Sunny Side Bakery Lace Mats

Decorating By Jeff_Arnett Updated 18 Nov 2016 , 1:52am by -K8memphis

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 9:24am
post #61 of 82

ok so here's the $64,000 question -- which side is the right side? I've been using the curved side up because it was more textural but as I looked at pictures I'm thinking I should use the smooth side up -- what say you?

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 9:54am
post #62 of 82

Ok here's my review: the first time I made this I was away from home and a stand mixer. I tried using a hand held mixer, which probably could've worked but I think I was too impatient. And "ain't nobody got time for dat". I did the recommended oven drying from the included instructions  It was very brittle in some spots and still wet in others. Totally unusable. Until...

This last weekend I made lace for a vow renewal cake. I was in the comfort of home and my KA mixer. Here's what I did and it worked out wonderfully:

1- I preheated my oven to 170°F.

2-Mixed the components + AmeriColor black powder food coloring according to lace directions in a stand mixer with a whip attachment. It did seem like I had to whip it a little longer than suggested to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency.  

3- Spread the mixture onto the mat. 

4- TURN OFF OVEN 

5- place filled mat on upside down cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture 75% dry

6- allow to cool for a couple minutes 

7- spread second coat onto the mat

8- bake just as before and let it finish drying on the counter top. It only took mine 30-40 minutes on the counter and it's HUMID here. Or if needed...

9- apply third coat if needed and repeat the same process as before

10- wrap in parchment and plastic wrap. The lace was exactly the same a week later.


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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 9:59am
post #63 of 82

thank you, chelledbelle, so in #2 please fill in the blank on the 'according to lace directions' part 

thank you blush.png

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:00am
post #64 of 82


Quote by @-K8memphis on 29 minutes ago

ok so here's the $64,000 question -- which side is the right side? I've been using the curved side up because it was more textural but as I looked at pictures I'm thinking I should use the smooth side up -- what say you?

I go with whatever side has the least flaws. I've noticed i only get the "curved side" if I didn't apply enough coats of the mixture. Some mats take 2-3 extra layers. Hth

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:05am
post #65 of 82


Quote by @-K8memphis on 1 minute ago

thank you, chelledbelle, so in #2 please fill in the blank on the 'according to lace directions' part 

thank you blush.png

Oh, sorry. I just meant use the amounts given for parts a, b, and water in the instructions provided in the tub. The food coloring I just used what I needed to. :-)

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:12am
post #66 of 82

The cake on the left is the Sunnyside Up lace mix and mat. [postimage id="4889" thumb="900"]

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:16am
post #67 of 82

thank you chelledbelle -- cool!

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:20am
post #68 of 82

and wonderful cake display -- I love the three different coordinating beautifully done cakes -- so creative

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:25am
post #69 of 82

great observation on the curved side thing -- at first I did all the extra applications + baking -- then I just did one layer, baked a little, and left overnight -- it can tangle easier but it worked --

thanks again, chelledbelle

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 10:27am
post #70 of 82


Quote by @-K8memphis on 26 seconds ago

and wonderful cake display -- I love the three different coordinating beautifully done cakes -- so creative

Thank you! I was very pleased with it overall. 

I take it you didn't notice the cracks in the striped cake. Lol. I learned a valuable lesson about royal icing paint, humid heat, and long car rides. worried.png If only more cracks would've shown up, it'd look intentional and kinda cool. 

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ptanyer Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 12:32pm
post #71 of 82


Quote by @-K8memphis on 2 hours ago

ptanyer -- oh yeah I see that -- nor cool 

i'm sure you already thought of this and it's not your point here but you could exacto knife cut out  those spots in the meantime  -- they won't have the exact same curvature but just a thought

i noticed that mine are not exactly first quality -- i don't remember exactly what it was maybe the mat was thinner near the edges -- but anyway they were a little wonky but i got the pieces out ok so -- i know hobby lobby will make it good for you -- sorry that happened --

hey hey hey -- what did you use to get that deep pretty dark color? did you dry it as directed on the box?



The photo I posted of one strip I made, was from my first try at the cake lace  mixture and mat. I used a ton of brown gel color and some black gel color along with some pearlized air brush spray. I was playing around thinking that the pearlized spray might give it a glossy finish like when you mix up gelatin for gelatin decorations. I only filled the mat one time and let it sit overnight to air dry under a ceiling fan. When I was trying to remove it from the mat, my finger tips were turning the same color as the mixture and all the delicate parts of the design were stretching and some even broke as I was removing it.  The flat side showed tiny air holes and there is absolutely no way that I can pick this piece up and apply it to a cake. It would be like doing a rubics cube to get that entire design onto the cake and every little piece in its proper place and spacing.  I did try a batch of "homemade" mixture and put two coats on and air dried it, but it didn't change anything in how it looks after I removed it from the mold, except that my fingers didn't have the color all over my finger tips.  I used way, way to much coloring in the first batch, and only 1/2 tsp in the second batch.

