Has anyone here done string work? I've been seeing at lot of it on the cake challenges on Food Network. I have a few books about string work and royal icing techniques and have been itching to try it.
I tried just some basic string work tonight and it seems easy enough but you definately have to have the right consistency of royal, consistent even pressure, patience, and the ability to hold your breath. I don't have all the equipment to achieve most of the delicate stringwork shown in my books but I would sure like to do it some day.
What are your experiences with stringwork and what has worked for you!
Amy
Got any pics? I think that string work is way COOL too!!!
Show us what you did!
Oh phooey! I thought about taking a pic but it was just practice on my fondant dummy cake. I've packed it all in for tonight. I'll be practicing again tomorrow! I'll make sure I take a pic and post here. I'm trying to get up the nerve to try something new for my cake show entry next month. I need to have different techniques and I've been wanting to try the stringwork so I figured, what the hey!!!
I must be crazy trying to do something as difficult as this on my first cake entry in the show! What am I thinking!!!
Amy
Come one now Cakemommy, your work is lovely, you can do this!!!! It takes time.....even the women who enter the big ICES challenges admit that it takes hours to do perfect work. And i bet not a single one of them did perfect work on the first shot!
You'll be doing that tiny "hail spotting" before you know it!
(How's that for a pep talk? Did I fool you? I HATE stringwork!
I have done some string work on several of my cakes in my photos.
Love how string looks when used along with ruffled, puff ect.
Okay, this is by no means anything to write home about but I'm just trying out this string work technique I have been seeing a lot of on Food Network's Cake Challenges.
I'm thinking of incorporating this technique into my cake for the cake show. I'll be practicing like crazy up until then.
My only problem is how in the world do I finish it off? I can't put a trim to attach it to on the edge of my round tiers. That would look funny (don't you think?) I'll have to work on that.
The theme of the cake is for each tier to look like it has a piece of lace laid over the top. I need to have different techniques in my cake to help with judging/scoring so that's why I've chosen the string work.
We'll see how it goes.
Amy
I didn't know you were supposed to do the string work with Royal Icing. I was taught to use very stiff buttercream, but, due to carpal tunnel and tendonitis, I don't do it very often. Here's what I did on my final exam cake for course three, and this was just buttercream. Not as elaborate as what you all are probably talking about though. Just this hurt like a son of a gun to get on the cake and my bag blew an aneurism too.
Shelia,
That is some fabulous work.
I have Rhumatoid Arthritis so I can feel your pain.
Thanks. I've only done string work like this twice in the little over 3 years that I've been doing this, and it's not on the top of my list of things I plan to do often. I was suprised I got the cake transported home from class w/out breakage. I took it to my husbands office for consumption, and a few strings broke by the time we got it upstairs there, but the guys never noticed I'm sure. My husband said it was a full 5+ hours before any one even dared touch the cake they were afraid to eat it! They were pretty bummed when my classes ended and I wasn't sending all my practice cakes to work with him anymore! 
There is a company, I can not think of the name, but they featured it on a Food Network special where you buy it already made for you and you pull it apart and lay it on the cake. Looks like lace!!! I will try to find out more info. I saw it and thought how nice of a product it was. It was on a special with Giada and she was tasting sweets at some convention, (not on "Behind the Bash"), if that helps anyone to remember the show.
That's funny! Just tell your husband to drum up some business for you! You'll make a killing making cakes as beautiful as your final! That is absolutely gorgeous. Are the little heart wreaths royal!!! Are the blue flowers royal drop flowers made ahead of time? They are so tiny and yet so perfect!
Amy
Amy, thanks. Yes. The hearts around the base are royal icing. the heart on the top is fondant with royal icing "balls" put around it (we were supposed to attach beads, but I was trying to do everything edible). Then the blue flowers are forget me nots. They are pretty small. I have a photo of them next to a dime to show size. We worked on all the parts about a week before the last class.
There is a company, I can not think of the name, but they featured it on a Food Network special where you buy it already made for you and you pull it apart and lay it on the cake. Looks like lace!!! I will try to find out more info. I saw it and thought how nice of a product it was. It was on a special with Giada and she was tasting sweets at some convention, (not on "Behind the Bash"), if that helps anyone to remember the show.
I saw this show. It was called Sugar Veil www.sugarveil.com
I am dying to learn royal icing string work. I've been told to add a teaspoon of piping gel to your royal to make it smoother. I've also been told that if you get a stocking and strain your icing thru the stocking (a clean one of course ) that it will go thru your tip with out clogging it and it makes your royal icing very smooth. My question is does anyone know be best consistency for your royal icing? Thin or Medium consistency?
Hey, haven't seen this topic in a while! The stringwork I did on the cake in my avatar I did with medium consistency. I strained it through a knee-high stocking before hand to get rid of any dry flakes/bits!!!!! That is definately a must since you work with such a small tip.
You don't want your icing too stiff because then you'll have an awful time squeezing it through the tip that it will begin to come out from around the coupler. Can you tell I've had that happen! 
I used a medium on the thin side consistency. I know that doesn't make sense but when you make your royal, you'll be able to tell what will work for you.
What kind of stringwork are you looking to do? Australian or just drop strings? I love love love doing stringwork.
Amy
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