Cakes and More wish everyone a wonderfully happy and merry Christmas and a safe, prosperous, yummy cake New Year.

Safe and happy holidays to all of you and your families.

This information has been sourced by cake friend Pam after LONG and extensive “chats” with the NSW Food Authority in an attempt to try and get a DEFINITIVE ANSWER on the questions of what you can and can’t do with wire in cake.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.

If you are not comfortable sticking wires in your cake, then use a flower pick!

A summary of quoted Sections of the National Act and various sub-sections is that the use of wire inserted directly into cake is PERMITTED so long as:

• The wire used is a wire that has been specifically manufactured for the purpose of CAKE DECORATING. ie. Flower Wire (NOT hardware store wire or scrapbooking wire – it must be wire that is specifically designed for Cake Decorating)
• That it is being inserted into a low PH cake product. ie. Mudcake, Madeira, Buttercake but NOT FRUITCAKE (which is acidic and has higher moisture content)
• That a Customer Information Sheet be included with delivery of the cake – outlining what products need to be removed from the cake BEFORE cutting (this could form part of your cutting guide)

The NSW Food Authority was very helpful in seeking to clarify points and did mention that there were major amendments to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 passed through the Australian Parliament on 20 June 2007.

Victorian residents need to be mindful that they have State regulations that may conflict with National regulations and should check with the relevant State authorities http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety/

AGAIN, PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION IS ONLY RELEVANT TO AUSTRALIA. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AUSTRALIAN STATES MAY HAVE DIFFERENT REGULATIONS.

Also this information does not change the conditions imposed in Schedules for Show Cakes – if it states NO WIRE to be used – then it STILL means that!

I found it very interesting chatting with the NSW Food Authority and the gentleman was very helpful – he did say that Cake Decorating was considered a LOW-RISK food activity and that we would all probably fall of our perches if we investigate too much.

For example:

• Did you know that “chocolate” is legally allowed to contain a % of FOREIGN MATTER (I forget the actual number but it was still alarming) that means for every kilo of chocolate you add to your cakes you could be adding ?.01% of ‘SOMETHING ELSE’.
• That they would be more concerned about the food safety aspect of some “pinched Macca’s straws” being inserted into the cake than the actual Cake Decorating wire itself.
• All items that penetrate the cake surface (skewers,wires, etc) should be wiped down with alcohol wipes as a form of sanitiser.
• He also mentioned that because we are doing lots of “hand” work – where gloves are more than often not used – that these articles should be considered INEDIBLE for customers. ie. your hand moulded figures, flowers etc. and this should also be noted on your Customer Information Sheet.

Some of you will have your own ideas on this subject and you are entitled to those ideas this is merely relaying the information sourced from the relevant food authorities – you do not have to follow it if you choose not to – this information is provided for those that wish to, so that they can do it safely and within the appropriate guidelines.

The Blacktown Show

(the website is now showing the 2009 schedule)

Blacktown Showground
Richmond Road
Blacktown

http://www.blacktownshow.com.au/index.html

To be held:

Friday 13th March Main Events – 5.00am – 9pm
Saturday 14th March Main Events – 8.30am – 10pm
Sunday 15th March Main events – 8:30am – 4pm

Admission charges:

Adults – $10.00
Children – $5.00
Concession – $5.00
Family – $25 (2 Adult, 2 Children)

This year the show only had two entries so if you are looking to get your feet wet, then definitely give this one a go! This is this year’s schedule apparently the 2009 won’t come out till a few weeks before the next show but apparently it doesn’t change very much so you can always start working on something.

Icing & Decorating

Entry Fee $2.00 per entry

Exhibitors are limited to one entry only in each of the following classes.

Exhibits to be staged by 10.00am Friday 13th March 2009

Prize money: 1st $10.00 | 2nd $5.00
Special Prize – Novice Class 46 – trophy by the Cake Decorators Guild of NSW.

