Creating Ruffles On Wedding Cakes: A Step-By-Step Guide

Adding ruffles to a wedding cake is a great way to create a glamorous and elegant look. Ruffles can be time-consuming to create, but they add a delicate, romantic texture that's perfect for a wedding. There are several ways to create ruffles, including using fondant shapes or strips, and they can be coloured to match any theme. In this paragraph, we will explore the different techniques for achieving this stunning effect and offer tips for a successful ruffle application.

Using fondant to create ruffles

Prepare Your Fondant:

Roll the fondant out into a thin, long strip. The ideal thickness will depend on the desired look, but generally, the thinner the fondant, the more delicate the ruffles will appear. If you want to create uniform strips, use a ribbon cutter or a pizza/pastry wheel. For this technique, you don't need long strips that go all the way around the cake, as shorter strips are easier to handle and the seams can be easily hidden.

Dust and Shape the Fondant:

Dust your work surface with corn starch to prevent the fondant from sticking. Take one strip of fondant and gently stretch it to create a scalloped edge along the entire length. You can use a frill tool, a ball tool, or even your fingers to create this effect. If you want more defined ruffles, use a ball tool to apply pressure to one edge of the strip, rolling and pulling away to thin and curl the fondant. Work quickly along the length of the strip.

Attach the Ruffles to the Cake:

Start at the top of the cake and apply sugar glue or another adhesive (such as gum glue, piping gel, or royal icing) in small sections. Pick up your ruffled fondant strip and carefully attach it to the cake, leaving the ruffled edge free. Press the flat part of the strip firmly onto the cake, adding tiny pleats for more dimension if desired. Continue adding strips around the cake, overlapping them slightly to create a seamless look.

Tips and Tricks:

If your ruffles aren't holding their shape, you can use toothpicks to hold them in place until they dry. You can also add a small amount of tylose powder or gum paste to your fondant to make it more stiff and easier to work with. When transporting a ruffled wedding cake, it's best to use heavy-duty plastic bins and a rubber mat to prevent slipping.

Creating fondant ruffles for a wedding cake requires some time and patience, but the final result is well worth the effort. With this technique, you can add texture and visual interest to your cake, making it a show-stopping centerpiece for any wedding celebration.

Layered, bunched, wave, or floral ruffles

Ruffles are an excellent way to add texture, volume, and character to a wedding cake. They create a delicate, romantic, and elegant look, making them a popular choice for luxury weddings. While ruffles can be coloured to match any theme, they are often left white for a classic aesthetic.

Layered Ruffles

To create a layered ruffle effect, fondant or buttercream ruffles are added in tiers, with each layer of ruffles getting progressively wider towards the bottom of the cake. This style works well on a multi-tiered cake, adding a unique texture and visual interest.

Bunched Ruffles

Bunched ruffles are created by gathering and bunching fondant or buttercream ruffles together, forming elegant pleats. This style can be placed in a single row or in multiple layers for added texture and dimension. Bunched ruffles can be more intricate and detailed, requiring careful placement and arrangement of each ruffle.

Wave Ruffles

Wave ruffles bring movement and fluidity to the cake design. To achieve this style, fondant or buttercream ruffles are shaped into graceful curves, resembling waves. This design can be placed horizontally or vertically on the cake, creating a dynamic and captivating effect.

Floral Ruffles

Floral ruffles combine the delicate texture of ruffles with floral designs. Fondant or gum paste ruffles are shaped to resemble petals or blossoms, adding a romantic and natural element to the cake. This style can be enhanced by incorporating sugar flowers, leaves, or other botanical elements for a cohesive and enchanting design.

Remember, ruffles should generally be reserved for the bottom tier of a wedding cake to maintain proportion. Creating ruffles is a labour of love, but the final result is a glamorous and elegant cake that will be a stunning centrepiece at any wedding.

Ruffles made with circle, square, or petal cutters

Adding ruffles to a wedding cake gives it a pretty and delicate look. Using circle, square, or petal cutters, you can create different styles of ruffles, from clusters of ruffles to ruffles that run around the cake.

