Summer 2013 - Edible Artists Network Magazine by Edible Artists Network, LLC.

SUMMER 2013

M A G A Z I N E

THE Information Source for Home Bakers & Sugar Artists

The Cake Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Celebrity Comedy Duo

Meet the delightful, talented team at Norm & Zane The Sweet Life LLC

A Pinwheel How-To

by James Rosselle Make the Perfect Summer Adornment!

How Safe is It?

What Every Edible Artist Should Know

Walk through time with Gelatin! with Diane Simmons

W W W. E D I B L E A RT I ST S N E T WO R K . C O M

Table of Contents FEATURES

14 The Cake World’s Celebrity Comedy Duo by Michelle Howard

Meet the delightful, talented team at Norm & Zane The Sweet Life LLC

26 Wedding Cake Contracts 101 by Jay Qualls

Learn the important role contracts play in your business

34 Food Safety Forum

Industry experts discuss concerns and strategies for keeping your creations safe to eat

44 Wedding Cakes Will Tell Sugar Tales by Kerry Vincent History of the sugar arts show

47 3D Sugar Art by Dawn Daniels

See how The Sugar Lab is transforming regular sugar into a dimensional, structural medium

51 Walk through time with Gelatin Art by Diane Simmons

Take a walk through time as Diane shares methods from old school to modern school and beyond

92 Cake For the Cure by Dawn Daniels

How Chef Dana Herbert is Looking to Break a Record and Help Beat Cancer

DEPARTMENTS (in every issue) 4 From the Director 6 Cakegirls – Mary & Brenda Maher 65 Tax Tips 72 Edible Art of the Day 74 Edible Artist on the Rise 82 ICES Product Showcase 87 Facebook Tips from Ken

TUTORIALS 6 Teapot Cake - by Mary & Brenda Maher - Cakegirls

On The Cover

This stunning bold cake was created by Norm & Zane, and inspired by Charra Jarosz, head decorating consultant with Lucks®. It was made using Lucks printed sheets and a splash of color.

10 A Pinwheel How-To - by James Roselle 22 Airbrush Basics – by Chef Mike E. Terry—CMSA 29 Show Pieces on the Fly – by Stéphane Tréand & Michael Joy 39 Miniature Sugar Portraits - by Rosemary Galpin 57 Gelatin Balloon Dog – by Tami Utley 67 Lily Sugar Flower – by James Roselle 78 Step-by-Step Figurines for a Cute Back-to-School Topper - by Ruth Ricky 88 Realistic Gumpaste Faces – by Lesi Johns

Cover Background © Konstiantyn - Fotolia.com

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From the Director School’s Out for Summer! www.edibleartistsnetwork.com Editorial

Joanne Prainito Creative Director joanne@edibleartistsnetwork.com Cheryl Naughton Publisher cheryl@edibleartistsnetwork.com Michelle Burden Editor info@edibleartistsnetwork.com Mary & Brenda Maher – Cakegirls Contributors Contributors Dawn Daniels Lesi Johns Jennifer Luce Ruth Rickey Diane Simmons Tami Utley Jay Qualls

Rosemary Galpin Ken Fehner Gracie Prainito James Rosselle Mike Terry Kerry Vincent

Editorial Ofﬁces P.O. Box 870614 Stone Mountain, GA 30087 Advertising Cheryl Naughton 404/838-8375 cheryl@edibleartistsnetwork.com Production Samantha Laskowski - Graphic Designer sam@samldesign.com Subscription Services

Welcome to the Summer edition of Edible Artists Network magazine! This issue is packed with great tutorials from some of my favorite artists and a behind-the-scenes interview with Norman Davis and Zane Beg of “The Sweet Life.” I know I’ve said it before, but I love my job! (We’ll, it’s not really a job when you truly love what you do!) We’re excited to announce that Edible Artists Network magazine is now being sold in many cake and confection shops across the United States, including Global Sugar Art, Cake Connection, Caljava, Cake Studio, Simi Cakes & Confections, Calico Cake Shop, Just Think Cake, United Bakers Supply, and All Things Cake, just to name a few. Visit our website to ﬁnd a store near you: http://www. edibleartistsnetwork.com/retailers. We thank all of our retailers for their continued support, and I personally thank Cheryl (my sister and business partner) for taking us to this next level. Over the next few months we’ll be traveling to various shows, so keep an eye out for us at ICES and drop by our booth, where we’ll host a variety of rafﬂes throughout the show. Then come see us at the Chicago Fine Chocolate show for some great sugar displays, and then in Schaumburg for the America’s Baking and Sweet Show. We’re honored to announce that Simi Cakes & Confections, along with Queen of Hearts Cakes, will be coming to Chicago this fall to teach some amazing classes on behalf of Edible Artists Network. Stay tuned for more details. Please enjoy this issue, and have a wonderful summer.