Prize money in this section will be paid after 4.00pm Sunday.

SENIOR PRIZE OF $50.00
FOR BEST OVERALL EXHIBIT IN CLASSES 43-47
DONATED BY BLACKTOWN CITY COUNCIL

43. Wedding Cake, not less than two tiers, iced & decorated.
44. Novelty Cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut.
45. Special Occasion cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut.
46. Novice – any cake, iced & decorated, not to be cut. Open only to exhibitors who have not won a first, second or third prize in an Icing & Decorating Section of any previous Agricultural or Cooking Show.
47. Presentation of Sugar Flowers.
48. Junior. Any cake iced & decorated by a junior 16 years & under.
49. New Sugar Art piece

http://www.blacktownshow.com.au/cookery.html (bottom of page scroll down)

What is fondant?

In Australia – we often refer to Fondant as Ready To Roll Icing, Plastic Icing or even Pettinice (one of the brands) – it is a mixture of pure icing sugar, gelatine, water, liquid glucose and glycerine.

Be careful if you are ordering sight unseen – because you might come across “fondant” on a product list – which is the glace type of icing that is warmed and either poured over or items dipped (such as doughnuts and soft buns). So be sure to double check with the supplier.

What brands are best?

Everybody has their favourites – but many do seem to prefer Bakels (Pettinice).

Other brands include :-

Cake Art (known to be soft and will require additional icing sugar to reach correct consistency) – not popular

Orchard – available from supermarkets – smaller packets for first time users – can be soft as well

Regalice – good colour range – not much feedback on this one (some suggest mixing this with cake art to get a better consistency from both)

Fondx – a love it or hate it type of fondant, supposed to be good for putting in the fridge once on a cake, with all things like this we recommend testing!

Homemade – there are different types a popular American one is Marshmallow Fondant aka MMF. Check out our recipe section for homemade fondant – it is not difficult to make (the hardest part is sifting the icing sugar!) and it is good to get used to what part different ingredients play and the correct consistency – very flexible and easy to work with.

How do I prepare a cake to be covered in fondant?

A smooth surface is recommended, this can be achieved by using ganache, frosting or buttercream to fill any dips and act as a “crumb coat” (the equivalent to the marzipan layer on fruit cakes).

Many will tell you that it is this preparation that is key to giving you a smooth finish.

Make sure the base of the cake and the sides are at 90’ angle to the board – a bench scraper or small leveller (try Bunnings!) will help to achieve this (hold side of bench scraper on board and see if any gap along height of cake) – fill if necessary. A leveller is also good for ensure the top of the cake is level, super important if you are stacking!

A thin rolled out sausage of fondant may be wrapped around base of cake and pushed in – to create good seal. When ready to fondant if your smooth surface layer is not tacky, you can spray or brush with water, alcohol or a sugar syrup.

How do I roll it out?

Use a large sheet non stick mat (this can range from specific cake mats to sheets PVC/vinyl, to scrapbooking mats, some people even like their marble bench tops) on the bench and either dust with icing sugar or cornflour (it is suggested that you do not use cornflour if using fruit cake and are keeping for any length of time – cornflour made from wheat may cause fermentation under the icing) – you can use Bakels Sprink or Canola spray as well.

Knead the fondant until smooth and pliable.

If you have a large amount you can flatten it into a rough shape of the shape you are trying to roll out with your forearm.

Using a rolling pin, roll out – lifting and turning as necessary to prevent sticking.

You can use strips of timber or perspex or rings on the end of the rolling pin (try Wilton) to achieve a uniform thickness whilst rolling – thickness depends on technique you are using commonly it’s around ¼ inch, but there are some methods such as Planet Cake’s which go as thin as 1/8 inch, and frankly if you are starting out and need it to be a bit thicker, then go for it, experimentation is the key to finding what works for you.

Move the cake close to where you are rolling out fondant.

To lift onto the cake you can:

• Use your rolling pin
• Use your hands/arms
• Use a board or card etc

Experiment to find what works for you!

