Sparkling Snowdrop Cake

Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore The particularly clever design of this spectacular and contemporary snowdrop cake gives the illusion of a two tier cake when in fact, just a small 15cm x 20cm cake is used. Fabulous for a Winter Wedding, an alternative Christmas cake, Burns Night Celebration and an Easter cake, the concept is suited to many celebrations. Ingeniously and simply designed to be adaptable for cakes of a different shape and size, its versatility is engaging. Using clear acrylic separators creates a floating effect and the icicle band completes the crisp, clean lines of a cake extravagant in style, sophistication and exclusivity.
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Snowdrop Cake Materials and Equipment list 20cm x 15cm (8” x 6”) oval cake 500g marzipan 1kg white sugarpaste 20cm x 15cm (8” x 6”) oval cake drum 13” x11” (33cm x 28cm) oval cake drum (or as near as possible) 1 Packet Squires Kitchen White SFP Squires Kitchen SFP Holly Ivy ½ Packet Squires Kitchen Pastillage* Squires Kitchen dusting powders, Holly Ivy Squires Kitchen Snowflake lustre dusting powder Royal icing Culpitt Silver Bear Grass Culpitt Clear Glitter flakes SK Edible Glue Jem Rice Roller Culpitt clear ‘Jewel’ sprigs Culpitt Snowdrop cutter (81787) 30# green wires Small round headed yellow stamens Mid green florist tape ¼ ½ and full width Non stick board Non stick rolling pin White fat Petal pad Dog bone tool, Orchard OP2 tool Flower pic Long pointed tool Small fine palette knife Corn leaf veiner Piping bag, Piping tube (tip) size 1 Dusting brushes Culpitt 3” Clear Acrylic Separator 2 sheets A4 card for icicle template Please read through all instructions before starting to be certain you have everything you need. Notes *The icicle band around the cake can be made in either pastillage, flower paste or a mixture of both.
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Cake and boards Place cake onto 20cm x 15cm (8” x 6”) oval cake drum. Marzipan and sugarpaste in the usual way. (I have allowed the silver cake drum to show for additional effect ­ see main picture). Cover large oval drum in white sugarpaste. Icicle band Sellotape the two sheets of cardboard together to make one long length and fold round to make a 23cm (9”) circle. Use a cake tin as a guide. Elongate the cardboard shape to form a 25cm x 20cm (10” x 8”) oval. Hold in shape by using weights inside the cardboard template. (Two jam jars will do!) Alternatively use a spare polystyrene oval dummy if you have one. Place cardboard template onto a tray. Roll out the pastillage/flowerpaste/mix thinly to approximately 70cm (27”) long and 15cm (6”) deep. Roll with the Jem Rice roller and overdust using Squires Snowflake. Cut out icicle band using the template provided or make your own. The band can be cutter deeper or shallower as desired to suit alternative sized cakes and separators. Place icicle band around the former and overlap at the meeting point. Support if necessary until the band hold its own shape.
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Snowdrops Flowers (Inner layer) Cut some 30# green wires into 3. Cut three yellow stamens 3 or 4 mm in length. Tape stamens neatly onto a piece of 30# wire with ¼ width green tape so only the yellow stamens and 1mm of stem show. Roll out a small piece of SFP on a lightly greased board, using the Mexican hat method. Place shaped snowdrop cutter over the top of the ‘hat’ and cut out snowdrop shape. Remove from board and indent the centre of the flower with a long pointed tool to form a throat. Press the petals against the tool as this will thin them at the same time. Thread the wired stamens through the snowdrop and secure. Make certain the top is as neat and as small as possible. This makes it easier for attaching the next layer. Leave to dry. Paint the inside and outside of the flower at the base of the petals with Holly/Ivy dusting powder mixed with a little water. The colouring should be quite light. Outer layer Roll out paste thinly and cut out outer layer using the pointed snowdrop cutter. Use the Orchard OP2 tool (Veining end) to vein each petal and slightly elongate. Thread onto inner petal and glue at base. The outer petals should be longer than the inner ones. Leave to dry. Roll a tiny ball of Holly/Ivy paste and attach to the top of each flower with edible glue.
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Buds Roll a small piece of white paste to form a small cone. Lightly glue the end of a hooked 30# wire and insert into the fat end of the bud. Roll out and cut outer snowdrop shape. Thread onto wired cone and bring petals closely together to form bud. Roll a tiny ball of Holly/Ivy paste and attach to the top of each flower with edible glue. Leave to dry. Leaves Cut some 30# wires into 4 and burn off the tape at one end to approx 2cm down the wire. Using Holly/Ivy SFP, roll a thin sausage approximately 3cm long. Insert the wire three quarters into the sausage and work the paste between your fingers to extend the paste to 4cm or so. Lay the wired sausage flat and gently roll to form the leaf. This will also create shape to your leaf. Make these leaves in different lengths and give a few slightly more shape using your fingers. Leave to dry. Dust with Holly/Ivy and steam carefully. (Quickly pass over the steam of a boiling kettle. I place all my leaves into an oasis block and pass that over the steam).
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Sheaths Make in the same way as for leaves but on a much smaller scale. You will need one for each flower and bud (but if you get fed up just make as many as you can!) Give the sheaths a very gentle curve. Leave to dry. Dust the outside curve with Holly/Ivy and steam carefully. Dust the inside with snowflake. Making up Using ¼ width tape, tape a sheath onto each flower and bud. Tape to the bottom of each wire. Bend the flowers heads and buds to hang downwards. Assembling the cake Very lightly dust the base of the band intermittently using Holly/Ivy and Edelweiss. It should barely be noticeable. Carefully lift the dried icicle band and place onto the covered board. Secure with royal icing on the inside of the band. Take a piece of flower paste and attach it to the top of the cake, with royal icing, to form a snow mound. Cover with royal icing randomly and sprinkle with clear glitter flakes. Tape up some snowdrops, buds, leaves, clear “Jewel” sprigs and silver bear grass to form the main cake top decorations. Insert this spray into a flower pic and insert the flower pic into the snow mound. (To alert those cutting and eating the cake, the flower pic should just show above the icing­see note below).
Sparkling Snowdrop Cake By Kathy Moore Repeat this, without the cake pic, to the bottom of the cake as in the main picture. Pipe tiny snow dots onto the cake. Pipe snow onto a few of the silver bear grass leaves and the snowdrops. Position the clear acrylic separator on the centre of the base board, taking care not to catch your hand on the icicle band. Place the cake on top of the separator. Add a few small ‘snow mounds’ to the top of the cake and around the base of the icicle band. Sprinkle with clear glitter. Insert tiny pieces of green paste to represent leaves starting to shoot up fro the ground. Fully coordinate the table display using the clear “Jewel” Sprigs to decorate favour boxes and bags, cards and menus or twist the “Jewel” Sprigs into a garland to drape along the table.
Remember… It is important to bring to the attention of anyone cutting or eating the cake that there may be items on the cake which are not edible or may cause injury if ingested. These may include items such as pillars, wires, stamens, flower pics, dowels or decorations. Please make them aware.