Vintage Tea Party Cupcakes: Mini-Macarons Tutorial

So we had a Vintage Tea Party themed cupcake class. And you can't have a tea party theme without a tea party. Which means pretty cake stands brimming with cake and cupcakes... and macarons. 

I dusted off my nerves and made some macarons again (you know I have a love-hate relationship with these confounding confections!) 

And, actually, they didn't turn out badly. Yay me! 😅

Let me introduce you to the easiest macarons you'll ever make, though.

They are oh-so-simple. And cute.
And not real.
But you can eat them....

Here's how to create this pretty platter of miniature sugar paste macarons...

(all made with a modelling chocolate fondant blend, with some tylose/CMC paste added to it.) 

Miniature Sugar Paste Macarons Tutorial:

For the platter: 

The edge of the platter is made in a mould, using grey modelling chocolate/ fondant/ tylose paste blend. 

Roll out your grey paste and cut out the base of the platter using a small circle/ scalloped cutter. 

Allow to dry. 

Dust with silver luster

Stick edging and base together with edible glue

Now for the macarons: 

Use a small circle cutter to cut out small rounds of paste - two in the same colour and slightly thicker than a third in a different colour.  

Use a cocktail stick or the sharp point of a frilling tool to gently create the foot of the macaron... it's just a bit of texturing along one edge of the paste. I hold the small disc of paste gently between thumb and index finger and score the edge, pushing it outwards slightly at the same time to create a tiny frill. 

Sandwich together with edible glue. 

Assemble on the platter 

When dry, place onto a disc of fondant on top of a pretty swirl of icing. 

So easy!
Have you tried making the real things yet? Let me know if you have, and how they turned out - I love hearing macaron success (and horror) stories!

You can see the macarons that I made for the tea party here . 

Happy baking!

xxM 

Mini Cake and Cake Stand Tutorial

Why is it that things in miniature are just so darn cute?! 

It's why the internet abounds with pictures of kittens.  You could just eat them right up, right?! 

Well, you can if they're mini food made out of modelling chocolate and fondant. 

(Unlike kittens ...um... eeuw! ) 

                     

So, in case you couldn't join us for our Tea-Time Treats Cupcakes classes, here's a mini tutorial for you...

Mini Cake and Cake Stand Tutorial 

You'll need:

A small fondant roller 

Modelling chocolate / fondant mix in turquoise, pink and white

(Fondant with CMC powder added to it will work too) 

Small round and scalloped cutters

Small blossom cutters 

Cake smoother

Toothpick

CMC/ tylose glue or water** and a brush 

(** if you don't have CMC glue, water will do) 

Roll 2/3 of the turquoise paste into a long tear drop

Flatten its base and top on your work surface 

Cut out the top of the mini cake stand using the scalloped cutter. 

And place a toothpick into the stand. 

Allow both to firm up before assembling.  

To make the mini cake, take two balls of pink paste, one larger than the other...

..and use your cake smoother to roll 

and flatten them into cake shapes 

 Stack; use a little glue to secure them together.

Roll out a long thin ribbon  of white paste and position it around the join of the two cakes. Cut off the excess. 

Add some small flowers. 

Cut out a round of white paste to "plate" the mini cake. 

Once the top of the cake stand is firm, place it onto the base before putting the cake on top. The tooth pick should go through the cake, too. 

Happy decorating!

xxM 

Autumn Leaves Tutorial

A couple of years ago I made another autumn themed cake.  It had a lot of leaves on it. A lot. 

They hid the myriad cracks, craters, bubbles and other blemishes that were a feature of my early fondant cakes. 

I've learnt a few things since then. Thankfully! So I can decorate with a more minimalist autumn look these days....

Autumn Leaves Tutorial

You'll need:

Sugar paste in autumn colours*

Small fondant roller 

Leaf cutters

Bone tool

Dresden tool / veining tool

Petal pad

Egg box for drying (the shallower "lid" part works particularly well)

Dusting colours - 

Flat tipped brush 

*(I'm using a mix of fondant and CMC (tylose) paste here, but you can use pure CMC paste/ gum paste. To get russet, colour the paste with red and brown gel). 

Roll out paste, and cut out leaves

Thin and curl leaf edges
with bone tool 

                                                      Add veins.

Dry leaves with edges curled up

 Once dry, dust with dusting colours 

 Add little brown dusting to enhance the veins

All done.

Autumn Themed Wedding Cake

Happy decorating! 

xxM