We prepare mastic and decorate the festive cake with it.
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No celebration of an important event can be considered complete without a delicious cake at the end. The creation of this magnificent festive highlight has always received the utmost attention. Recently, a new trend in the confectionery industry has become widespread - decorating cakes with masticIt looks like this, without exaggeration, a simply stunning work of art (photo).
A variety of icings are now sold ready-made—buy and decorate. But you can always create a beautiful cake covering at home that's just as good as its factory-made counterparts. You just need to know what to make this "dress" from and how.
There are several fondant recipes: milk fondant, gelatin fondant, and marshmallow fondant. We'll tell you in detail how to make each at home and how to decorate a cake with your own homemade fondant.
Cake Covering Guidelines
In principle, decorating a cake with fondant isn't particularly difficult. The only cakes that won't fit are soufflé or jelly cakes (they're too delicate). Other cakes just require proper pre-treatment:
- Carefully smooth out the cake's surface, removing any bumps or ridges. Spread frosting over the surface to remove any crumbs. Spread frosting again to even it out. Finally, go over the frosting with a hot knife to create a perfectly smooth surface.
- A few words about the cream. To prevent the fondant from running, the cream should be oil-based (choux pastry, ganache, condensed milk, and other types are all suitable). Avoid sour cream, yogurt, and buttercream creams.
- Roll out the prepared dough into a layer, like regular dough, to a thickness of 0.5 cm. The layer should be large enough to cover the entire cake, including the sides. Use cornstarch instead of flour for dusting.
- Then quickly cover the cake with this layer, smooth the surface, and carefully trim off any excess. Everything is ready for the final decoration—which, by the way, will hide any imperfections.
Milk decoration
To prepare this type of cake coating you need very few ingredients:
- 150 g each of dry milk and powdered sugar;
- 100 g condensed milk (not boiled);
- 2 tsp lemon juice.
The specified amount of ingredients is enough to completely cover one cake (photo). The milky-white coating looks very delicate and sophisticated. Here's how to prepare this fondant:
- Sift powdered sugar twice into a small bowl where the milk "blanket" will be created. Then add dry milk.
- After this, lemon juice is added. The milk mastic is finished with condensed milk. Mix the mixture thoroughly – and it's ready.
The fondant can be made in advance—wrapped tightly in cling film, it will easily keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. If you want to change the color, simply add food coloring. This fondant is suitable for both cake topping and decorations.
On gelatin
This variety isn't particularly suitable for covering an entire cake, as it's not flexible enough. However, it's perfect for making figurines and decorations: it's pliable, like play dough, and hardens quickly. To prepare it, you'll need:
- gelatin – 1 tsp;
- vegetable oil – ½ tsp;
- powdered sugar – 20 tbsp;
- water – 3 tbsp;
- lemon juice – 1 tsp.
Manufacturing:
- As usual, soak the gelatin in water and let it swell. Then dissolve it over low heat and set aside to cool.
- Pour ½ a heap of powdered sugar onto the table, make a well in it, and pour in the lemon juice, vegetable oil, and gelatin. Begin kneading the "dough," gradually adding the remaining powdered sugar.
- Knead until the mixture no longer sticks to your hands. Then wrap it in cling film.
- To form decorations, pinch off small pieces from the paste—the fondant hardens quickly. It's especially good for creating patterns, figures, flowers, and other shapes (photo).
From marshmallows
Pastry chefs consider this type of fondant ideal: it doesn't stick to your hands, rolls easily, takes any shape, and colors evenly. Just be sure to use single-color marshmallows, otherwise you'll have to separate them by color.
For the chocolate fondant we're making, the color of the marshmallows doesn't matter. The chocolate gives it a pleasant, rich brown color, and the cake decorated with it looks absolutely delicious (photo). To make a chocolate cake decoration at home, all you need is:
- marshmallows (marshmallow candies) – 90 g;
- dark chocolate – 100 g;
- powdered sugar – from 90 to 120 g;
- 30% cream – 40 g;
- butter – 1 tbsp;
- cognac – 2 tbsp. l.
Manufacturing process:
- Place the saucepan over low heat, add the broken chocolate, and melt. Then add the marshmallows and continue heating, stirring constantly.
- When half the marshmallows have melted, add the butter, cream, and cognac. Stir constantly until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the powdered sugar, stirring constantly. When the spoon can't handle it anymore, continue kneading the mixture with your hands. When the fondant resembles a warm, elastic, and firm dough, that's when you've added enough powdered sugar.
- Store the finished mixture, sealed, in the refrigerator and warm it slightly in the microwave before use. Rolling out the mastic is very simple: between two sheets of baking paper.
Roses
Of course, it's simply impossible to cover every possible type of cake decoration. Let's focus on the most versatile and beautiful – roses. They're very easy to make:
- Roll out a sheet of mastic and cut out 4 circles using a shot glass. Place them on the table, one on top of the other (overlapping).
- Separately, shape a small sausage shape – this will be the flower's core. Place the "pistil" on the first "petal" and begin rolling it up into a bud-like roll. Press down lightly on the bottom of the flower as you do so.
- When the bud is ready, you need to take it in your hands and slightly bend the petals, giving it the shape of a living flower.
You can create a whole bouquet this way. Refrigerate the finished flowers. Store them in an airtight container and only place them on the cake just before serving (photo).
