Creating A Ruffle Wedding Cake: Tips For Beginners

Ruffle wedding cakes are a popular choice for couples seeking a sophisticated and visually captivating centrepiece for their big day. The delicate, almost lace-like texture of the ruffles adds volume and character to the cake, creating a luxurious and glamorous effect. In this discussion, we will explore different techniques and design ideas for decorating a ruffle wedding cake, including the use of buttercream icing, fondant, and various piping tips to achieve the desired ruffle pattern. We will also offer suggestions for customising the cake to match your wedding theme and share tips for preparing and presenting this elegant dessert.

How to make layered ruffles

Layered ruffles are a beautiful way to add texture and glamour to a wedding cake. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating them:

Preparation:

Firstly, decide on the colour scheme for your ruffles. You can use just one colour, or multiple shades to create an ombre effect. If you're going for an ombre look, choose colours that complement your wedding theme, or go for a sparkly metallic hue for added glamour.

Creating the Ruffles:

Now, it's time to make the ruffles. Take your fondant and roll it out into long, thin strips. A good average width is around 1.5 inches, but you can make them narrower or wider depending on your desired look. Using a pizza or pastry wheel, cut your strips to size. It's best to keep them shorter, as longer strips can be tricky to handle. Dust your strips with corn starch to prevent them from sticking.

Next, use a foam pad to support one end of the fondant strip. Take a ball tool and apply pressure to one edge of the strip, rolling it down and pulling away to thin and curl the fondant. Work quickly, moving the strip as you need to, from one end to the other. This process will give your fondant that beautiful, ruffled texture.

Attaching the Ruffles:

Brush some sugar glue onto the cake, starting at the top, and attach your ruffled fondant strips. Be sure to leave the ruffled edge free, gluing only the flat part of the ribbon to the cake. Press it firmly in small sections, adding tiny pleats to give it more dimension and texture.

Continue this process all around the cake, adding extra strips as needed. Overlap the ruffles by about half an inch as you move down the cake. You can use toothpicks to hold the ruffles in place until they dry if they start to sag.

Final Touches:

Once your ruffles are in place, let them dry for a few hours or overnight. Remove the toothpicks, and your ruffles are ready! If there are any visible holes, you can cover them with tiny dots of buttercream.

And there you have it—a stunning, layered ruffle wedding cake! This technique may take some time and practice, but the result is a romantic and elegant cake that will wow your guests.

How to create bunched ruffles

To create bunched ruffles, start by taking a ball of fondant and rolling it out into a long strip. You want this strip to be pretty thin, and the length will depend on the size of your cake. Using a ribbon cutter, cut strips that are around 1.5 inches wide—you can adjust the width to be narrower or wider, but this is a good average width that works for most designs.

Separate a single strip of fondant and dust it with a little corn starch. Then, use a ball tool to apply pressure to one edge of the ribbon, rolling it down and pulling away to make it thinner and to create a curl. Work quickly, moving the fondant strip as you need to, from one end to the other.

To attach the ruffles to the cake, start at the top and paint some sugar glue onto the cake. Press the ruffled ribbons onto the cake firmly in small sections, leaving the ruffled edge free and gluing the remaining flat part to the cake. You can add tiny pleats to the ribbon to give it more dimension.

Continue this process all the way around the cake, adding extra pieces of ribbon as needed. Move down about half an inch below the first ruffle and repeat the steps, overlapping the ruffles for a bunched effect. You can use toothpicks to hold the ruffles up until they dry if they begin to sag. Once dry, carefully remove the toothpicks and cover the holes with tiny dots of buttercream.

How to pipe wave ruffles

To pipe wave ruffles, you'll need a buttercream that holds its shape. Place your cake on a board of the same size and fill, stack, and crumb coat it in buttercream icing. You can then follow these steps:

• Fit a piping bag with a petal tip and fill it with buttercream.
• Place the cake board on top of an upside-down bowl to elevate the bottom of the cake.
• Hold the piping bag parallel to the side of the cake, keeping the wide end of the piping tip towards the cake, slightly touching the crumb coat.
• Apply consistent pressure and start piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top. Create long, curvy waves as well as short ruffles for added interest.
• Stop applying pressure before pulling the piping bag away at the top, then repeat.
• Continue around the cake, sometimes following the curves of the previous wave and sometimes creating new ones.
• Once you've piped waves all the way around, use an offset spatula or paring knife to gently remove the excess buttercream from the bottom without disturbing the rest of the wave.
• Carefully lift the cake with an offset spatula and place it on a serving dish or cake stand.

