Creating A Quilted Wedding Cake Masterpiece

Creating a quilted wedding cake is an elegant way to add texture and interest to your special day. This guide will show you how to create a quilted design on your wedding cake, a beautiful effect that suits cakes of all colours and styles. The quilting method can be modified to adjust the size of the quilting pattern, and you can further embellish the final results by applying accents to the corners of the diamonds or changing the spacing of the quilting lines.

Using a quilting tool

Step 1: Prepare Your Cake and Fondant

Bake and assemble the layers of your wedding cake. Apply a coat of buttercream frosting to create a base for the fondant. Roll out the fondant to cover the sides of the cake, ensuring it is smooth and even.

Step 2: Mark the Upper Edge

Take a ruler and attach two toothpicks 1 inch apart. Use this tool to mark the upper edge of your cake by poking holes at 1-inch intervals. This will create a uniform guide for your quilting pattern.

Step 3: Create a Template

Make a template from stiff paper or cardboard. The template should be able to bend around the cake while having a firm edge to guide your tools. Cut the template to the height of your cake, with the bottom edge 2 inches away from the edge of the cake. For steeper quilting, make the bottom edge 1 inch in length.

Step 4: Angle the Template

Place your template against the cake, angling it from one of your 1-inch marks at the top down to the base. This will guide the creation of the angled lines that form the quilted pattern.

Step 5: Mark the Angled Lines

Use a quilting tool, such as a cake stitching/quilting tool, the back of a sculpting tool, or even the back of a knife, to mark along the edge of the template. Create angled lines from each of your 1-inch marks, ensuring the tool is firm enough to leave an impression without piercing the fondant.

Step 6: Flip the Template

Once you've made your angled lines all around the cake, flip your template over and begin working in the opposite direction. This will create the crisscross pattern of the quilted design.

Step 7: Embellish (Optional)

At the crossing points of the quilted pattern, you can add embellishments such as little buttons or sugar pearls. You can also leave the quilting pattern as it is for a more subtle effect.

Creating a template

Firstly, you will need to determine the height of your cake. Measure the height of one layer of the cake, from the base to the top edge. This measurement will be used to create a template from stiff paper or cardboard. The template should be a right-angled triangle with a firm edge to guide your tools. The height of the cake will be the length of the triangle's height, and the bottom edge should be 2 inches away from the edge of the paper/cardboard. If you want steeper quilting, you can make the bottom edge 1 inch long.

The triangle template allows you to control the size of the quilting pattern. By adjusting the length of the bottom edge of the triangle, you can make the squares larger or smaller as desired.

Once you have created your triangle template, you will use it to mark the quilting pattern on your cake. Place the template against the cake, aligning one of the 90-degree corners with the top edge of the cake. Use a tool, such as a stitching tool, embosser, or even the back of a knife, to mark along the edge of the template, creating a straight line down the side of the cake. Repeat this process, moving the template over by 1 inch each time, until you have marked lines all around the cake.

Then, flip the triangle template over and begin working in the opposite direction. Place the template against the cake, aligning the other 90-degree corner with the top edge. Again, use your tool of choice to mark along the edge of the template, creating lines in the opposite direction of the first set. This will give you the crisscross pattern of the quilted design.

If you prefer a diamond pattern instead of squares, you can achieve this by placing the ruler in the upper corner of the fondant, angled down to the right or left. Pull a line with your stitching tool, then measure 1 inch from this line and draw a second parallel line. Repeat this process, creating a series of parallel lines. Then, from the opposite upper corner, pull lines in the opposite direction to create the diamond pattern.

Your template is now ready to be used as a guide for marking the quilting pattern on your cake.

Applying fondant

Prepare the Fondant:

Before you begin, it's important to have your fondant ready. Roll out a rectangle of fondant that will cover the sides of the cake. The measurement for this rectangle is the circumference of the cake (calculated by multiplying the size of the cake layer by 3.14) by the height of the cake. This will ensure you have enough fondant to cover the entire side of the cake seamlessly.

