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Writing on cakes (2 Viewers)

Writing on Cakes

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Its not as hard as made out.
There are rules of thumb ,which if you follow, will make it much easier.

1. First do it with a marker pen, a lack of good handwriting is irrelevant, my handwriting is terrible with a pen.
Break the words into steps, theres no need to write the whole word in one go.
Practice the most common word first ...HAPPY. Practice the H and only the H.
Do 10 x H's before moving on, make sure you've got it down. Its the anchor that will encourage you to get the rest of the word right.

2. Its unproductive to go for the easy way out and use plastic bags and steel tips, the day you get a lump that clogs the tip you'll know why.
If a paper cone gets clogged you can simply squeeze it clear and move on with barely a delay.
The paper cone also gives the control that is not possible with any other method, its that control that gives the results I show.

3. your index finger should point directly at the tip.
You write with your finger, the cone merely follows where you point.
The other hand is used to steady the cone, don't try it one handed.
Don't try to write fast as I do, just a steady pace until you are confident.

4. use scissors only to cut the tip, a knife will not do it at all.
Drop a continuous string onto the table or your fingertip and observe how it stacks, it has to coil up on itself as shown in the video.
If not, recut the tip, if it still wanders about ?, forget it and make another cone.
I try to make 2 or 3 cones, if one gives me trouble I just rip the tip off and squirt the choc into the next cone.
Practice making cones, my first day I made a dozen of them. I use baking parchment paper.

I was using a poor quality choc (cocoaBarry chunks).
Choc chips might work ok, I would try it.
If you use high quality such as callebaut you will find it flows too easily and letters tend to melt into each other.
The way to fix that is simply stir in 2 or 3 drops of heavy cream to bind it up slightly. Be careful, just drops of cream.
Cool ganache works good too.
Buttercream, depending how you make it can be a pain, it will not drop a string as required for the typical letter H.
I avoid writing with buttercream if given a choice. Little air bubbles in buttercream will give you fits.
Heres a quick vid of the above directions.

 
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That's an isosceles triangle, two edges of equal length and a short side (I had to google to check my memory served me correctly as it's been a while), oh and I'm so glad you found the pen. 😂

No way did you bin the first one that Happy Birthday was perfect! I like the way you go back and fill in the bits that were missed. Would you have piped that straight onto a cake? That's my thing about piping I prefer to do something that can be added or removed from a cake rather than directly putting it on it, that way if you mess it up you haven't ruined your cake.

Are there any easy chocolate decorations that you can make to top cupcakes with? Do you pipe with dark chocolate?

I must confess that when I did my chocolate strawberries, I used pre-made piping bags, and when I melted the dark chocolate, it just poured straight from the bag.

I can make piping bags, so I think in future I will make a load of them and then they're ready for when I need them. Saves buying them.
 
That's an isosceles triangle, two edges of equal length and a short side (I had to google to check my memory served me correctly as it's been a while), oh and I'm so glad you found the pen. 😂

No way did you bin the first one that Happy Birthday was perfect! I like the way you go back and fill in the bits that were missed. Would you have piped that straight onto a cake? That's my thing about piping I prefer to do something that can be added or removed from a cake rather than directly putting it on it, that way if you mess it up you haven't ruined your cake.

Are there any easy chocolate decorations that you can make to top cupcakes with? Do you pipe with dark chocolate?

I must confess that when I did my chocolate strawberries, I used pre-made piping bags, and when I melted the dark chocolate, it just poured straight from the bag.

I can make piping bags, so I think in future I will make a load of them and then they're ready for when I need them. Saves buying them.

Yeh I write on cakes before the edge decoration, if its a mess I sweep it off, redo the top surface if necessary and do it again.
Writing on a plaque is good if the inscription is to go on the side or vertical anywhere.
Anything you can draw you can pipe with chocolate . The only limit for me would be time, how long would I spend if I did it at all.
My partner was fond of saying " it only takes a minute". I'd say, and we need 100 of them. so... look before leaping.

I was using cocoa barry semi sweet dark. Its a cheaper choc , seems too thick for dipping truffles, I would add cocoa butter to get a better flow and thinner shell if I was using it for dipping.

Theres lots of ideas in the Franciolo youtube vid, he was the best. Italian guy with a shop in Paris.
See his technique to make birds with a paper cone. None of the decorations he put on cakes were plastic, they look it but they aren't. I have his book, not sure if its still available. His food dye paintings are phenomenal, check out his portrait of Queen Elizabeth, the Pope. Brigette Bardot..all freehand in food dye on an easter egg. Never a mold or stencil, he was a real artist.
I learned his style because my boss was able to do Franciolo technique and he was a great artist too, I can't draw too well.

