ISSUE 19

APRIL 2014
3.50

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

IE

Cake
BAKING - DECORATING - SHARING

Masters

Fantastic
Miniature

MAGAZINE

Modelling Tutorial
with over
30 images!

Cupcake
Recipes
Exclusive
Interviews
Afternoon Tea
at The Ritz
Cake International
Exhibition Special

e
k
a
c
p
u
C

+ much more!

!
l
a
i
c
e
p
S

Miniature Modelling
Tutorial by Astral de
la Mare

Delicious Cupcake
Recipes

Beach Cupcake
Tutorial by Amanda
MAGAZINE
Mumbray

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Miniature Modelling
Tutorial

69

Cake International

Special

52

Beach Cupcakes
Tutorial

23

Mimicafe Union

Sachicko
Windbiel

MAGAZINE

43

INTERVIEW

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Contents
4
19
28
31
40
52
75

Baking Wish List

Afternoon Tea ~ The Ritz London
Cupcake Spotlight - Zoricas Cake Art
Cupcake Spotlight - Scrumptious Buns
Cake Spaces - Kathryn Hodge, Candytuft Cakes
Cake International Special - Manchester 2014
Miniature Modelling Cupcake SPECIAL

Tutorials
14
23
69

Crystal Lace & ImageArt Tutorial

Beach Cupcakes Tutorial - The Clever Little Cupcake
Company
Miniature Modelling Tutorial - Buttercream Bakery

7
43

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Buttercream Bakery

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Mimicafe Union

34
36
37
38
39

Hot Cross Bun Cupcakes with Chocolate Egg Surprise

Lime Berry Cupcakes with Candied Lime
Banana Caramel Cupcakes
Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes
Orange Blossom Water Cupcakes

Interviews

Recipes

Welcome to our beautiful

April issue and we are so
excited that this is the first
Cake Masters magazine on
the shelves in WHSmiths!
To all our new readers, we
hope you love the magazine
as much as we all do!
This issue is full of wonderful
cupcakes, bringing some
beautiful miniature modelling
for you to be inspired and
mesmerised by. It never ceases
to amaze me how far some
artists go to bring unique and
brilliant ideas to the small
top of a cupcake. From the very delicate to the way out there,
we really get to see some amazing skills. I have always been
fascinated by miniature modelling so we have a special selection
of features and artists that really show you what can be done on a
tiny scale. Believe me its eye-poppingly wow stuff!
We have Astral de la Mare from Buttercream Bakery - Brighton
who applies a level of cute, colourful detail to her most tiny
cupcake toppers. We couldnt let Astral get away without sharing
some of her skills, so we have an exclusive tutorial from Astral
with over 30 images showing how to model mini sweets and
treats perfectly. We also have the superb and internationally
recognised Sachiko Windbiel from Mimicafe Union, who has
turned her attention to detail and love of modelling into a thriving
topper business. You wont believe her amazing little fondant
creations!
We are also so lucky to have a few cupcake themed tutorials; Cake
International Gold winner Amanda at The Clever Little Cupcake
Company and Crystal Candy bring some exciting skills and ideas
to keep you inspired!

In other news, I was lucky enough to be Jens Afternoon Tea date

this month at The Ritz- London, it was just the most luxurious and
gorgeous belly-filling treat!
We had a great time featuring Cake International winners last
time, so we have done it again! Our magazine is always about the
people behind the baking, and in this feature we let you hear and
see the people that are keeping this international competition
alive. I hope you enjoy reading about the ups and downs of
competing.and maybe get a little inspired to try something
yourself!

Finally, we will be at The Cake & Bake Show Manchester and Cake
International London this month, so please come and visit us. We
love to chat to you all, and we will have something very special for
you to seeand wear(!)..all will be revealed!

Rosie
Editor

editor@cakemasters.co.uk

Editorial Assistant
Ceri Roberts

Front cover Superstar!