Circle Cutter

The circle cutter is a classic choice for creating ruffles. To achieve this look, roll out your fondant thinly (around 1mm) and use a circle cutter to cut out shapes. Then, fold the circles to create an 'S' shape, which will give movement to the ruffles. You will need around 350 separate shapes, which you can then push onto the side of the cake. This technique is perfect for a delicate and soft appearance, such as for a ballet-themed cake.

Square Cutter

The square cutter gives a unique and "grown-up" ruffle look. As with the circle cutter, roll out your fondant thinly and cut out square shapes. Fold the squares to create points that will poke out from the side of the cake. Before adding the ruffles to the cake, let them partially dry for a few minutes to maintain their shape. This method is more time-consuming than the circle cutter technique, but it gives a beautiful, delicate finish that looks perfect for a wedding cake.

Petal Cutter

Petal ruffles are a popular choice for wedding cakes, adding a pretty and delicate texture. To create this look, roll out white flower paste and cut out hydrangea shapes using a hydrangea cutter. Place the shapes onto a foam pad and use a ball tool to thin and frill the edges of each petal. Layer two shapes on top of each other and scrunch them together to form a cluster of petals. Apply edible glue to the bottom of each cluster and attach them to the cake, starting from the bottom and working upwards. You can also create an ombre effect by gradually lightening the colour of the petals as you work upwards.

Ruffles on a buttercream crumb coat

Ruffles are a luxurious and elegant addition to any wedding cake. They add volume, character and a delicate, romantic look to the cake. When adding ruffles to a buttercream crumb coat, there are a few different techniques you can use.

One method is to use a pastry bag with a rose tip and a coupler. Fill the bag with buttercream frosting and place the thicker end of the tip against the cake at a slight angle, with the opening downward. Move the tip back and forth slightly to create the ruffle effect. This technique takes practice, and it can be helpful to mark the cake at intervals before piping. A turntable can also be useful when creating ruffles, as it allows you to slowly turn the cake while piping, ensuring an even finish.

Another technique for creating ruffles involves using fondant. You can cut out shapes, such as circles, squares or petals, and then fold them into ruffles before attaching them to the cake. This method can be time-consuming, as you need to roll out and cut the fondant shapes, but it creates a delicate and pretty effect. The thinner you can roll the fondant, the more elegant the ruffles will appear. It's important to note that fondant ruffles should only be used on the bottom tier of a wedding cake, as adding additional fondant to create the texture makes the tier wider, which can look out of proportion.

Whether you choose buttercream or fondant ruffles, both techniques will add a unique and captivating touch to your wedding cake.

Heart-shaped ruffles

Preparation:

Firstly, you will need to prepare your cake by applying a crumb coat of buttercream. This will create a smooth surface for the ruffles to adhere to. You can then choose to cover the cake with a base layer of fondant, although this is not necessary if your ruffles will be dense enough.

Creating the Heart-Shaped Ruffles:

To create the heart-shaped ruffles, roll out your fondant or flower paste thinly, aiming for around 1mm in thickness. Use a heart-shaped cutter to cut out uniform heart shapes. You will need approximately 350 shapes for this technique.

Next, place each heart shape onto a foam pad and use a ball tool to thin and frill the edges, creating a delicate appearance. Gently fold each heart shape, creating an 'S' shape to form the ruffle. You can also try pinching the fondant to create a more defined ruffle.

Applying the Ruffles:

Starting from the bottom of the cake and working upwards, apply a small amount of edible glue to the back of each heart ruffle and attach it to the cake. Ensure that the ruffles overlap slightly, with about half of each ruffle attached to the cake and the other half curling outwards. Fill any gaps by cutting smaller heart shapes and attaching them where needed.

Final Touches:

Once all the ruffles are in place, make any necessary adjustments to ensure a seamless finish. You can add extra decorations, such as sugar flowers, to enhance the overall design.

Creating heart-shaped ruffles can be a time-consuming process, but the delicate and romantic effect it achieves is well worth the effort. With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can add a unique and elegant touch to your wedding cake.

Frequently asked questions