 
I agree that Franchiolo was a real artist, the way he creates the birds out of thin air and the portraits he's made on the large Easter Eggs are amazing. I've checked to see if I can find the book and the only one I've come across is Le Pâtissier Confiseur- Glacier face au décor: Par Franchiolo it's on Amazon but will take 1-3 months to get here. Is that the one you have?

You find now that a lot of people from different backgrounds such as architects, tattoo artists or graphic designers are moving over to cakes because their backgrounds come in handy for both structure and design.

As for me, I cannot draw either, I can make things and create things, but I cannot draw them. I only ever do a rough sketch for a cake design because my daughter finds my drawings hilarious. I have beautiful visions in my head, but they don't translate to paper, yet I can create some great cakes when I put my mind to it.
 
The cakes I've seen that you have created are always a work of art and a pleasure to see, it seems a shame to have to cut them. :loveit:
 
I agree that Franchiolo was a real artist, the way he creates the birds out of thin air and the portraits he's made on the large Easter Eggs are amazing. I've checked to see if I can find the book and the only one I've come across is Le Pâtissier Confiseur- Glacier face au décor: Par Franchiolo it's on Amazon but will take 1-3 months to get here. Is that the one you have?

You find now that a lot of people from different backgrounds such as architects, tattoo artists or graphic designers are moving over to cakes because their backgrounds come in handy for both structure and design.

As for me, I cannot draw either, I can make things and create things, but I cannot draw them. I only ever do a rough sketch for a cake design because my daughter finds my drawings hilarious. I have beautiful visions in my head, but they don't translate to paper, yet I can create some great cakes when I put my mind to it.

I'm not sure if thats the correct book, I just looked online, I don't see it anywhere. I doubt he wrote more than one.
The title is correct.

I inherited the international confectioner from my partner after she died, its no longer in print and sells for $500 on ebay.
At one point I almost tossed it out, books are getting expensive.

The white icing Franciolo uses to demonstrate on black surfaces is royal icing, its perfect for piping decoration, buttercream is bubbly and more finicky.
The bird he demonstrates in the video is buttercream, I've done that on cupcakes at easter.
Can also be done in french meringue and oven dried overnite.
The 3D white doves are marzipan or pastillage, very easy to do , fast and look very nice.
Recently bought a small roll of marzipan, when I get organized I'll open iyt and video some quick birds , mice and penguins.
I've seen the mice and penguins on youtube, they're nice but cartoonish, I prefer to do it a bit more elegant and the ones I do are a lot faster to make.

When I get organized I'll do a quick vid.
 
The cakes I've seen that you have created are always a work of art and a pleasure to see, it seems a shame to have to cut them. :loveit:

Aww thanks, Joan, sometimes I don't want them to cut them either. 😂

I'm not sure if thats the correct book, I just looked online, I don't see it anywhere. I doubt he wrote more than one.
The title is correct.

I inherited the international confectioner from my partner after she died, it's no longer in print and sells for $500 on eBay.
At one point I almost tossed it out, books are getting expensive.

The white icing Franciolo uses to demonstrate on black surfaces is royal icing, its perfect for piping decoration, buttercream is bubbly and more finicky.
The bird he demonstrates in the video is buttercream, I've done that on cupcakes at easter.
Can also be done in french meringue and oven-dried overnite.
The 3D white doves are marzipan or pastillage, very easy to do, fast and look very nice.
Recently bought a small roll of marzipan, when I get organized I'll open it and video some quick birds, mice and penguins.
I've seen the mice and penguins on youtube, they're nice but cartoonish, I prefer to do it a bit more elegant and the ones I do are a lot faster to make.

When I get organized I'll do a quick vid.

I'm sorry to hear about your partner.

It's a good job you kept hold of the book given the price tag! Things like that are like gold dust unless you bought them in the era they were made you'll never have a copy.

I didn't realise he did the bird with buttercream I thought it was royal icing. Have you made french meringue, no doubt you have? If so, do you have a good recipe for it or any tips?

Yeah, it would nice to see the marzipan creatures, I must admit I don't make anything with marzipan as I always use fondant. You've just reminded me that I found some penguin pictures the other day that I haven't done a tutorial for yet, I do the fun cartoon versions. Igloo Penguin Cake

It would be nice to see your version, and how you do it, you're keeping me on my toes now and giving me ideas. 😊 I look forward to seeing all your marzipan creations and how you make them.
 
