Creating Frills For Your Dream Wedding Cake

Fondant frills are a popular choice for wedding cakes, adding a delicate, romantic touch to the overall design. Fondant frills can be created in various styles, from super frilly to elegant circular ruffles, and can be combined with other decorations such as lace and pearl accents for a vintage look. While making fondant frills can be time-consuming, the effect is worth the effort, transforming a simple cake into a stunning centrepiece. In this article, we will explore the different techniques for creating fondant frills, the tools required, and offer step-by-step guidance on how to make frills on a wedding cake.

Using a frill cutter to make fondant frills

Fondant frills are a popular way to decorate wedding cakes, adding a delicate, romantic touch to the overall design. To create these frills, you can use a frill cutter, following the steps outlined below:

Rolling out the Fondant:

Firstly, roll out your fondant into thin strips using a pasta maker or a rolling pin. The fondant needs to be very thin to achieve the desired frilly effect. If you're using a pasta maker, you can adjust it to the thinnest setting to get the right thickness.

Using the Frill Cutter:

Take your frill cutter and gently cut the thin strips of fondant. A frill cutter will give you a consistent and even frilled edge, creating a beautiful lace-like pattern. You can find frill cutters specifically designed for cake decorating online or at specialty baking stores.

Creating the Frills:

After cutting the fondant strips, you can start frilling each piece. Use a ball tool or your fingers to gently ruffle the edges of the fondant. Take your time with this step to ensure neat and even frills. The trick to achieving perfect frills is to work with the cake upside down and then turn it over once the fondant starts to firm up. This will help the frills hold their shape.

Attaching the Frills to the Cake:

Once your frills are ready, it's time to attach them to the cake. Brush a small amount of water or edible glue onto the back of each frill and carefully place them onto the cake. Start at the bottom of the cake and work your way up, slightly overlapping each frill as you go. This will create a seamless and elegant look.

Finalizing the Design:

After attaching all the frills, you can adjust and gently open them out for a fuller effect. Fondant frills can be used to adorn the borders of each layer, creating a stunning and feminine touch. For a cohesive look, consider using fondant frills as a side design element or combining them with lace and pearl accents for a vintage-inspired wedding cake.

Using a pasta maker to roll out fondant

Before you start, ensure your fondant is completely lump-free, as any lumps will show in the finished product. You can then follow these steps:

• Take a small amount of fondant and roll it out with a rolling pin. It doesn't need to be thin, just thin enough to pass through the first setting of your pasta maker.
• Dust both sides of the fondant with a mixture of cornstarch and powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
• Start with the setting below '1' on your pasta maker, which is usually zero.
• Feed the fondant through the pasta maker.
• Adjust the settings to increase the thinness gradually until you reach your desired thickness.

Using a pasta maker is especially useful when creating ruffles or frills on a wedding cake, as all your ruffles will have the same thickness. It's also helpful for rolling out fondant for multiple cupcake toppers, ensuring they are all uniform.

A pasta maker is a versatile tool that can be used for cake decorating and save you time and effort. It's particularly useful for creating thin, uniform sheets of fondant, which can then be used to cover cakes or create decorations such as ruffles or frills.

Using a ball tool to frill fondant

Step 1: Prepare the Fondant

Before you start frilling, roll out your fondant into thin strips using a pasta maker or a rolling pin. The fondant needs to be super thin to get the right effect when frilled.

Step 2: Start Frilling

Using your trusty ball tool, begin frilling each piece of fondant. To get the perfect frill, work with the cake upside down and then turn it over once the fondant starts to firm up.

Step 3: Open the Frills

Once the cake is the right side up, gently open up the frills. This will give them a more voluminous and delicate appearance.

Step 4: Assemble the Cake

If you're making a tiered cake, assemble the layers before adding the fondant frills. This will ensure that the frills are not disturbed during assembly.

Step 5: Add Fondant Frills to the Cake

Carefully attach the frilled fondant pieces to the sides of your cake, pressing gently to secure them in place.

Tips for Using a Ball Tool:

• For the best results, use a set of ball tools with different-sized balls. This will allow you to create a variety of frill effects, from tight and delicate frills to more open and voluminous ones.
• Look for ball tools with silicone non-slip handles, which will give you better control and precision when frilling the fondant.
• Keep your ball tools clean by washing them with water. This will ensure that they remain in good condition and are always ready for use.

Using cutters to add fondant shapes

Materials and Preparation

Firstly, you will need some fondant and a frill cutter. You can buy fondant from stores or make your own marshmallow fondant. If you're making your own, you'll need marshmallows, confectioner's sugar, water, and shortening. You can also add gel food colouring to create your desired shade.

Knead the fondant until it's smooth and roll it out to your desired thickness. If you're using a pasta maker, roll the fondant out in thin strips.

Cutting and Shaping the Fondant Frills

Now it's time to cut out your fondant frills! Use your frill cutter to cut out the frill shapes from the rolled-out fondant. You can also use a ball tool to frill each piece for a more delicate, ruffled effect.

Attaching the Fondant Frills to the Cake

There are several ways to attach fondant decorations to a cake:

• Water: Use a small brush to apply a minimal amount of water to the back of each fondant frill. This method works well for putting fondant on buttercream but can be tricky on fondant as water can drip and run down the cake.
• Tylose "glue": Mix tylose with water, let it sit overnight to form a clear, gelatinous glue. This works well for attaching fondant to fondant.
• Sugar glue: Melt marshmallow fondant with a little water to create a thick "glue".
• Shortening: Rub the entire surface of your cake with shortening and apply the fondant frills. This works well for flat decorations.
• Diluted corn syrup: Mix corn syrup with a bit of water and brush it onto the cake. This works well for attaching fondant to a cake board.
• Melted candy melts: Melt candy melts and use them as a strong "glue" for heavier decorations. They hold very well but can harden quickly and be clumpy.

Final Steps

Once you've attached all your fondant frills, you can gently open them out if needed. If your cake is upside down, turn it over once the fondant starts to become firm.

And that's it! You now have a beautiful frilled wedding cake.

Using fondant frills with lace and pearl accents

Fondant frills are a popular choice for wedding cakes, with their delicate, romantic frills often enhanced with tiny frilled blossoms and ruffled sugar peonies with pearl centres. This contemporary trend combines wonderfully with lace and pearl accents to create a superb vintage style.

To create fondant frills, roll out the fondant with a pasta maker into thin strips before frilling each piece with a ball tool. The fondant must be rolled out very thinly to achieve the right effect. Work with the cake upside down, and once the fondant starts to firm up, turn it over and gently open out the frills.

Fondant frills can be used as a side design or to adorn the borders of a cake for a feminine touch. They can be combined with lace piping and ruffled flowers, such as peonies, for a vintage look. For a unique twist, try an almost peeling effect with gentle ruffle layers in ivory and pearl palettes.

For a lace-inspired design, you can either pipe the fabric with icing or press the pattern onto fondant. You can trim the edges of your cake with lace or go for an all-over design. Lace wedding cakes are a beautiful addition to any wedding but are especially suitable for traditional celebrations with formal dress codes or vintage soirées.

To incorporate pearls, which are a classic symbol of bridal fashion, consider edible sugar pearls or sprinkles, or adorn your cake with metallic and pearl sprinkles. For a vintage vibe, a pearl heart cake topper is a sweet and affordable option.

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