Creating the Quilted Pattern:

Now, it's time to create the quilted pattern on the fondant. Here are the steps to follow:

• Place a ruler in the upper left corner of the fondant, angled down to the right.
• Use a cake stitching tool or a similar implement to emboss a line in the fondant by holding it against the ruler and pulling it straight down.
• Measure 1 inch from this line and draw a second line parallel to the first one.
• Repeat the process until you have created parallel lines across the entire rectangle of fondant.
• Now, place the ruler in the opposite upper corner and pull a line in the opposite direction to create a diamond pattern.
• Continue this process to create a crisscross pattern across the entire rectangle.

Applying the Fondant to the Cake:

Once you have created the quilted pattern on the fondant, it's time to apply it to the cake:

• Carefully transfer the fondant rectangle to the sides of the cake, ensuring that you don't smooth out the quilting design.
• Pinch and smooth the top edge of the fondant closed, connecting it with the layer of fondant covering the top of the cake.
• If any of the quilting lines have faded during the application process, use the stitching tool to retrace and redefine them.

Embellishments and Accents:

You can further enhance the quilted design by adding embellishments or accents:

• Alternate accents of pearls and flowers at the corners of the diamonds.
• Use the accents as a way to introduce colour to the cake, such as coloured sugar pearls.
• Space the quilting lines differently for each layer to create a unique pattern on each tier.
• Combine quilting with other textures such as ruffles, sequins, or shimmer for added glamour.

Remember, the key to achieving a beautiful quilted fondant cake is precision in creating the pattern and careful application to the cake. Take your time, and don't be afraid to retrace any lines that may fade during the process.

Adding embellishments

Once you have created the quilted pattern on your cake, you can leave it as it is or add some embellishments to it. Here are some ideas for embellishments:

• You can add a pearl or dragee in the centre of each diamond pattern. You can choose to add touches of colour to the sugar pearls or opt for a metallic finish to catch the light.
• You can alternate accents of pearls and flowers on the corners of the diamonds.
• You can use the accents on the diamonds as a way to introduce colour to the cake.
• You can cover the quilted layer in lustre dust for a metallic shine that makes it stand out.
• You can add some flowers or colourful ribbons to the quilted pattern.
• For added glamour, you can mix the quilted pattern with other textures such as sequins, shimmer or ruffles.
• You can make little buttons at each crossing point of the quilted pattern.

Using buttercream frosting

To make a quilted wedding cake using buttercream frosting, you'll need to start with a crusting buttercream. This type of frosting develops a light, thin "crust" when left out at room temperature. A good recipe to follow is Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream, but you can also use Classic Vanilla Buttercream.

Once you've made your buttercream, you'll need to frost your cake and let it set. Allow approximately 20-30 minutes for the final coat of smoothed frosting to crust before creating your impressions. If it's humid, this may take a bit longer.

To create the quilted effect, you'll need a clear or plastic diamond impression mat. Place it on top of your frosted cake and press down gently to create the quilted pattern. You can find these mats on Amazon or most cake decorating websites.

If you want to add some extra decoration to your quilted wedding cake, you can use piping tips to create borders or add flowers, dragees, or other decorations. You can also experiment with different colours of buttercream or add flavour extracts like almond, lemon, or orange to your frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened (but not melted)
• 3-4 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar, sifted
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Up to 4 tablespoons heavy cream, half-and-half, or milk (heavy cream is best)

Instructions:

• Beat the softened butter for a minute with a mixer using the paddle attachment on medium speed.
• Turn off the mixer and add 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. The mixture will look clumpy – don't worry!
• Increase mixer speed to medium and add the vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of cream. Beat for 2-3 minutes until it is whipped, fluffy, and creamy in appearance.
• If your frosting needs a stiffer consistency, add the remaining sugar. If it needs to be thinned out, add the remaining cream 1 tablespoon at a time.

Frequently asked questions