Joanne

To subscribe to the magazine please visit http://www.edibleartistsnetwork.com/ magazine/subscribe. Edible Artists Network Magazine is published 4 times per year by Edible Artists Network, LLC., P. O. Box 870614, Stone Mountain, GA, 30087. Copyright 2013 by Edible Artists Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. For reprints of any article please contact the editor.

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com Background Image © viperagp - Fotolia.com

Ros Schramm’s Baby Sculptures... Exclusively by Clearview Molds

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Teapot e k a C

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

da Mahe n re B & ry a M by Cakegirls

Cakegirls is an online D.I.Y. cake supply where you can ﬁnd easy, modern how-to’s, products and inspiration to “make the cake and throw the party.” All the products/instructions seen in the project can be found at http://thecakegirls.com/projects.html

You Will Need: Cake Baked in a Ball Pan Swiss Meringue Buttercream 10” Round Silver Cake Drum 3” Round Cardboard Circle 4” Diameter x 1” Thick Round Styrofoam Circle 1 1/2 lb. Light Aqua Fondant 4 oz. Light Aqua Gumpaste 2 oz. Pink Gumpaste 2 oz. Green Gumpaste 4 oz. White Gumpaste

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5 Petal Rose Cutter Set Rose Leaf Cutter Set Toothpicks Bamboo Skewer Craft Knife Paintbrushes 1/4 Cup Candy Coating Discs Royal Icing Hot Glue Gun Sheet Tray with Parchment Pencil

2 DAYS AHEAD

Step One: Prepare Board

Center the styrofoam circle in the middle of the silver drum and glue into place. Then glue the 3” round cardboard centered on top.

2 DAYS AHEAD

Next, create the tea pot base by using a cake knife to shave and angle the styrofoam, starting at the cardboad circle and ending at the bottom of the stryrofoam circle. Set this aside.

Step Two: Prepare Accent Decorations

On a 1/4 sheet tray covered with parchment, trace a 6” circle in pencil. (This will be the rough size of the iced cake, so it will give you a layout for making the spout and handle)

Next, dip two toothpicks in water and insert them halfway into the ends of the handle. Make sure that both toothpicks are perfectly parallel. Background © naddya - Fotolia.com

Divide the aqua gumpaste into 4 equal parts. Use 1/4 of the paste to create the handle. Start by rolling it into a thin log and then use your ﬁnger to ﬂatten both ends.

Next, knead 2 of the gumpaste portions together to create the spout. Start by forming a cone and then taper the cone and ﬂatten it on both ends.

5 Tap powdered sugar on the edges of the traced circle and then place the handle on the tray. Create your desired handle shape and then line the edges up with the curve of the circle. This will ensure that the handle attaches easily to the curved edge of the cake.

8 Curve the gumpaste to resemble a spout and then place on the other side of the traced circle to dry. Once again, make sure that the end that will be attached to the cake is curved to match the curve of the circle so that the spout matches up when attached to the cake.

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Roll the remaining portion of aqua gumpaste into a thin layer. Cut out a 3 1/2” circle using a craft knife and place on the tray to dry. Set aside the entire tray to dry for the next two days.

To make the simple roses: Roll some pink gumpaste very thinly on a lightly powdered surface and use the 5 petal cutter to cut out a blossom. Start by intertwining the 1st and 3rd petals to create a bud. Then wrap the 2nd petal around the bud. Repeat with the remaining petals until you have a simple bud. (You may need a dab of water to get the petals to stick if your gumpaste is dry). Create mutiple roses for the tea pot of different sizes using the various 5 petal cutters. Make one rose with more petals for the top of the pot by attaching extra petals to the outside. Set these on the same tray to dry.