Sachicko Windbiel, Mimicafe Union
Read an exclusive interview on page 43

Sales & Advertisements

magazine@cakemasters.co.uk
MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Baking Wish List

Oodle Tip
Lakeland

7.99

Cup Cakes Cutters

patchworkcutters.com
6.50

Confetti Dot Sprinkles

Lakeland
1.39

Peggy Porschen
Cupcakes Book
Hobbycraft
6.99

Morphy Richards Red

Folding Stand Mixer
Dunelm.com
69.99

Cupcake Carrier
Cakecraft.co.uk
26.99

Sugarpaste Extruder
SugarCraft Gun & 16 discs
Cake-stuff.com
15.95

PME 6 Non Stick

Rolling Pin
Cake-stuff.com
2.95

Jem 233 Grass

Icing/Piping Nozzle
Thecookscupboard.co.uk
1.99

Kitchen Craft Cake

Tester Probe
Cake-stuff.com

Betty Crocker, Cloud White,

Cupcake Icing
Americansweets.co.uk
4.75

Cupcake Baking Set

Lakeland

MAGAZINE

9.99

2.25

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Baking Wish List

Pop Art Comic Strip

Cupcake Cases
Bakerandmaker.com
4.50

Mini Cake Stand

Marks & Spencer
3.50

PME FULL SET 10 edible

lustre sprays
+ free spray gun
Cake-stuff.com
54.95

Mini Palette Knife

Cakedecoration.co.uk

Five new colours of

Renshaw Ready Roll Icing
Renshawbaking.com
Various

Royal Aqua Flo Brush set

Tesco.com
3.99

Sugarflair Cake
Rejuvenator Liquid
The-bakershop.co.uk
1.60

Click-Twist Brushes
RainbowDust.co.uk

Oval Frame Moulds

Fpcsugarcraft.co.uk
9.50

Large Aluminium Ball Tool

Squires-shop.com
13.99

Renshaw Silver Lustre Dust

Renshawbaking.com

GET A GRIP Piping

Bags-50 on a roll
Lakeland
9.49

2.45

2.99

3.25 each

MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

MAGAZINE

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MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

IE

CAKE MASTERS MAGAZINE

E XC LU S I V E

MAGAZINE

I N T E RV I E W

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Buttercream Bakery

Astral de laMare
by Cake Masters Magazine

Astral de la Mare is an expert in the art

of miniature modelling. Brighton based
Astral, gives us an insight into her world
and shares some excellent modelling tips.
She also exclusively shows us excellent
techniques in a tutorial in this issue of
Cake Masters Magazine!
Tell us a bit about you, your background
and your family.
I have been baking and decorating for around
six years now. I live in a country cottage not
far from Brighton, where Buttercream Bakery
is based. I come from a big family full of
creative types; my mother always joked that
all my childhood memories revolved around
food and it was my love of food that started
it all. At nineteen, I could not cook or bake
a single thing. I had made one, admittedly
awesome batch of brownies when I was about
10, but that was literally all. I decided to learn
to cook and bake, because I needed good
food in my life. I had never planned to make a
career out of baking, but once I started, I was
hooked.
You have a very exotic name, what is your
background?
I do have a rather exotic name, but
unfortunately it is somewhat deceptive and
I am, a little disappointingly, completely unexotic. My grandmother is Scottish, but that is
about as exotic as I get.

Tell us about when you started a career in

cake decorating.
I first started baking in my spare time, when
I was at university. I never had any plans
to bake professionally and I had absolutely
no knowledge of cake decorating. No one in
my family had ever baked and I didnt know
anyone who made cakes. I had never even
heard of fondant, let alone used any.
I started baking cookies, cupcakes and
muffins, and within months I was spending
every spare minute I had in the kitchen. I was
hooked. Within a year I had started practising

sugarcraft. I would spend hours studying

photographs of cake decorations online, trying
to work out how every little detail was made
and put together. I always look back on those
early days as such an exciting time, I was
soaking up information wherever I could get it
and I was impressed with everything I made,
because I had no expectations. I am much
more critical now.
By the time I finished university, I was being
asked to make cupcakes for everyone I knew.
I spent all my time baking, decorating and
thinking about cake. Cupcakes had taken over
my entire life and it was time to start taking it
seriously. Buttercream Bakery was not born
overnight, I worked part-time for the first two
years, using my wages to rent kitchen space
and gradually accumulate the tools I needed.
It was really tough at times, but I loved what
I was doing and I always used to say, If I just
keep making cupcakes, something great will
happen.

