| The diamond wedding, 60th wedding
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| | elbow close to the body. This prevents
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| anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and
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| | the arm moving. Supporting the icing bag
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| Prince Philip is on the 20th November
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| | with the finger of the opposite hand is
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| 2007 Little did I dream when enrolling
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| | also a good idea - it makes sure the
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| for a course on Advanced Royal Icing many
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| | piping goes exactly where you want it.
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| years ago, that I would be copying the
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| | Talking about icing bags reminds me to
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| design of the Queen's wedding cake. When
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| | say that for a task such as the one
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| she married in 1947, McVitie and Price of
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| | above, only use a small icing bag. The
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| Edinburgh presented the Queen (then
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| | larger the bag the more difficult it is
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| Princess Elizabeth) with a wedding cake.
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| | to control. And a bag made from baking
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| The breathtaking four-tiered cake stood
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| | parchment is stronger than one made from
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| nine feet high, and was decorated with
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| | greaseproof paper and much more
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| hundreds of filigree-like pieces of royal
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| | 'user-friendly than a nylon bag. These
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| icing. Around the sides of the cakes were
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| | are difficult to grip and are usually far
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| delicate, curved 'galleries', reminiscent
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| | too large for working with royal icing.
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| of the turrets on Scottish castles - so
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| | And so we spent two intensive days
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| loved by the royal family. And I am sure
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| | piping. It didn't help that we were
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| you can imagine how we felt when told we
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| | advised not to talk! Not that we felt
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| were decorating a cake in the same
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| | much like chatting, we needed all our
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| design. Luckily, our cake, already
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| | concentration for the task in hand.
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| covered in marzipan, was only six inches
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| | Eventually all the pieces were finished.
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| across. So with the weekend in front of
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| | Now came the job of constructing the
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| us, and the guidance of an experienced
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| | design. Again the consistency of the
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| tutor, we set to work. First, the royal
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| | icing was changed. We needed a stiffer
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| icing had to be beaten to the correct
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| | icing. Using a wooden spoon we re-beat
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| consistency - not too stiff, or it would
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| | the icing (this alone made it slightly
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| not spread easily, or too soft otherwise
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| | stiffer) and then added sieved icing
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| it would run down the sides of the cake.
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| | sugar. A slightly larger nozzle (tip) was
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| It had to be the consistency of beaten
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| | chosen, and we set about positioning the
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| double cream - soft enough to give a
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| | delicate sections in place. Once the
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| smooth, even layer. Each layer had to dry
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| | paper had been gently peeled away from
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| before the next was applied, and the cake
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| | the back of each piece, a line of icing
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| given three layers, Next we started to
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| | was piped on it, and it was carefully
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| pipe the dainty lace-like pieces of royal
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| | placed in position. Eventually we were
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| icing. Everything had to be ready in
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| | able to sit back and admire our work.
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| advance - the designs for the cake were
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| | Cameras came out and everyone relaxed and
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| laid out, each under separate pieces of
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| | agreed it had been a weekend well worth
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| transparent, non-stick paper. Curved
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| | the effort. Our next worry was how to get
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| moulds of differing sizes were placed
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| | the cakes home in one piece! Some years
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| ready to receive each section immediately
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| | later I decided to decorate our son's
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| it was piped. This time the icing had to
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| | wedding cake in the same design. This
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| be another consistency. Well beaten, so
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| | time it was on a three-tiered cake - but
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| it would hold its shape, but soft enough
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| | that's another story. Still, as
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| to go through a fine nozzle (tip). And to
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| | Shakespeare wrote 'All's well that ends
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| make sure the nozzle did not become
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| | well' and it did.
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| blocked, we pressed the icing through a
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| | Pat Lock is a cake decorating expert with
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| square of nylon. Then began the task of
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| | over 25 years experience who runs the
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| piping dozens of filigree pieces. As each
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| | excellent Cake Decorating Tips website.
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| piece was finished, it was carefully
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| | She has won awards at the prestigious
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| placed over the right sized curved mould
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| | international competition at Hotel
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| - a dot of icing under each corner of the
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| | Olympia, London and is also an
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| paper kept the pattern in place. It
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| | accomplished author.
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| helps when piping fine detail to keep the
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