CLASSIC ELEGANCE WITH ROSES
Dressing a cake with fresh flowers can bring it to life instantly. Using the blocking method, you can create height and the illusion that the cake is suspended on a bed of flowers. This is a versatile design that can be used with many different flowers and foliage — even flowers to match a bridal bouquet. Roses are particularly effective, as there are so many varieties and colours available. Don’t underestimate how many flowers you may need; the exact number will depend on their actual size.
SERVES 100–120
FOR THE CAKE
• 15 cm (6 inch) round cake
• 20 cm (8 inch) round cake
• 25 cm (10 inch) round cake
• 30 cm (12 inch) round cake
• filling of choice, such as creamy vanilla frosting or ganache ; quantities guide
• sugar paste (rolled fondant), for covering the base board and cakes; quantities guide
• marzipan or almond sugar paste (rolled fondant), for covering the cakes; quantities guide
• 1 quantity of royal icing
YOU WILL ALSO NEED
• 37.5 cm (15 inch) round base board
• 15 cm (6 inch) round cake board
• 20 cm (8 inch) round cake board
• 25 cm (10 inch) round cake board
• 30 cm (12 inch) round cake board
• 10 cm (4 inch) foam block, about 7.5 cm (3 inches) high
• 15 cm (6 inch) foam block, about 7.5 cm (3 inches) high
• 20 cm (8 inch) foam block, about 7.5 cm (3 inches) high
• dowels
• 50–60 fresh roses or other flowers
(make sure they have stems)
• 22-gauge florist’s wire
• small florist’s oasis dome
• ribbon
First, cover your base board with sugar paste. Finish with ribbon trim, then set the board to one side until needed.
Cut each cake horizontally into three equal layers, then place the bottom third of each cake on a cake board of the same size. Layer each cake with your choice of filling, then dirty-ice.
You should now have four filled and dirty-iced cake tiers, each with three layers.
Cover each tier with a layer of marzipan or almond sugar paste, about 3 mm (1/8 inch) thick. Leave the cakes out on the bench overnight to set the sugar paste and make it more manageable.
The next day, cover each tier with another layer of plain sugar paste, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick. Finish with ribbon trim around the base of each cake tier.
At this stage we’ve used royal icing in a piping (icing) bag fitted with a small tip to create a more detailed effect by piping small balls in a random pattern around the sides of the cake.
Using the blocking method, place the largest cake onto the covered base board. Position the 20 cm (8 inch) foam block in the centre and hold in place with royal icing.
Place the 15 cm (6 inch) foam block in the centre of the second-largest cake and secure with royal icing. Repeat with the remaining foam block and the 20 cm (8 inch) cake.
Using dowels for support around the foam blocks, and working from largest cake to smallest, stack the cake tiers centrally on top of each other, topping each foam block with more royal icing to hold it in place.
PREPARING THE FLOWERS
Trim each flower, leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) of the stem intact.
Cut each piece of florist’s wire into four lengths. Insert a length of florist’s wire into the base of each flower (this will help secure the flowers to the foam blocks).
Insert the wired end of each flower into the foam blocks, working your way around each tier.
When you get to the top tier, make a small posy with approximately 10 flowers. Using the florist’s oasis dome, start inserting the flowers around the base and then fill in the gap on top. You should end up with a nice dome-shaped posy to sit atop your tiers of splendour.
FLORAL FLAIR
When using a mixture of different flowers (similar to a bridal bouquet), you can save time by using one piece of wire for several flowers and binding them together into small manageable clusters using florist’s tape, before inserting them into the foam blocks.