A few visuals that might assist you:

Tutorials

Covering a cake & board with fondant – Aine2 with pictures
Bake Decorate Celebrate – Covering a cake with rolled fondant

Videos

Covering a square cake with fondant
Planet Cake – Covering a Round Cake
Covering a square cake with fondant – Nati’s video
Ateco Satin Ice Video Tutorial – Covering a Cake
How to cover cake – fondant
Flawless fondant Sugarshack

How long does fondant last?

Most will have a Use By date stamped on the box – if you are not going to be using it quickly it is a good idea to check this date at purchase as some are sold with a very short shelf life – normally it should be at least 6 months.

How do I store my leftover fondant?

Make sure it is well sealed in the plastic bag that it came in – then use another bag or plastic film to securely wrap – excluding all air. It can then be returned to the box and stored in a cool, dry place – do not refrigerate.

How do I colour my fondant?

There are many different brands of food colourings around – most are available at cake decorating suppliers.

Brands include Sugarflair, Americolor, Wilton, Creative, Corella, Carolines It is not recommended to use the liquid ones available in the supermarkets (well if you are only using a drop or two to get a light colour you can get away with it but too much will make the fondant sticky).

Use a toothpick to poke into the colour and then poke it into the fondant (or use the dropper on some bottles of liquid gel colours) – sometimes it is wise to colour a small ball of fondant darker and then incorporate this into a larger piece of white fondant.

Tip – keep a notebook and write details of quantities used to achieve certain colours – so that you may duplicate them easily again. eg – 3 pokes of Bonza Brown + 3 pokes Copper = That browny colour you wanted Tip – using dark colours, wear gloves!

My fondant is sticky – what do I do?

Knead in additional pure icing sugar until no longer sticky.

My fondant is hard – what do I do?

Depending on where you had fondant stored – it might be able to be softened by popping in the microwave for seconds – depending on size – start with 20 sec intervals. This is handy for chocolate fondant too as it can typically be harder sometimes than regular fondant.

If fondant has not been wrapped properly and it has a HARD crust and soft inside – it might not be possible to soften this – it will not emulsify and you will have hard lumpy bits throughout your fondant so you may only be able to throw it away.

I have an air bubble under my fondant – what do I do?

Use a fine needle and insert at an angle – press gently to expel air and use a fondant smoother to smooth over. Often air bubbles are incorporated by what some consider an incorrect kneading process, which means too much air got in while you were kneading.

I poked a hole in my fondant, or gouged it with my fingernail – what do I do?

These can often be removed with your fondant smoother – even a tiny piece or extra fondant can be worked in or smooth some royal icing over the hole, smooth and buff.

TIP – remove ALL watches, jewellery etc BEFORE WORKING with fondant Designer Talons and cake decorating do not mix!

I dropped some colour on my fondant or messed up my piping and it left a mark – what do I do?

Blot as much off as you can with a piece of paper towel – tear edge and move into colour patch and let towel ‘draw’ up colour – rather than putting on top and spreading colour. You can use a drop of dishwashing detergent (or even – Melrose Organic Castille Liquid Soap – http://www.todae.com.au ) or some recommend milk and a paintbrush to remove colour.

Dredge area with cornflour and use a large soft bristle brush (similar to a blush makeup brush) to brush area free. Failure to do this last step will leave a shiny mark on the surface of the fondant.

How much fondant do I need?

This Global Sugarart link give quantities in Imperial – cake friend Maria has very kindly done this conversion.

Much of this Guide Sourced from Forum Member Contributions.
Thanks to Pam who put this together.
Thanks to Maria who did the conversions.

The forum has undergone a revamp with lots of exciting you features for members to play with, a much better search engine and it’s own gallery attached to it.  If you were a member of the old C&M you will have to re-register.  Otherwise come on over have a look around, register, participate and have fun! 

THE NEW CAKES AND MORE FORUM