****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Bravo to Ms. Clark on her cake decorating book debut! An experienced cake decorator but new to the publishing field, Zoe Clark has hit a home run with her first foray into the field of teaching and writing. This 128 page, soft cover book is quite a thorough class in the basics of cake decorating and through simple, yet well-written direction, she will take anyone from a novice or an intermediate cake decorator, and teach them well.And it all seems to have started after she created and baked her own wedding cake back in 2005. From there she went off to work with top UK cake designers then opened her own shop in 2008. The projects will be challenging enough for the beginner and intriging enough for the intermediate decorator. Those with either high-level or professional-level talent will find this a wonderful reference guide for those they teach.This book has been identified for the home decorator and so the projects would be those that are basic but still pretty and elegant. And the family can definitely be involved in the projects as some are quite simple and any extra hands in the kitchen when preparing cakes and such, are always welcome!While there are 10 actual cake projects to enjoy, Ms. Clark begins the book with a solid Introduction and solid Conclusion of this work. There are bountiful photo's both close-up and distant, and while there aren't detailed step-by-step pictorials, you have all the visuals you need. I was very impressed with the amount of detail she put into the "Basic Techniques" section; she covered everything and this was definitely one of the better books in this area. It is sectioned as such:INTRODUCTIONBAKING ESSENTIALS and GENERAL EQUIPMENTCREATIVE TOOLSBASIC TECHNIQUES: Preparing cake tins/layering, filling and preparing cakes to be covered/carving and sculpting the cake/covering with marzipan and sugarpaste/working with shaped cakes/ using icing boards/securing ribbon around cake boards/assembling tiered cakes/cake stands/mini-cake assembly/baking cupcakes/decorating cupcakes/fondant-dipped cupcakes/petit fours/baking cookies/covering ccokies with sugarpaste/royal iced cookies/run-out icing/drop-in flooding/making a piping bag/working with flowerpaste/coloring icings.BASIC CAKE RECIPES: This was a wonderful section with several charts to help with determining cake size, ingredient amounts, filling amounts, portions, etc. Of course, there are the recipes for Classic Sponge Cake, Chocolate Cake, White Chocolate Cake, Fruit Cake, flavoring, fillings, buttercream, and sugar syrups.THE PROJECTS: With each project, she also gives you "theme" ideas which add just the right touch!1) Daisy Chain Days: Cover photo of a mini daisy cake beset by surrounding daisy cupcakes; fresh and clean; just right for a Springtime celebration!2) Baby's Special Sewing Box: A patchwork cake that at first, seemed difficult in how to piece the fondant together but when studied, is quite easy. The pastel colors are enchanting, with the addition of fondant stars and hearts and circles, and the use of a stitching tool to make "seams" makes this a mighty fetching "quilt" for baby!3) A Birthday in Technicolor: A 2-tiered chocolate birthday cake with lollipop cookies and fondant streamers gently placed on the cake. The matching cupcakes are bedecked with stars and sprinkles to coordinate the colors.4) Summer Seaside Celebration: This was adorable! A pale blue "sand pail" cake with seashells and starfish on the top of the brown sugar sand! Seashell cookies, bikini cookies, and frangipane blooms finish the scene. She placed the sand pail atop a white cake pedestal; how beautiful!!5) Cherry Blossom Breeze: Now this one was my favorite and making the cherry blossoms was a breeze, yet they were so delicate and fragile looking, that is was a joy to make these; the petals are one shape of 3 descending sizes, stacked upon each other with the edges of each petal trimmed in edible gold dust. The cake was one of the simplest in which you have 2 graduated square cakes, stacked, with their bases wrapped in a wide fondant ribbon. These ribbons are covered with simple shades of the pink/red color family of dainty little flowers. The cherry blossoms come in as the 2 large main ornaments, each placed on one tier. Matching petit fours and lantern cookies complete the presentation. Very elegant but dramatic!6) A Magical Tea Party: This will be the most fun to make!! An "Alice in Wonderland" party complete with a Mad Matter Cake as well as a Wonky Cake with a Teacup atop! Teapot and teacup cookies make this perfect for any little girl!7) Dressed All in White: Ethereal!! Floating tiers hold a square wedding cake of 3 graduated tiers covered in ivory fondant, and with the use of cel boards, white "lace" is applied to the cakes with delicate scalloped edges. The placement of mini cakes, with delicate butterflies perched atop as if ready to fly away, as well as wedding cake cookies, made this photo a dream!8) A Secret Garden Party: This was amazing to behold! So simple in its construction but just breathtaking in its presentation. A white dome-shaped "birdcage" all in white with brown fondant "wrought-iron" strips with scroll designs at the bottom of the cage, begins this project. A pastel pink royal icing bird is perched on one of the scrolls as tiny, delicate pink and white roses are scattered all about the cage. Birdcage cookies and domed cupakes in silver liners and pastel icing, toped with larger roses, and "wrought-iron" icing from center to edge of the cupcake, complete this dream of an idea.9) A Gift-Wrapped Christmas: This would be the crown jewel centerpiece of your Christmas sweet table. 2 graduated boxes, one in white fondant and the other in red, wrapped in fondant ribbons and bows with tiny holly, berries, and polka dots! Festive Christmas trees and candy cane cookies would welcome Santa anytime!10) Dressing Up Box: This was quite different in its conception and design. 3 white, graduated round cakes with each layer being decorated either in white chocolate panels, ruffles, or scalloped trim at the base. The theme is black and white (with a single pink rose on top the cake) and while it is more modern in thought, it is rather impressive in sight. Shoe cookies and mini cakes matching the various layers is quite eye-catching.Templates and SuppliersAcknowledgements and Zoe's storyIndexI was very much impressed with this book, perhaps because I so much enjoy the delicacy and femininity of the projects. The colors were all joyous and enchanting. But the real pull for me was the manner in which Ms. Clark taught and the attention to how best to get her ideas across without too much fuss or unnecessary detail. I admit to not having started on any one cake just yet but I have enjoyed doing the side projects offered. Nonetheless, this one is a keeper. Peace!
