Carol Deacon's Little Book of Easy Cake Characters: 3

Description

This book sets out to help anyone , even the complete novice successfully create little animals and people with which to decorate their cakes. The book contains over 45 models to make and 147 colour photographs. The book begins with a short introduction section on sugarpaste (aka fondant / ready to roll icing). Although the author recommends using shop bought sugarpaste there is a recipe if you prefer to make your own. The book contains full instructions and photographs to show you how to colour and use sugarpaste. How to stick your models together and even the best way to get rid of dusty icing sugar smudges. Full instructions are given for how to cover a cake with sugarpaste so you can create a smart base for your models. It also tells you how to deal with any problems such as air bubbles getting trapped beneath the sugarpaste. After the basics, the book moves on to the important stuff – the little characters themselves. The first chapter “Making Little People” shows you how to make a man, woman, teenage boy, teenage girl, a young boy and a baby. Step by step instructions and photographs are given throughout. The next section “Expressions and Emotions” deals with creating expressions on your characters. There are over 15 expressions and faces including happy, sad, doubtful, surprised, embarrassed. This section also shows you an incredibly simple trick for creating glasses on your characters using a drinking straw. The third section is called “Positioning Characters”. In this chapter, Carol shows you how to use the cake and board itself to present your characters to their best advantage. Little characters burst out of the top and sides of the cake and a ballerina stands “on pointe” using the side of the cake for support. Next comes instructions for making a simple but effective Bride and Groom followed by a section on teddy bears. As well as a versatile everyday bear, there's a cute little baby bear wrapped up in a blanket sucking a dummy and then full instructions for making a teddy bear's picnic complete with jam sandwiches, cherry buns and cookies. The teddy section leads neatly into the “Little Animals” chapter where full instructions are given to create a dog with a ball, a puppy in a handbag, a stripey cat, a pretty pony, a goofy rabbit, pink pigs, a cheeky monkey and an elephant squealing at the sight of a nearby mouse. To finish, a small space is given over to the tools used in the book. This a short list of 8 tools – a small rolling pin, drinking straw, paintbrush, knife, ball tool, Dresden tool, bone tool and a cocktail stick. On the odd occasion that a specialist tool is used, an everyday alternative is given. For example : “Bone Tool – Great for creating eye sockets and other small hollows on your models. If you don't have one, use the rounded end of a small paintbrush instead.” So you see – don't let the title fool you. It may say “little” in the title but it's big on ideas and inspiration. Review: Such a useful book! - Full of helpful pictures and advice on a whole range of people and animals with easy to follow instructions. I don't think that my first effort at a cake topper would be anywhere near as good without it! Review: Clear and detailed instructions. - I bought this book for my now elderly aunt who has always used Carol Deacon designs for special occasion cakes for family and friends. She is always thrilled when CD publishes a new book as she finds her instructions much easier to follow than other cake designers and particularly likes the detailed photos.