Junior Rasmussen
Ruffles are a beautiful and delicate addition to a wedding cake, and can be created in any colour to match your theme. They can be made with buttercream or fondant, and are created by piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top, or vice versa, depending on the effect you want to achieve. You can also elevate the cake on an upside-down bowl to make it easier to pipe the ruffles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Starting point | Top of the cake |
| Direction | Down |
| Piping bag position | Parallel to the side of the cake |
| Piping tip | Large Wilton Rose tip |
| Piping bag movement | Long, curvy waves and short ruffles |
| Cake board | Place on top of an upside-down bowl |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Using a turntable
Continue to overlap the layers, slowly going down the cake, so there is a ruffling effect. If you start at the bottom, the ruffle won't flare out. 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.
Keeping consistent pressure, start piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top. Create long, curvy waves as well as short ruffles for more interest. Stop the pressure before pulling the piping bag away at the top. Repeat this process, sometimes following the curves of the previous wave and sometimes mixing it up.
This technique takes a lot longer than other methods, but it looks so pretty when finished and is perfect for a wedding cake. It looks like hundreds of individual mini discs have been added in different directions. You can add ruffles in any colour to match your theme.
Choosing the Perfect Wedding Cake: A Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Piping ruffles from the top down
To pipe ruffles from the top down, start at the top of the cake and slowly rotate it on a turntable while piping the frosting on. Make sure the big part of the tip is pointing down and continue to overlap the layers, slowly going down the cake, so there is a ruffling effect. If you start at the bottom, the ruffle won't flare out. 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. Keeping consistent pressure, start piping ruffles from the top of the cake to the bottom. Create long, curvy waves as well as short ruffles for more interest. Stop the pressure before pulling the piping bag away at the bottom. Repeat this process, continuing around the cake, sometimes following the curves of the previous wave and sometimes mixing it up.
The ruffled effect takes longer but looks pretty when finished and is perfect for a wedding cake. It is a delicate effect and looks like hundreds of individual mini discs have been added in different directions. Ruffles transform a cake and you can add them in any colour to match your theme.
The Taste of Wedding Cake: Flavors and Frostings
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Using a Wilton Rose tip
To create ruffles on a wedding cake using a Wilton Rose tip, start by lightly frosting your cake with a crumb coating. Then, place the cake board (and cake) on top of an upside-down bowl so that it elevates 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. Keeping consistent pressure, start piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top. Create long, curvy waves as well as short ruffles for more interest. Stop applying pressure before pulling the piping bag away at the top. Repeat this process, sometimes following the curves of the previous wave and sometimes mixing it up.
Make sure the big part of the tip is pointing down and continue to overlap the layers, slowly going down the cake, so there is a ruffling effect. If you start at the bottom, the ruffle won't flare out.
Boho Wedding Cake: A Guide to Whimsical Confectionery
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Using fondant
Fondant ruffles can be used to decorate a wedding cake. To make fondant ruffles, you can cut circles, thin the edges, then pinch them to create a ruffle and attach these to the cake. You can also do the same with petals, as well as square pieces of fondant. It is recommended to use a 50/50 mix of fondant and gumpaste to ensure the paste can be rolled thinly. The edges of the ruffles can be thinned with the back of a ball tool, rolling pin, or thick paintbrush.
Fondant ruffles can be applied to a cake with vanilla buttercream underneath. However, it is not recommended to use fondant ruffles on buttercream as it may melt.
Creative Ways to Use Fake Wedding Cakes
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Adding petal ruffles
To add petal ruffles to a wedding cake, you can use buttercream or fondant. If you're using buttercream, start by lightly frosting your cake with a crumb coating, but don't let it dry. Then, use a large Wilton Rose tip to pipe the ruffles on. Start at the top of the cake and slowly rotate it on a turntable while piping the frosting on. Make sure the big part of the tip is pointing down. Continue to overlap the layers, slowly going down the cake, so there is a ruffling effect. If you start at the bottom, the ruffle won't flare out. You can also place the cake 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. Apply consistent pressure and pipe ruffles from the bottom to the top, creating long, curvy waves and short ruffles. Stop the pressure before pulling the piping bag away and repeat until you've gone around the whole cake.
If you're using fondant, you can create a delicate effect that looks like hundreds of individual mini discs have been added in different directions. You can add ruffles in any colour to match your theme. There are also online tutorials and courses available to learn more advanced petal ruffle techniques, such as sugar flower essentials and advanced petal dusting techniques.
Wedding Cake Alternatives: Are They Necessary?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Start by lightly frosting your cake with a crumb coating, but don’t let it dry. 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. Keeping consistent pressure, start piping ruffles from the bottom of the cake to the top.
Use a large Wilton Rose tip to create the ruffled look.
Start at the top of the cake and slowly rotate the cake on a turntable while piping the frosting on. Make sure the big part of the tip is pointing down.
You can learn how to create petal ruffles and sugar flowers by taking online sugar flower classes, workshops and courses.