That being said, I learned that too much gel color and airbrush spray is a bad thing, the mix was too thin. The homemade batch was thicker and I let it sit in the bowl for over an hour after mixing and trying to get all the air bubbles up to the top surface so I could get as many out as I could. I also spent many, many hours on the internet looking at all the different cake lace mats available and I began to notice that one of the inherent problems with this particular design mat was that it had way too many empty spaces which resulted in there not being enough structure to hold the complete design together and allow it to be removed and worked with as in other mats. I checked with Michaels in  5 stores within a 1 1/2 hour radius of my area, and none of them are carrying the sugar veil yet. The website doesn't even show the sugar veil mixture available for purchase. So I'm running out of time to order anything shipped to me and meet my cake deadline too. So I'll keep fooling around with it when I have time and locate some mats online and some different mixes and see what works for me and keep following this topic to see what others say about their experiences. 

i also tried filling in a piece of the mat with the gelatin mixture I have been making some decorations out of and it was the same way when I removed it from the mat as  was the cake lace mixtures. The mats have beautiful designs and I was so excited when I saw them at Hobby Lobby, but in actuality, they did not live up to my expectations. I did not buy the smaller mats they had as you did, and those designs may be sturdier when trying to remove them and use them that the bigger more upen designs.  I did not bake any of my attempts because my oven can be a little wonky and I didn't want to take the chance of ruining my mats.

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 6:03pm
post #72 of 82

ptanyer -- I'm disappointed your mats are not living up to your expectations -- I agree that it seems our ovens will melt the mats but it's really the mixture that is probably more temperature sensitive -- but it feels weird putting them in there -- I'm lucky enough to have a warming drawer so I use that -- I think a food dehydrator would be perfect although I'm guessing -- I've never used one --

and yeah I've heard that coloring this stuff is tricky -- think I'll try & stick with the white and color after -- emphasis on 'try'

if you get a chance try the little bitty mats especially this one -- it's inexpensive too

these are my favorite ones --

900_sunny-side-bakery-lace-ma_3886575c28


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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 6:11pm
post #73 of 82

clap.png chelledbelle -- I tell yah -- I can't say what it looked like in person but in this photo and I blew it up too -- it looks amazing -- it has the extra note and heart and dark little tidbits at the top, and the dramatic lace on the other one -- stripes and going to the right -- the royal icing breaks give it more appeal , more creativity, more red /dark contrast -- I perfectly love it -- you're a genius and I simply will not be talked out of it -- no way blush.png 


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ptanyer Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 7:35pm
post #74 of 82

I have had the better part of the day to play around with the cake lace mat. I am still using the homemade version of the cake lace mix. I warmed my oven up and checked the temp as it warmed up. This time I very lightly misted the mat with a spay of Pam and gently wiped the mat with a paper towel.  I filled in the mat and placed it in the oven for 18 mins. Took it out, let it cool and added another layer of mix and back into the oven for 10 mins. Repeated the process one last time. Once the mat was completely cooled, I turned the mat upside down and started pulling the mat off the lace, using a plastic bench scraper to hold down the lace as I pulled the mat off the lace.  It was much sturdier and I cannot find any tears or breaks in the fine lines. I let the lace dry a little longer and then put it on your design board to see how it would look. It looks good, not great but okay to use. Only another decorator would find flaws with it.  Here is what it looks like.


[postimage id="4893" thumb="900"][postimage id="4894" thumb="900"][postimage id="4895" thumb="900"][postimage id="4896" thumb="900"]

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ptanyer Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 7:38pm
post #75 of 82

Sorry, I don't know what happen, but the pictures are all turned upside down:(

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 7:46pm
post #76 of 82

if it's not exactly perfect it's more hand crafted and believable -- if you're entering it in a competition with kerry vincent -- y'know, do it over relaxed.png if winning is important -- but otherwise it's great!

so how much and what kind of color is in that?

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ptanyer Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 8:07pm
post #77 of 82

I used 1/2 tsp of Wilton brown (in the little jar, not the little bottles).  I added no pearlized air brush spray to this recipe like I did in the first batch.  One little side note: I find it impossible to get the top surface of the mat completely clean of the mix before putting it in the oven. So I used a damp paper towel and got everything that I could, and then used a small paintbrush to remove any mix in the harder to reach places.  

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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 8:09pm
post #78 of 82


Quote by @-K8memphis on 1 hour ago

clap.png chelledbelle -- I tell yah -- I can't say what it looked like in person but in this photo and I blew it up too -- it looks amazing -- it has the extra note and heart and dark little tidbits at the top, and the dramatic lace on the other one -- stripes and going to the right -- the royal icing breaks give it more appeal , more creativity, more red /dark contrast -- I perfectly love it -- you're a genius and I simply will not be talked out of it -- no way blush.png 


Thank you! You really are too sweet! relaxed.png I could really use you in my corner during those 1am "oh crap!" moments. Lol. And considering I am barely even considered a self-taught newborn at cake decorating, there are TONS of middle of the night "OMG! $%@!" issues. Lovely people like you on CC have been my life savers! 



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chelledbelle Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 8:12pm
post #79 of 82

ptanyer Those look great! I'm glad you've found a way to make it work for you. I love hearing how we all of our own techniques. smiley.png

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ptanyer Posted 9 Aug 2016 , 8:44pm
post #80 of 82

Thanks:) I agree that we all have to find out what works for us and when that info is shared with other decorators, we learn something new!

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LanghamIsabel Posted 17 Nov 2016 , 11:34pm
post #81 of 82

Can someone help me. I misplaced the instructions for the easy-to-use cake lace mix. Can you tell me instructions??

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-K8memphis Posted 18 Nov 2016 , 1:52am
post #82 of 82

yes -- the directions are already written out in post #25 on the first page of this thread --

best to you

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