Building the Cake

Center Column Construction - Tall Tier Stand

Another very easy way to construct a tier cake. The Wilton Basic Tall Tier Cake Stand Set includes 5 twist-apart columns with one bottom and one top bolt, an 18 in. footed base plate, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 in. separator plates.

1. Use boards the same size as tiers, or if tiers are shaped, cut boards to fit. Make a waxed paper pattern for each tier except the top tier in order to find the exact center for the columns. Fold the waxed paper pattern in quarters. Snip the point to make a center hole. Test the hole for size by slipping it over a column, adjust size if necessary. Trace hole pattern on prepared cake board and cut out. Also cut a hole in the top tier board to allow for the column cap nut. Save patterns for marking cake tops later.

2. The base tier of the cake will rest on a 14, 16 or 18 in. plate, all of which are included in the Wilton Basic Tall Tier Cake Stand Set. The 18-in. plate is footed; you will need to attach glue-on plate legs (not included) to the 14 or 16-in. plates. To attach legs, turn plate upside down. Using extra-strength glue designed for plastic, attach the six legs, positioning the legs over each of the ribs on the plate.

3. Prepare and ice tiers and position on prepared cake boards. Make the center holes in two lower tiers for the columns. Mark the top of the cakes with the corresponding waxed paper pattern. Cut the hole by pressing the Cake Corer through the tier right down to the bottom. Hold the corer upright, remove cake corer and push the upper part down to eject the cake center.

4. Attach a 7 3/4-in. column to the prepared base plate with the bottom column bolt from underneath the plate. Slip the bottom tier over the column to rest on the plate. Set a plate that is one size smaller than plate below on top of the column.

5. Add a second 7 3/4-in. column and position the next tier on the plate, slipping it over the column. Finally, add a plate one size smaller than the previous plate, securing with top column nut. Place the top tier on the plate. Mark the backs of all tiers with a dot of icing as a guide when setting up at the reception.

6. To create "Lady Windermere" look, simply replace the footed base plate and its 7 3/4-in. column with a Wilton Four Arm Base and the 13 1/2-in. column. Insert the four spacers into the openings on the underside of the base at the end of the arms. These spacers will keep the base level once the column and the base bolt are added. Glue the spacers in place. Position four identical base cakes on 10 or 12 in. plates, then add desired tiers upward (up to 3 graduated sizes can be added to the center columns).

Making the Cake

Separator Plate and Pillar Construction

Use separator plates and pillars. Most dramatic method of tiered cake assembly-two, three or more single cakes towered together.

1.Set tiers on separator plates, which are 2 in. larger in diameter than cakes.

2.Dowel rod cakes and position separator plates on tiers with feet up. (Note: Connect only same size separator plates with pillars.)

3.Position pillars over feet on separator plates.

4.Carefully set cake plate on pillars. Continue adding tiers this way. **Assemble cakes when you arrive at the reception or party.

5. This is the classic separator plate (2-plate) and pillar construction.

Building the Cake

Tailored Tiers Construction

Our Tailored Tiers Cake Display Set features fabric-wrapped separators which add great texture to your tiered design. The top 2 tiers are decorated on same-size boards, then transported to the reception on larger boards, so that cakes can be easily transferred to the separator plates during assembly. Bottom borders are then added to these tiers. The recommended display for Tailored Tiers separators includes a 14 in. base cake, a 10 in. center cake and a 6 in. top cake.

1. Ice cakes; place 14 in. base cake on 16 in. base board wrapped in foil or 16 in. Silver Cake Base. Place 10 in. center and 6 in. top cakes on same size boards. Mark 14 in. and 10 in. cakes for placement of dowel rods. Center the 8 in. plate from the Tailored Tiers set on top of the 14 in. cake and press it gently into icing to imprint an outline. Remove. Use this outline to guide the insertion of dowel rods.

2. Dowel rod 14 in. cake. Place the 6 in. plate from set on top of the 10 in. cake and repeat process for marking and inserting dowel rods. Complete decorating on cakes, except bottom borders of 10 in. center and 6 in. top cakes, which will be done at reception. Attach 10 in. and 6 in. cakes to larger boards before transferring to reception.

3. Place the 12 in. plate (spikes up) on table. Center the large (7 1/4 in.) separator over the plate and press down over the spikes. Position one 8 in. plate (spikes down) on top of the large separator. Place the second 8 in. plate (spikes up) on table. Center the small (4 1/4 in.) separator over the plate and press down over the spikes. Position the 6 in. plate (spikes down) on top of the small separator.

4. At reception: Position the large separator, with 8 in. plate on bottom and 12 in. plate on top, on the base cake. Remove 10 in. and 6 in. cakes from their larger boards. Position 10 in. cake on large separator.

5. Add bottom border to 10 in. cake. Position the small separator, with 6 in. plate on bottom and 8 in. plate on top, on the 10 in. cake. Position 6 in. cake on small separator. Add bottom border.