Soon after I set up Buttercream Bakery I

started writing our blog, The Extraordinary
Art of Cake. It was the blog that changed
everything really, it opened up my work
to a whole new audience and Buttercream
Bakery really took off. ! The biggest change
since I opened Buttercream Bakery, came
when I launched our range of bespoke cake
decorations for home bakers. We now ship
cake decorations all over the world and last
year, for the first time, I made more cake
decorations than cupcakes. I always thought of
myself as more of a baker than a decorator, but
that has definitely changed recently.
What did you do before Buttercream
Bakery?
Before Buttercream Bakery, I was at university
studying theatre and working in retail. I
worked firstly in a jewellery store and later in
a Willy Wonker style sweet shop. I loved both
jobs, but I was definitely ready to move on.
Leaving part-time work and dedicating myself

MAGAZINE

IE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Crystal Lace
&
ImageArt
Tutorial

10

MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

MAGAZINE 11

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

A ready-to-use and VERY convenient paint

brush, pre-loaded with our Metallic Food Paint.
Simply twist the end cap of the brush until the
paint fills the tip and you're ready to go!

Twist & Paint

When not in use, simply wipe any excess paint

from the tip of the brush and replace the cap until
required. No mess, no fuss. It's quick and easy!

The

by
.co.uk

Find Us, Follow Us!

12

MAGAZINE

Available Worldwide From

All Good Cake Decorating Stores!

Click Twist to find a stockist today

Rainbow Dust Colours Ltd . Units 3 - 6 . Cuerden Green Mill . Ward Street . Preston . Lancashire . PR5 5HR T: +44 (0)1772 322335 F: +44 (0)1772 322345 www.RainbowDust.co.uk Rainbow Dust Colours Ltd 2014 Click-Twist Brush is a Registered Trademark of Rainbow Dust Colours Ltd

The

All images Jens Just Desserts

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Afternoon Tea
The Ritz - London

MAGAZINE 13

IE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Beach
Cupcakes
Tutorial

By Amanda Mumbray
14

MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Patchwork Cutters
making cake decorating easy...

ble
a
l
i
a
v
Now A

Subscribe to our free newsletter on our website for

Have you
all the latest news, information and projects!
seen our
free tutor
ials
Unit 12 Arrowe Commercial Park,
on our
Arrowebrook Road, Upton, Wirral
channel?
Tel: (0151) 678 5053

patchworkcutters@btconnect.com

www.patchworkcutters.com

Work-of-art silicon mat

designs for creating beautiful
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Tel: 00 44 (0) 7809 212 566

High-quality, 100% food-grade silicon mats

Over 100 designs and 10 Collections to choose from
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Use the discount code CMA at the checkout
NEW: Cr ysta
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SEE THE TUTO

RIAL IN THIS
ISSUE
MAGAZINE 15

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Cake Spotlight
Zoricas Cake Art

16

MAGAZINE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

IE

Samantha Douglass Scrumptious Buns

CUPCAKE SPOTLIGHT
P

MAGAZINE 17

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

FPC Sugarcraft

- exquisitely detailed silicone moulds -

We are very pleased to announce the launch of www.fpcsugarcraft.co.uk, where you can choose
from our full selection of over 250 exclusive silicone moulds, for all your cake decorating needs.

Alice in Wonderland

18

Designed and
made in the UK

Steampunk Fantasy Steampunk Cogs & Gears

Perfume Bottles

Wedding Cakes

Owl Family

Multi Shoe

Wine Bottle & Glass

www.fpcsugarcraft.co.uk
MAGAZINE

We will be exhibiting at the following shows this spring where we will be pleased to offer practical advice on the use of our moulds:
- Manchester Event City ICHF 7/8/9 March
- Dublin Sugarcraft Guild Citywest Hotel and Conference Centre 22/23 March
- London ExCel Docklands ICHF 10/11/12 April (Thursday Saturday to avoid London Marathon Sunday)

Tel: 0117 9853249

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

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I N T E RV I E W

CAKE MASTERS MAGAZINE

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Mimicafe Union

Sachiko Windbiel

by Cake Masters Magazine

Master of miniature modelling, New

York based Japanese sugar artist
Sachiko Windbiel is renowned for her
awesome miniature modelling and
amazing attention to detail. Cake Masters
magazine exclusively interviews Sachiko
from Minicafe Union to find out more
about her tiny sugar world!
Tell us a bit about you and your
background
I had been working in Restaurant Service for
many years in Japan, when I decided it was
time for me to take stock of myself and do
some research to identify what my lifes work
should be. My research took me to the United
States for the first time in 2004, and thats
when I discovered the beauty of American
pastry work. Sugar work was very inspiring
to me; so much so that, even though I had no
knowledge of fondant, let alone how to work
with it, I could feel my heart expand. When
I looked at the work, I felt that the pastry
world was a destiny calling to me. At the time,
I did not know how to proceed with pursuing
this new dream so I returned to the Ishikawa
area of Japan and continued my work at
restaurants there - I put my pastry passion
into a box and locked it up inside my heart.