Step Three: Ice & Cover the Cake in Fondant

Remove the cakes from the fridge and trim the top of each ball cake to create a 2 1/2” diameter ﬂat spot.

Smear some icing on the stryofoam base and place 1/2 ball on top. Smear icing between and place the other 1/2 ball on top.

On a surface covered lightly with powdered sugar, roll the fondant 1/8” thick. Drape over the cake and immediately gather the excess fondant on opposite sides of the cake, while simultaneously rubbing the fondant onto the ball to adhere.

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Use scissors to trim the excess fondant down to 1” or so. Then use a paintbrush dipped in water to lightly brush the inside of the seam. Close the fondant back together and gently pinch the excess with your ﬁngers to adhere together.

DAY OF

13 Ice the cake and refrigerate until the icing is ﬁrm, about 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and with clean hands, lightly rub the exterior of the fondant to remove any bumps in the icing. This will create a smooth surface for fondant rolling.

Retrim the excess closer to the edge of the cake and then smooth the seam with your ﬁnger to create a ﬁnished look.

Use water to adhere strips of colored gumpaste to the board if desired, trimming around the tea pot as necessary.

To attach the spout: Lift the spout and position it against the cake to ﬁgure out what angle the skewer should go in at, in order to both pierce the styrofoam and also hold the spout in place. Trim the skewer if necessary and then tap through the cake and into the styrofoam base.

Melt a handful of candy coating discs in the microwave for 30 seconds and stir until completely melted. Using a dry paintbrush, dab some melted coating on the bottom of the spout and pierce with the skewer while adhering to the edge of the cake. Hold in place for a few seconds for the coating to dry.

Repeat process with the handle.

Attach roses at the end of the vines with some melted candy coating.

Use a little coating to adhere the aqua disc to the top of the pot. Next, use some excess aqua fondant to make a bulbous lid in whatever design you like and attach with more coating. Attach the large rose to the top to ﬁnish.

Roll green gumpaste into various thin ropes and attach them to the front of the tea pot using a very light coating of water to adhere.

Roll some green gumpaste thinly and cut out leaves using the leaf cutter. Attach them using a touch of water.

Pipe Royal Icing dots to ﬁll in blank space around the ﬂowers and at the edge of the lid and the base.

All the products/instructions seen in the project can be found at http://thecakegirls.com/projects.html www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 9

Pinwheels

A tutorial by James Rosselle

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Chef James Rosselle is a graduate of the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena and is passionate about where life has taken him. He has won all four of the Food Network Challenges in which he has competed. In 2011, James was named to the “Top Ten Cake Artists” by Desert Professional Magazine. Please visit James at www.ellecakes.com.

Step 1 To start, you will need gum paste, rolling pin, and a square cutter.

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com Background Image © boians - Fotolia.com

Step 2

Step 3

Roll out gum paste. Cut out a square piece. Set aside. Cut a piece of an edible image the same size as the square.

Spread a small amount of shortening onto the square piece of gum paste.

Step 4

Step 5

Carefully lay the edible image over the square piece of gum paste. Make sure to smooth out any rufďŹ&#x201A;es if you have any.

Step 6

Using a pairing knife, cut notches at all four corners. Make sure to cut through the gum paste and the edible image.

Step 8

The square should still be intact.

Step 7

Turn the square print side facing down. Brush a small amount of gum glue or water at the corners of the square.

Bring in the corners, alternating as you bring them in towards the center. Press down to secure.

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Step 9

Pipe a dot of royal icing in the center of the pinwheel.

Step 11

You can add as many dragĂŠes as you wish. There are seven here but I encourage you to be creative and have fun during the process.

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Step 10

Place dragĂŠes in the center of the pinwheel with tweezers.

Step 12

Here, you can see three variations of pinwheels.

Step 1

Pour a small amount of dragées into a plastic container. Add one drop of red food coloring.

Step 3

Pour about a tablespoon of rainbow disco over the colored dragées.

Note:

Dragées can be custom colored. