shedding lace

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TOYING WITH TEXTUREin sugar sculpture has always captivated me. In this cake, the smoothness of the fondant-covered tiers plays off the various layers of lace-imprinted fondant pieces.

A silicone mold was used to create the lace texture on this beauty’s thin fondant layers, similar to the technique used to fabricate the brooches on the cake on page 232.

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To make THE FONDANT PIECES, cut out medium to large circles from thinly rolled fondant then cut them in half with a knife to create semi-circles. Cover the semi-circles with a damp tea towel wrapped in plastic wrap (see page 134) to prevent them from drying out. Working with one at a time, press the fondant onto a lace mold dusted with cornstarch. Apply the pieces directly to the fondant-covered cake, using a mixture of corn syrup and water to secure them. Overlap the fondant pieces to achieve a layered, textured look.

For extra special occasions, before you add the textured lace decorations, mix edible gold dust with vodka to form a paintable liquid, then brush it directly onto the chilled iced or fondant-covered cake tiers with an oversized brush. Paint the top layers of the lace decoration with this gold mixture as well.