Mili's Sweets Technique For Ruffle Cake
Decorating By milisweet Updated 25 Jan 2012 , 1:23am by bobwonderbuns
Hi Friends!
Since posting my purple ruffle cake photo on cakecentral.com, I've had requests for a tutorial on how to do it. This is super easy and fun to do.
I love the idea of shades of color and think this cake decorating technique would be great for just about any variety of color. I can see this as a rainbow cake or with at least three shades of color that look great together. For example: orange, aqua and white.
Time:
It took me close to two hours from the start of preparing my fondant ruffle colors to covering the cake and finally having a finished product.
Materials you need:
fondant, gumpaste, small bowl, food safe brush for painting, rolling pin, corn starch. sharp knife, one prepared cake that is covered in fondant
Prep:
Hours beforehand or a day before, prepare your sugarpaste. I use a small amount of prepared Satin Ice gumpaste and place it in a bowl with some water. It will become a nice thick paste.
You'll also need a cake covered in fondant. Any size or shape would be lovely but I think circle does the trick.
Fondant coloring:
Prepare at least three different shades color. For my particular cake, I prepared 7 colors. I used purple Fondarific fondant and antique white Fondarific fondant. I started with all purple and created balls of fondant in each shade by adding more and more of the antique white. Once you get to the lighter shades, you'll find yourself using more of the antique white and less and less of the purple (or whatever color you choose.) The top shade of my cake has no purple at all.
By the time my fondant balls of color were all prepared, they were each about the size of the palm of my hand.
Fondant I used:
I preferred Fondarific for this particular cake because it does not crack and you can continue to manipulate it after it's on the cake.
Let's do this:
You should have a cake ready to go and covered in fondant. My cake was covered in the antique white fondant by Fondarific. My goal is to not see any of the fondant underneath. It's used as a stable base so any color you have will do.
When I made this cake in the wee hours of the morning, I started placing ruffles at the bottom and worked my way up. After doing it this way, I will start from the top from now on. So, let's start from the top, shall we? ;D
Now, get ready to roll our your lightest shade that will typically have no color added. Maybe it's all white or antique white like I used.
I rolled out strips that were each one and one half inches wide by about 12 inches long. Get them as thin as you are comfortable with. Too thin is not good. I would go for just thinner than a nickel. They need to be cut smooth and even on each side with a sharp knife. Of course, remember the corn starch dusting under your fondant before you roll it.
Now it's time to place your first ruffle. Use a brush, dip it into your prepared sugarpaste and brush the glue onto your cake, ONLY where you are ready to place the fondant strip you are working with. Start at the top center of the cake and place it in a circular fashion, pressing the bottom of your strip down in the glue. Place the strips about a half inch apart so that you don't see the base of the cake.
Now use your fingers to wave your fondant up and down into ruffles. It may help to look at a reference photo like mine to see what directions your ruffles can go. This is totally free form so have fun with it. Make sure you give yourself at least a 1/2 inch width of the 1 and a half inches of strip to make the ruffles. Give yourself some slack with the fondant strips (don't pull tightly while placing it) and try your best to keep a strait circle line. (I know that sounds a little silly but I hope you know what I mean.)
Once you get to placing ruffles along the side of your cake, it will get easier.
You'll have to choose a "back" side of your cake. Brush your glue on and around the cake section. Remember to only do this to the area that you are ready to place the strip you are working with. You may be ready to move onto the next color. Start and stop from the same place at the "back" every time. I think the more ruffles you can add the better to make the most dramatic and beautiful effect possible.
Cover your cake with ruffles all the way to the base, to the very edge of your cake board. After you've placed your ruffles, move them and shape them so that you can't see the fondant base.
Remember to have fun. You cannot mess this up. It will be amazing no matter what! Enjoy and please let me know if you have questions.
If you'd like to see more of what I do, check out my photos on cakecentral.com under Mili's Sweets. You can also become a fan of my Mili's Sweets business facebook page or visit my website at milissweets.com.
Thanks and take care,
Mili
Thank you for the tutorial some of what you are talking about is completely foreign to me, as I am still fairly new to this cake thing and have yet to work with fondant but I am dying to make a cake like this.
PS your cake is amazing
Mili,
THANKS so much for this tutorial, Just one question though..
I'm a little confused, do you not thin out edge or anything to make the actual ruffle? You say you just use your fingers to 'shape' the ruffle AFTER gluing to cake, right? I'm just not really getting how to actually make the ruffle with my fingers. Any help appreciated
Hi Tickle My Sweet Tooth:
I see what you mean. You don't need to thin out the edge since you would have already rolled the fondant thin enough. Once you've place the strip around your cake as I described, you'll use your fingers to manipulate the part that is not glued on (the extra 1/2 inch or so of fondant strip that is up and out) in an up and down motion. For example: use your two index fingers - one will push upwards and one will push gently downwards so that it looks like a wave.
Let me know if that makes sense. . . .
Take care,
Mili
Thanks so much, I think it makes sense *lol* I am very visual so will need to try and play to see if I understand. Totally storming here today.. so def not running to store to get stuff to make fondant.. need to see if I have enough to play with a small 4" cake.
thanks again!
You are welcome. I'm visual too. This tutorial was difficult for me to even type out since I would have preferred to show how to do it with photos. This system just isn't set up for it.
Oh and HEY, Corina is an online friend of mine(your photographer ) I actually saw the pic like a couple week or so ago when she posted it.. really is BEAUTIFUL! Thanks again.
OK frustrated to say the least. I just can't get my ruffles to STAND up like yours. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong. Totally bummed Just spent the last hour and a half trying to do it. I think I need to have my boss show me They just don't stand up at all on the SIDE of the cake..
Hi TickleMySweet Tooth. Hmmmm. Let's figure this out. I think it may have something to do with your sugar glue. It has to be super think. It takes hours for my sugar glue to be perfect and ready to use. If it's too watery, it won't stick and your fondant strips will slide. I'm sorry it's not working! I used the technique on a cake this weekend and it worked. Your type of fondant may be holding you back too. I've used other premade fondant and it crumbles. If you are using Satin Ice for example, I'd add a little some shortening to your fondant so it's more moist and takes longer to dry out. Good luck. You can do this!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I cannot wait to try this out! You are great at explaining your technique, if you can get me to understand you've really done something!
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