok, here's where I am so far. Need to put it away for a few days and get everything else done, and this is probably only halfway done.. and I know it's sloppy.. but it's getting better!

That is gorgeous. Nicely done! I don't think I have the patience for something like that!

The only thing I ever did was a very modified Lambeth.....a choco one I have in my pix. It was my choice to do for a man's b'day where they gave me no details except wanting choco icing.
If I was still selling I would do more of the modified ones only much more detailed than that one......since they weren't paying for so much work.

Not bad at all for your first attempt. I would have given up after the first few shells.

Now a market for them?? probably not, but it would be one for the portfolio for sure.

good job-THAT is pretty....very nice!

FlowerGirl, I was looking up more examples of Lambeth style (and whoever said it was right ... there aren't many!) and found this cake on this website .... http://www.sandiegocakeclub.com/news.html .... so at least you'll know where it came from.

Your work so far looks good, especially for a die-hard-fondant-girl!!

I will never claim that I've done a Lambeth cake, but when I first started cakes (back in the 70's), overpiping, layered stringwork, multiple layers built on top of each ... all of that was the norm. That's how I learned cake decorating. You all must be "young whippersnappers"!

But this sounds like an interesting project! If I get some slow time in the near future, I think I'll give this a shot. It would be fun to have one pic in my book, anyway! And you never know when an older bride will want an "old fashion victorian" look or someone wants one re-created for an anniversary!