A few years passed and, after more

investigation and more soul searching, I
decided to begin a new path by relocating
to New York City in 2008 to attend culinary
school at The Natural Gourmet Institute. The
schools specialisation was vegetarian and
healthy food preparation techniques and,
although I am not a vegetarian, I was and
am- very interested in healthy foods. Thanks
to the help of one of my instructors, after my
graduation, I was able to land an internship,
and eventually a position, at a custom made
cake company call How Sweet It Is. The work
there was very inspiring to me, and I felt the
lock-box containing my passion for sugar
art bursting from my heart. Obviously, the
pastry industry uses a lot of sugar, butter, oil,
- ingredients that are quite opposed to those
espoused by my instructors at the healthy

cooking school. I was truly torn as to what I

should do, but the charm and artistry of the
pastry world won out.
Unfortunately, the pastry company I was
working at closed, another victim of the
recession, and I was unsure where to turn
next.

Thats when the next chapter in my life really

made itself clear to start a small business,
something that I had always dreamed of. I
was considering a cupcake business, but as
you know, everybody seems to be making
cupcakes nowadays, and cupcakes do seem
to be available on every other corner. I then
had a fun idea - how about cupcake & cake
toppers? Kind of like cake accessories....and
thus I began Mimicafe Union, a source for
all kinds of artistic and fun cupcake & cake
toppers. Its great work!

I really love creating custom

made, unique toppers for
special events; toppers
which my clients often
choose to save as sweet
memory keepsakes of their
special occasion. Actually
this fits right in with my
philosophy of life; Live a
Happy Life and Cherish your
Sweet Memories; theyre
always good to keep nearby.
If I can help my customers
with these happy moments
and memories, I feel I have
fulfilled my mission in life.

Why is your business called Mimicafe

Union?
Its nothing special...I had a beautiful long
white haired Chinchilla cat named Mimi, who
unfortunately passed away a couple years
ago. Also, for the longest time I wanted to be
the owner of my own cafe, but it just was not
in the cards at the time - now I realise how
difficult it is run a successful cafe!!! It seemed
like Mimicafe was a slightly confusing name,
so I decided to tag Union on to the name of
the business, thus uniting all my hopes and
dreams for a successful life and business.
Now with my tutorials at my small studio, the
atmosphere is kind of like a cafe as we enjoy
some tea, some snacks and conversation,
while working on fondant skills together!

MAGAZINE 21

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ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

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MAGAZINE 23

Hot Cross Bun Cupcakes

with chocolate egg surprise
From Lydia Bakes & High Tea with Dragons

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Ingredients
Cupcakes
125g butter, at room temperature
112g caster sugar
2 eggs
125g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp all spice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
60ml milk
136g milk chocolate chips
Chocolate Buttercream
110g butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
218g icing sugar
30g cocoa
2 tsp milk
Royal Icing
3 egg whites
4 cups icing sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

12 medium sized hollow Easter eggs, sliced

in half horizontally
Lollies and sprinkles of your choice
(we used Jelly Bellys and Smarties)
Makes 12

Recipe from Lydia Bakes blog and High Tea

With Dragons Blog

Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 190C and line a muffin tin
with cupcake cases.

Mix until lumpy then add milk until you

reach a nice soft consistency that you can
pipe with.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well

between each.

Royal Icing
Make sure all your equipment is oil free by
washing in boiling hot soapy water before
beginning.

Cream together butter and sugar until light

and fluffy.
Sift together flour, baking powder, all spice
and ground cinnamon and add to creamed
mixture.
Stir until well combined.

Gradually add milk and mix well.

Add chocolate chips and gently fold

through mixture.

Fill cupcake cases 2/3 with mixture.

Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes or

until a skewer comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack to cool completely before

decorating.
Chocolate Buttercream
Beat butter until creamy.
Add vanilla to the butter and beat until
incorporated.

Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a separate

bowl.

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture

one cup at a time.

Pipe small round swirls on cupcakes, using

a medium sized round tip.

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized

bowl.
Using a whisk attachment, beat until well
incorporated, making sure to scrape down
the sides of the bowl as you go.
Beat icing on a medium speed for 8
minutes.

Cover with a clean damp tea towel and set

aside.
Assembly
Fill the round side of the Easter egg with
treats to the brim.

