I Tried Cornelli Lace Again. Is This Better? Critique Please
Decorating By Lazy_Susan Updated 17 Jan 2006 , 1:44pm by kaecakes
I made another cake last night. Don't look at the roses! They are horrible. But I did take all the comments about the cornalli lace and tried it again. What do you think? And the leaves are just hopeless. I can't get a point on them. The cake is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake filled with chocolate pudding and iced with Chocolate Peanut Butter Icing (Hubby loves Peanut Butter).
Thanks for looking! Give me lots of pointers
Lazy_Susan
I think the cornelli looks just fine! Hard to tell when it is the same color as the icing on the cake! Maybe a little too boxy or squared in the way the design is layed out on the cake. Other than that I honestly do think it looks great!
Amy
okay, just reread my post! You might not understand what I mean by boxy or squared. I mean when you make a squiggle, try not to let it go on in the same direction (left or right) too much before you change directions! Does that made sense? Other than that, you have perfect curves in your squiggles!
Amy
How many cakes are you making a week?!? Hubby must have a wicked sweet tooth! I've been banned from making practice cakes here!
Looks lovely Susan! And no, your roses are not horrible! They look quite nice! Did you see my other posting about the leaves? It's not you, it's the tip you are using. For the life of me I don't understand why Wilton insists on making those tips, the are so aggravating!!! Try to get tip 352 and I promise you will get a point on them.
How many cakes are you making a week?!? Hubby must have a wicked sweet tooth! I've been banned from making practice cakes here!
Looks lovely Susan! And no, your roses are not horrible! They look quite nice! Did you see my other posting about the leaves? It's not you, it's the tip you are using. For the life of me I don't understand why Wilton insists on making those tips, the are so aggravating!!! Try to get tip 352 and I promise you will get a point on them.
Thank you tripletmom. Yes I saw your other post but have not had a chance to get the tip yet The last cake I made that I showed to y'all looked nice but tasted nasty!!!!! I threw it away!
So hopefully this one tastes better
I just got done with all the wilton classes. One thing my teacher said is that the cornelli lace is not suppose to touch. With sotas they do touch ( Sotas actually touch all over ). We were learning both in class 3. I cant tell by your picture if yours are touching. Your cakes very nice , sounds yummy.
I have a question for you. Which tip do you use on your roses? My teacher used both #97 and 104. I was wondering which you used your roses are really nice.
Thank you
I have a question for you. Which tip do you use on your roses? My teacher used both #97 and 104. I was wondering which you used your roses are really nice.
Thank you
The yellow ones are with tip #97 and the yucky grey looking colored one is with tip #104. Thanks for the compliments on them and the help with the cornelli lace. However, I want my roses to be better
Susan, I think your cake is very lovely and the yellow roses are great. On the leaves you could try this, just when they start to crust or a little before take your thumb and index finger and just pinch them to a point
I have a question for you. Which tip do you use on your roses? My teacher used both #97 and 104. I was wondering which you used your roses are really nice.
Thank you
The yellow ones are with tip #97 and the yucky grey looking colored one is with tip #104. Thanks for the compliments on them and the help with the cornelli lace. However, I want my roses to be better
Dont worry about the roses, roses take a lot of practice. I heard from someone the other day, that their teacher had told them in class, that she didnt want anyone to complain about making roses and them looking bad until they had made at least 100. It really does take practice. I used to make them at every opportunity, and now im happy how they turn out.
Cheers
Nati
I checked out your larger picture and I think your cornelli looks great kiddo! I also think your roses are coming along fine. Funny, I didn't even notice your leaves not coming to a point, until your pointed it out on your other cake. Yes, with that tip, let them set and pinch the tips with powdered sugar dipped fingers.
I have a question though, what icing recipe are you using. To me, it looks like your icing is just a bit too thin and this might be a problem with roses and leaves. Most people find the class icing the best for making roses and leaves. Not sure if you are using that one or are using one that contains butter and/or milk or cream. Or the one with loads more shortening. But for most people, the roses come out better using the recipe that uses shortening for the fat and water for the liquid.
I think your cake is lovely though, I must say. Your borders are really good and actually I think your roses still look very good inspite of the icing being a bit too thin. I think this is a pretty cake and looks yummy too!
Hugs Squirrelly
I have a question though, what icing recipe are you using.