The ruffles can be piped using a variety of piping tips, such as tips 32, 844, 70, 6B, and 125. To create the ruffles, hold your piping bag at a 45-degree angle, squeeze the bag, and gently release the pressure before pulling the tip away. Repeat this motion, starting each ruffle at the end of the previous one.

How to decorate with floral ruffles

To decorate a wedding cake with floral ruffles, you can use buttercream icing or fondant.

Buttercream Icing

Firstly, place your cake on a cake board of the same size. Fill, stack, and crumb coat your cake in buttercream icing. You do not need to fully ice the cake, but the crumb coat should be thick enough that the cake layers do not show through. Finish off the top of the cake as normal.

Next, fit a piping bag with a petal tip and fill it with buttercream. You can then place the cake board on top of an upside-down bowl to elevate the bottom of the cake. Hold the piping bag parallel to the side of the cake, keeping the wide end of the piping tip towards the crumb coat. Keeping consistent pressure, start piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top, creating long, curvy waves and short ruffles for added interest. Stop applying pressure before pulling the piping bag away. Repeat this process, sometimes following the curves of the previous wave and sometimes creating new ones.

Fondant

Roll out the fondant to around 1-2 cm with a rolling pin or pasta maker machine. Cut out circles with a round cutter (for a rose petal effect, use a 2” cutter). Cover the cut-outs with plastic cling film so they don't dry out. Place a "petal" on a piece of foam and thin out the edges with a ball tool. Transfer the petal to a thicker foam and use the ball tool to thin the inside to create a cup shape.

Brush a small section of the cake with water or gum glue or piping gel. Start adding petals from the bottom up so that gravity helps to anchor them. Place the petal on the cake, ensuring the edges are curled out and not stuck to the surface. Use your fingers to create movement within the petal. Position another petal beside it and use a Dresden tool to help shape them. You can also pinch the petal in the middle and fold it before adding it to the cake.

Colour and Design Ideas

Most couples stick to the white-on-white version of a ruffle wedding cake, but you can play around with different colours and decorations to match your wedding theme. For a modern edge, an ombre fade is a great option—you can choose a hue that matches your linens, flowers, and decor or opt for a sparkly metallic shade. For a romantic and luxurious look, try ruffle rosettes adorning the bottom tier, pairing this with one or two plain tiers so that the detailed design stands out.

For something a little different, ask your baker to create oversized ruffles for a more dramatic effect. Another trendy option is to apply the ruffles vertically instead of horizontally. If you don't want a 100% ruffled cake, consider a mix-and-match approach, pairing a ruffle tier with other styles such as sleek and simple designs, geometric patterns, or wallpaper tiers.

How to use buttercream ruffles

Buttercream ruffles can be used to create a beautiful, rustic wedding cake. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use buttercream ruffles to decorate a wedding cake:

Prepare the Cake:

Start by lightly frosting your cake with a crumb coating. This will help create a smooth base for your ruffles. Ensure that your cake is at room temperature before you begin. You can use any cake flavour you like, but it's important to have a firm frosting that is easy to pipe. If using store-bought frosting, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm it up.

Gather Your Tools and Materials:

You will need a piping bag, a coupler, and a pastry bag. For the piping tip, a large Wilton Rose tip or a leaf tip (such as Wilton's Tip 104) is commonly used to create the ruffled look. You can also use a smaller or larger tip to achieve different ruffle sizes. Fill your piping bag with the buttercream frosting.

Pipe the Ruffles:

Place the thicker end of the piping tip against the cake at a slight angle, with the opening downward. Start at the top of the cake and slowly rotate the cake on a turntable while piping the frosting. To create the ruffled effect, overlap the layers as you move down the cake. Continue piping columns of ruffles all around the cake until it's fully covered. For a neater look, wipe the tip with a tissue before starting each column.

Tips and Tricks:

Marking the cake at intervals before piping can make the process easier. You can also use patterns to press into the sides of the cake for guidance. It's important to work in a cool environment as soft frosting can be difficult to pipe. If your ruffles aren't perfect, don't worry! Embrace the imperfection – the organic look is part of the charm.

Final Touches:

Once you've finished piping the ruffles, you can add some final touches. Fresh edible flowers or berries can be a beautiful addition to the top of the cake. Keep the decorated cake refrigerated until it's time to serve. This will help prevent the ruffles from becoming too soft and losing their shape.

Frequently asked questions