Hold the cupcake upside down and gently

press into the filled Easter egg.

Using a small tip, pipe two lines of royal

icing on the Easter egg to make a cross.
Crack into the egg and enjoy your surprise!

Royal icing recipe from about.com,

chocolate buttercream recipe adapted from
Savoury Sweet Life.

MAGAZINE 25

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Manchester Event City -March 2014

INTERVIEWS
WITH
THE
WINNERS!
BEST
IN
SHOW

26

MAGAZINE

Rita DAscenzo from Amiche di Zucchero

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Name: Rose Dummer

Business Name: Rosie Cake-Diva
Category: Class D, Novelty cake
Award: Gold
Oh why do we do this to ourselves? Im always
short of time.and I always set myself too
ambitious a taskyet still I do it! But isnt that
the way for most of us?
I really wanted to do something a little bit
different (after all it is the Novelty Class);
so I liked the idea of mermaids, but I wanted
to show them luring ships to their peril in a
Tempest-like sea.

I did have a desperate drowning sailors upstretched hand but I ran out of time to include
himmainly because I spent a ridiculous
amount of time on tiny mermaid scales. My
fault for embarking on something so detailed!
But my favourite part was the shipwreck behind. I would have loved to make more of that.
Its my third attempt at the Novelty Category
and my third Gold award, so of course Ill enter
again. Its great to have the chance to develop
all these ideas that you have in your head.
If nothing else though, the atmosphere at
these events and the chance to meet so many
like-minded people makes it all worthwhile.
Name: Nina Evans Williams
Business Name: Mn Cottage Cupcakes
Category: Class F, Wedding Cakes
Award: Bronze
Heres my cake, it was entered in the wedding
cake category and is a whopping 2.5foot in
height. It took me over a week to do, is 5 tiers
high, in pinks and purples and is hand painted.
Purple is my favourite colour and I wanted to
incorporate the new shade of Radiant Orchid
in it.

IE

It took 2 days alone to do the bottom tiers and

nearly 3 to do the frilled flowers in the middle.
I foolishly rushed the painting, as I knew to my
cost, as I ran out of time. I had lovely feedback
from the Judges too, saying it was perfectly
covered, in proportion; they loved the colours
and the design. They advised me that the flowers on the top had too many gaps and I knew
I had rushed my painting, as I only finished at
5am that very morning! Those were the only
things that were wrong, so now I know! I got
a Bronze for it and was quite pleased with the
outcome! Now to think of another design for
the NEC!!

MAGAZINE 27

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Name: Emma Ball

Business Name: Richards Cakes
Category: Class G Decorative Exhibit
Award: Gold, 1st and 2nd in Class
Being inspired by the film Cloudy with
a Chance of Meatballs, I designed a stack
of food as a base for all of the characters
to be placed around. I particularly liked
this design, because you could have a
lot of fun with it. I incorporated Cloudy
with a Chance of Meatballs 2 in with it
as well; so I had more characters to play
with. If anyone has read the book or seen
the film; you will see a lot of hidden jokes
incorporated into the design. I really
enjoyed using a variety of mediums to
create the look I wanted. I enjoyed being
able to be a little more daring with the
competition being closer to home. I was
able to add height and work my layout
around this.
I was absolutely thrilled to achieve Gold
and come second place with this piece.

For my second piece, I chose to create the

How to Train your Dragon as it was a
contrasting theme. It is a lot more toned
down and about the finer detail. On
this piece, I got to play around and use
a variety of skills in bringing it together.
For me, it was a design I have wanted to
create for a very long time. I didnt design
it beforehand, I literally made it up as
I went along...which brings me to my
favourite part, seeing all of my ideas come
together. My favourite technique with this
piece, was being let loose with my DinkyDoodle airbrush . I think, used the correct
way, it really adds depth, enhancing your
cakes and modelling.

IE

I am immensely proud of achieving First

Place and a Gold award with this piece.
All my hard work and dedication paid off,
and I couldnt keep the smile off my face
all weekend. Together, both of my two
creations took up all of my spare time
and over 6 weeks to create. I already have
ideas for Birmingham and will be trying
something completely different this time.

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Miniature
Modelling
Tutorial

By Astral de la Mare
Buttercream Bakery - Brighton
MAGAZINE 29

IE

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

Miniature Modelling

Cupcake
Special
30

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BunsInTheOven Cupcakery

ISSUE 19 | APRIL 2014

New Classes!

MAGAZINE 31

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