To Use Acetate Wrap on your Tailored Tiers Cake: Insert photos, patterned paper or fabric in pockets of acetate wrap. Trim inserted items as needed to fit. Wrap acetate around separator and fasten Velcro® ends.

Basic Decorating Technqiues

Rosette

This is the fluffy look you want for making clouds or smoke and to add dimension as a side border.

Getting Ready

Set up your practice board.

Insert a coupler base in your Featherweight bag and lock open star tip 16 onto it with your coupler ring.

Fill bag half full with medium consistency Buttercream Icing.

Practice with: Tip 16
Icing: medium consistency
Positions:
Bag: 90°
Tip: lightly above the surface

1. Keeping the tip slightly above the surface, squeeze out icing to form a star and, without releasing pressure, move the tip in a tight, complete rotation, starting at 9:00 (3:00), moving to 12:00...
2. then to 3:00 (9:00) and 6:00...
3. and ending back at 9:00 (3:00).
4. Stop pressure and lift tip away.

Basic Decorating Techniques

Leaves

Vary your leaves in a number of ways: big or small depending on the size of the flowers on your cake and the tip size; long or short, depending on how long you squeeze out your icing; flat or stand-up, depending on how you complete the motion; ruffled or plain, depending on whether you jiggle the tip or pull steady.

Getting Ready

Set up your practice board.

Insert a coupler base in your Featherweight bag and lock leaf tip 67, 352 or 366 onto it with your coupler ring.

Fill your bag half full with Buttercream Icing thinned with corn syrup for practice.

Tip: 67, 356, 366
Icing: Buttercream Icing thinned with corn syrup
Positions:
- Bag: 45° angle 6:00
- Tip: lightly touch surface wide opening parallel to surface

Sequence:

1. Squeeze hard to build up the base and, at the same time, lift the tip slightly.
2. Relax pressure as you pull the tip toward you, drawing the leaf to a point.
3. Stop squeezing and lift away.

Basic Decorating Techniques

Getting Started with Roses

Flowers are certainly the most traditional and most admired way to top a cake. Roses are the most impressive, beautiful and popular of all icing flowers. A rose is created in a number of steps.

Getting Ready

Fit a decorating bag with round tip 12 and fill 1/2 full with stiff consistency Buttercream Icing.

Cut wax paper into 1 1/2 in. squares.

Preparing the Flower Nail:

• Hold the nail in your left (right) hand between your thumb and forefinger so that you can turn it slowly in a counterclockwise (clockwise) direction.
• Place a dot of icing on the nail.
• Press a wax paper square onto the nail.

Rose Base
Tip: 12
Icing: stiff consistency
Positions:
- Nail: in left (right) hand
- Bag: 90 angle (straight up)
- Tip: slightly above nail

Sequence:
1. Squeeze hard for base.
2. Relax, lift for cone.
3. Stop squeezing, lift tip away.

Hold decorating bag straight up, the end of tip 12 slightly above the center of waxed paper covered flower nail, which is held in your other hand. Using firm and steady pressure, squeeze a heavy base of icing, keeping the end of the tip buried in it as you squeeze. Start to lift the top higher and decrease the pressure when the base fills out the circle drawn on the nail. Stop pressure, pull up and lift away. Rose base should be 1 1/2 times as high as the rose tip opening.

Try This: First build up the right size base on your practice board. When you feel comfortable with the technique, try it out on the flower nail several times, using a fresh piece of wax paper each time.

Rose Center
Tip: 104
Icing: stiff consistency
Positions:
- Nail: in left (right) hand
- Bag: 45 angle at 4:30 (7:30)
- Tip: wide end touching base at midpoint, narrow end up and in slightly

Sequence:
1. While squeezing, turn nail to the end of your finger counterclockwise (clockwise); move tip up then down, overlapping starting point.
2. Stop, lift tip away.

Hold nail, containing base in left (right) hand and bag with rose tip 104 in right(left). Bag should be at a 45 angle to the flat surface of the nail and in the 4:30 (7:30) position. The wide end of the tip should touch the cone of the icing base at or slightly below the midpoint, and the narrow end of the tip should point up and slightly inward. Now, you must do three things at the same time: squeeze the bag, move the tip and rotate the nail. As you squeeze the bag, move the tip up from the base, forming a ribbon of icing. Slowly turn the nail counterclockwise (clockwise) to bring the ribbon of icing around to overlap at the top of the mound, then back down to starting point. Move your tip straight up and down only; do not loop it around the base. The motions forming the center of the rose are quite important and will be repeated as you put the petals on.

Top Row Petals
Tip: 104
Icing: stiff consistency
Positions:
- Bag: 45 angle at 4:30 (7:30)
- Tip: wide end touching base at or slightly below midpoint, narrow end straight up.

Sequence:
1. While squeezing, turn nail to the end of your fingers counterclockwise (clockwise), move up and down, connect petal to base.
2. Stop, lift tip away.
3. Repeat for other two petals.