I am using the Class Buttercream Icing. But probably by the time I finish trying to make it perfect it's all messed up. I look at it and then think I need to add a little more of this and then a little more of that. Then it still isn't right. Maybe I should just stop trying to get it perfect cause it ain't working! lol
Thanks for the compliments and all the good information. Trust me I take note of everything y'all tell me
Susan some people just have hot hands that seem to melt their icing somewhat. I think your being to hard on yourself and all you need is practice like a lot of us I know I need to, but it sure is hard to find time best of luck
Wow, Susan, great job on this cake! The lace looks very good. We talked about ways to improve your roses in the other post. It looks like you need to make a stifer frosting for roses. Also, I put a blob (yes, very technical term) of icing where I will put the rose. It gives it some height when you place the rose on top.
Susan some people just have hot hands that seem to melt their icing somewhat. I think your being to hard on yourself and all you need is practice like a lot of us I know I need to, but it sure is hard to find time best of luck
by the end of my first class working with buttercream (course I, class 2), the insturctor had figured out that I was a part of the "hot hands" group. so frustrating. Her advice, split BC into two or even three bags. Put all in fridge and let get good and cold, then grab one and ice until you can tell the hot hands are having effect. switch bags, repeat.
she also suggested, tho' I have yet to try, keeping a big bowl of ice water and soaking hands in it before starting and repeatedly throughout, esp. if using icing rich in real butter. just a wee bit too cold for my taste.
One thing my instructor did in class with out leaf tips was to take a straight spatula and spread the opening up so it was wider. You just open it a bit, test it, open it more, and so on. I swear, she opened my tips to about 1/8 inch before I could get the leaf points working.
What leaf tip are you using? I never had any luck with the #67 but I make great ones with the #352.! As for roses, I prefer #103 to #104 because I think the #103 makes smaller, daintier flowers. I use Toba Garrett's buttercream icing for piped roses and they always turn out perfectly. And they taste good, too! People tell me that they never eat the roses on bakery cakes because they are sooooooooo sweet, but they love the ones on my cakes and actually save them to eat for last because they're so good. Here's the recipe for the icing:
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp water or milk (plus more for thinning)
3 lbs confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
1 tsp salt
Cream butter and shortening well. Add flavoring and salt. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will be VERY dry) Add the water and beat for about 8 minutes or until light and fluffy, adding more water as needed.
Good luck!
What leaf tip are you using? I never had any luck with the #67 but I make great ones with the #352.! As for roses, I prefer #103 to #104 because I think the #103 makes smaller, daintier flowers. I use Toba Garrett's buttercream icing for piped roses and they always turn out perfectly. And they taste good, too! People tell me that they never eat the roses on bakery cakes because they are sooooooooo sweet, but they love the ones on my cakes and actually save them to eat for last because they're so good. Here's the recipe for the icing:
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp water or milk (plus more for thinning)
3 lbs confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
1 tsp salt
Cream butter and shortening well. Add flavoring and salt. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. Add meringue powder. (The mixture will be VERY dry) Add the water and beat for about 8 minutes or until light and fluffy, adding more water as needed.
Good luck!
Thank you. I saved it in my notepad. I'll give it a try!
You're welcome! I hope you guys love the icing as much as I do! If you don't have Toba Garrett's "The Well-Decorated Cake" it's well worth the money. I got mine for about $15 from Amazon about a year ago and I can't rave enough about it. I also have her "Creative Cookies" book and it's also wonderful.
I think your lace and roses are both wonderful. I do have a question though and I should preface by saying that I haven't taken a class... how do you get the cornelli lace to stick to the sides of a cake... I think I can figure out how to do on a flat surface, like the top of a cake... but don't know about the sides... do you have to have a tilted cake stand; one that will tip to one side? Do you need a "sticky" icing - more so than normal?
thanks
how do you get the cornelli lace to stick to the sides of a cake... I think I can figure out how to do on a flat surface, like the top of a cake... but don't know about the sides... do you have to have a tilted cake stand; one that will tip to one side? Do you need a "sticky" icing - more so than normal?
thanks
Thank you for the compliment. I wish I could answer your question but I have never taken a class either. So I don't rightly know the answer. Personally, I would just try it the same way I did the top. You have to be almost touching the cake. Sorry I can't be of more assistance. I know there are many people on here that can help you.
Lazy_Susan
Hey Susan,
Didn't I tell you to stop being so hard on yourself
Your Corneli Lace is great and your roses are pretty...mine always look like cabbages
Your cake looks yummy
Your cornelli lace looks fine, and your roses are very nice. Roses need lots of practice, I have very few students that get roses if they don't practice. One more thing about your leaves have you tried adding a 1/2 teaspoon of piping gel to a 1 cup of thin icing, that may help your points, and don't forget to release pressure gradually as you pull your tip straight ( don't bend your wrist) as you pull. Hope this helps.
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