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Aww thanks, Joan, sometimes I don't want them to cut them either. 😂



I'm sorry to hear about your partner.

It's a good job you kept hold of the book given the price tag! Things like that are like gold dust unless you bought them in the era they were made you'll never have a copy.

I didn't realise he did the bird with buttercream I thought it was royal icing. Have you made french meringue, no doubt you have? If so, do you have a good recipe for it or any tips?

Yeah, it would nice to see the marzipan creatures, I must admit I don't make anything with marzipan as I always use fondant. You've just reminded me that I found some penguin pictures the other day that I haven't done a tutorial for yet, I do the fun cartoon versions. Igloo Penguin Cake

It would be nice to see your version, and how you do it, you're keeping me on my toes now and giving me ideas. 😊 I look forward to seeing all your marzipan creations and how you make them.

French meringue , half the sugar is whipped into the whites, stiff, powder sugar is folded into the meringue off the machine.
4 whites
150 gram granulated sugar
150 gram sifted powder sugar.
Foam the whites, add the sugar slowly, when you get stiff peaks fold the powdered sugar by hand with a spatula.
Folding has to be done quickly, the meringue is deflating all the time.

You can also do it with all granulated sugar, the powdered sugar version stays dry longer.
oven temp is 100C, I leave them overnite to dry, a gas pilot light in any oven is enough heat.
Too much heat will cause it to inflate and collapse, its dried more than baked.
 
French meringue , half the sugar is whipped into the whites, stiff, powder sugar is folded into the meringue off the machine.
4 whites
150 gram granulated sugar
150 gram sifted powder sugar.
Foam the whites, add the sugar slowly, when you get stiff peaks fold the powdered sugar by hand with a spatula.
Folding has to be done quickly, the meringue is deflating all the time.

You can also do it with all granulated sugar, the powdered sugar version stays dry longer.
oven temp is 100C, I leave them overnite to dry, a gas pilot light in any oven is enough heat.
Too much heat will cause it to inflate and collapse, its dried more than baked.

Thank you for that, have you ever used butter to make it or is that the other meringue topping that I can't think of?
 
Aww, that's well cute. I did manage to find these too.

5083


5084


I love them; they're fab! Please tell me that's the mouse. 😍 😍 😍
 
Aww, that's well cute. I did manage to find these too.

View attachment 5083



I love them; they're fab! Please tell me that's the mouse. 😍 😍 😍

Thats a mouse from LA Burdick in Boston, its cute but I like mine better.
I lived and apprenticed a stones throw from their location in Harvard Square.
Mine is a lot faster to make. I'll upload a video.
Burdick sells theirs for about $4 ea.
I sold mine for $1. because they were so much quicker to make. Time is money and all that.
 
On top of this wedding cake I molded a dish to make a fountain, filled with white roses and ribbon made with pastillage,
its similar to gum paste. There are 2 doves, perched on the rim, you can just see one on the right side of the dish.
Overall effect was good and it didn't take long to make.
Wish I had taken better photos now. It was featured in a bridal magazine for coastal weddings.

5085
 
On top of this wedding cake I molded a dish to make a fountain, filled with white roses and ribbon made with pastillage,
its similar to gum paste. There are 2 doves, perched on the rim, you can just see one on the right side of the dish.
Overall effect was good and it didn't take long to make.
Wish I had taken better photos now. It was featured in a bridal magazine for coastal weddings.

View attachment 5085

How fantastic that your work was published in a magazine! Well done that's fab!

I take about 93 pics of the same thing from different angles to get the correct shots of my cakes and models etc. It's either the lighting isn't right, or the angle is wrong, or I'm too far away. Hats off to photographers I didn't realise how much faff was involved until I started taking pictures for myself.

Did you make the croquembouche aswell?
 
You get better results with gum paste for the birds, marzipan isn't white enough.


Thanks for that. I really like them!

I'm glad you didn't shut off the vid before showing the mouse, and yes I could see the tail and the eyes. That bird would look great in fondant, and I can't believe how easy it is to make. They're simple but effective. With all the chocolate drip cakes at the minute, they would look fab as topping decorations, especially at Christmas time with the penguins.

I see what you mean about the chocolate though, with 'cheaper' you'll get the shape and separation whereas with the good stuff it will just merge together so you wouldn't have been able to do the nest.

If I made the mouse in fondant, I think I would change the nut ears to white buttons, use black pearls for the eyes and roll a little extra fondant for the tail.
 

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