Ingredients
Royal icing (1 quantity)
Method
1.To make roses. Cut two lengths of wire into 3 x 12cm (4¾-inch) lengths each. Make small hook at one end of each piece of wire using pliers.
2.Reserve 100g of modelling paste for blossoms. Colour one-third of the remaining paste dark pink, use to make 6 centres for 4 roses and 2 buds. Roll a marble-sized piece of paste into a rounded cone shape. Dip hooked end of wire into flower glue, push halfway into broad end of cone. Push wire into styrofoam, dry overnight. Make 5 more centres in the same way.
3.When working with petals and blossoms, work with one at a time, and keep the remaining petals and blossoms covered with a vinyl mat.
4.Roll remaining dark pink paste on a cornfloured surface into 3mm (-inch) thickness, using the 3cm cutter, cut out 3 petals, place on flower mat. Use ball tool to thin top of petal. Brush bottom third of petal lightly with flower glue, wrap around a bud. Secure and wrap remaining 2 petals around bud in the same way. Stand in styrofoam to dry overnight. Make 5 more buds in the same way. Reserve icing scraps.
5.Knead icing scraps into one-third of the remaining paste, use colouring to tint to a shade slightly lighter than the buds, if necessary. Roll paste on corn-floured surface until 3mm thick, cut out 3 x 4cm petals.
6.Use rolling pin to thin top half of petal, place petal on flower mat, use ball tool to curl edge of petal. Secure around rose bud with flower glue. Repeat with the remaining 2 petals, overlapping each petal, dry overnight. Make 5 more buds in the same way.
7.Knead icing scraps into remaining paste, use colouring to tint to a paler shade than previous layer of petals.
8.To make the rose. Roll and cut out 5 petals using the 5.5cm cutter. Use rolling pin to thin top half of petals, place petals on flower mat, use ball tool to curl edge. Place petals in corn-floured patty pan until edges of petals begin to firm. Glue in position around previous petals, overlapping each petal. Make 3 more roses the same way.
9.Make cup shapes from foil so the outside petals are supported by foil. Place rose in foil cup, poke wire through foil. Suspend a wire cake rack above bench so the rose wire can sit in rack unimpeded while the rose is drying.
10.To make blossoms. Cut 10 pieces of wire into 6 equal lengths each. Cut 30 of the stamens in half. Roll half the reserved paste into a 3mm thickness, using 1.5cm cutter, cut out 30 blossoms.
11.Place 5 blossoms on flower mat (keep remainder under vinyl mat), shape petals with ball tool. Dab a dot of flower glue in centre of blossom, poke a stamen through the glue. Repeat with remaining blossoms. Roll out remaining paste and make a further 30 blossoms. Dry blossoms overnight.
12.Gather five blossoms together, position a piece of wire close to the bottom of the blossom, secure stamens to wire with florist’s tape.
13.Trim cakes. Secure large cake to large board, secure small cake to small board. Prepare for covering with ready-made icing.
14.Tint white ready-made icing mauve with purple colouring. Knead icing on corn-floured surface until icing loses its stickiness. Roll one-quarter of the icing on corn-floured surface until large enough to cover small cake. Use rolling pin to lift icing onto cake, smooth with hands then smoothing tools. Trim icing neatly around base, reserve scraps.
15.Use half the remaining icing to cover large cake in the same way as the small cake, dry cakes overnight.
16.Push trimmed skewers into centre of large cake to support top tier. Secure small cake on top of large cake.
17.To make royal icing, sift icing sugar through a fine sieve. Lightly beat the egg white into a small bowl until mixture is just broken up (do not whip into peaks). Beat in the icing sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches desired consistency. Using a wooden spoon mix in the lemon juice.
18.Tint royal icing mauve to match cakes. Three-quarters fill piping bag with icing, pipe around base of each cake. Use fingertip to blend icing into any gaps where cakes join the board Dry cakes overnight.
19.Knead reserved mauve icing and icing scraps on cornfloured surface. Roll icing large enough to make a 15cm x 30cm rectangle. Gently fold icing into three pleats. Gather and pinch ends together and, using picture as a guide, position and secure draped icing to cake with a little water, stand overnight to dry.
20.Position roses and blossoms, by gently pushing wires into cake.
EQUIPMENT: 12 lengths 18-gauge floral wire Long-nosed pliers Flower glue Styrofoam Block vinyl mat 3cm (1-inch), round cutter 4cm (1½-inch), round cutter 5.5cm (2¾-inch) round cutter Flower mat Ball tool Fine artist’s paint brush Small non-stick rolling pin 12-hole round-based, shallow (1 tablespoon/20ml) patty pan Stamens 1.5cm (¾-inch) 4-petal blossom cutter Florist’s tape 45cm (18-inch) Round wooden cake board 18cm (6-inch) round wooden cake board Smoothing tools 3 wooden skewers Paper piping bag
Note