Hold the flower nail with the completed rose base and center in your left (right) hand and the bag in your right (left) hand at a 45 angle to the nail surface. The wide end of rose tip should touch the base at or slightly below the midway point, and the narrow end of tip should point straight up. As with the rose center, you now must do three things at one time: squeeze the bag, move the tip up and rotate the nail. While you squeeze the bag, move the tip and rotate the nail. While you squeeze the bag, move the tip up and down again. As you turn the nail, the up and down motion of the tip will make a half-circle shaped upright petal. Wide end of tip must touch rose base while making a petal at all times. Stop squeezing, then lift tip away. The procedure for the second and third petals is the same. Be sure your tip is clean before starting next petal. The second petal should overlap the end of the first. And the third petal should begin by overlapping the second and end by overlapping the first. Turn the nail one third of the nail circumference as you make each petal.

Middle Row Petals
Tip: 104
Icing: stiff consistency
Positions:
- Bag: 45 angle at 4:30 (7:30)
- Tip: wide end touching base below center of any petal, narrow end out slightly. End of tip at 1:00 position.

Sequence:
1. Make a petal as before.
2. Repeat for 4 more petals, with the last petal overlapping first petal.

Proceed exactly as you did in making the top row of petals except for these two changes: (1) start the middle row with the wide end of the tip touching the rose base directly beneath the center of one of the petals in the top row, and the narrow end of the tip leaning out slightly, and (2) make five petals instead of three, with the back edge of the fifth petal overlapping the front edge of the first petal. The petals in this middle row should overlap the spaces between the petals in the first row. Remember turn the nail one-fifth of the nail circumference for each petal.

Bottom Row Petals
Tip: 104
Icing: stiff consistency
Positions:
- Bag: 45 angle at 4:30 (7:30)
- Tip: Wide end touching base below previous row; narrow end out further, end of tip at 2:00 position.

Sequence:
1. Make 1 petal
2. Make 6 more petals.

Continue as you did for the middle row, except that the narrow end of the tip should be leaning out further so the petals appear to be opening. And this time, you'll make seven petal instead of five, with the last overlapping the first and all of them overlapping the spaces between petals in the row above. Turn the nail one seventh of the circumference for each petal. Remove rose from the flower nail by lifting the wax paper square off.

Basic Decorating Techniques

Shell

Tip: #21
Icing Consistency: Medium
Bag Position: 45° at 6:00
Hold Tip: Slightly Above Surface

1. Hold the bag in the 6:00 position so that you can pull the bag toward you. The tip should be slightly above the surface.

2. Squeeze hard, letting the icing fan out generously as it lifts the tip – do not lift the bag. Gradually relax your pressure as you lower the tip until it touches the surface.

3. Stop pressure and pull the tip away, without lifting it off the surface, to draw the shell to a point.

4. To make a shell border, start the end of your next shell so that the fanned end covers the tail of the preceding shell to form and even chain.

Basic Decorating Techniques

Half Carnation

Achieve the beautiful ruffled effect of a full carnation, piped directly on your cake. Be sure to use stiff consistency icing to hold each petal's shape.

• Practice with tip: 150, 3
• Icing consistency: stiff
• Bag Position: Center Petal, 45° at 6:00; Side Petals, 45° at 4:30 (left) and 7:30 (right)
• Hold tip: One End Touching Surface, Other End Straight Up

1. Make the center petal: With wide end touching the surface and narrow end straight up, start squeezing, moving tip straight up and down in a jiggling motion (similar to sweet pea technique but with narrower petals). Stop squeezing and pull away.

2. Make the side petals: With bag at 4:30, place the wide end of tip at the base of the first petal and squeeze out two left side petals using the same jiggle motion. For two right side petals, place bag at 7:30 and squeeze in the same fashion, to form a fan-shaped row of petals.

3. With bag at 4:30 and 7:30, pipe a ruffled petal between each petal. Add tip 3 sepals.

Basic Decorating Techniques

Lily

This glorious springtime flower looks its best when petals are more pointed. If your petals split as you're piping, widen the tip slightly by inserting a thin spatula into the opening. Or, add a teaspoon of piping gel to one cup of stiff royal icing.

• Practice with tips: 68, 14
• Icing Consistency: Stiff royal icing
• Bag position: for petals, 45° at 3:00 (9:00); For center, 90°
• Hold tip: For petals, lightly touching surface of nail, wide opening parallel to surface; for center, slightly above flower

1. Line 1 5/8 inch lily nail with foil. Use tip 68. Touch center well of nail with tip and squeeze, pulling petal up and over edge of foil cup. Decrease pressure as you reach end of petal and hesitate before you stop pressure and pull tip away, drawing petal to a point.

2. Pipe two more petals.

3. Pipe three more petals in between open spaces.

4. Add tip 14 star center and push in stamens.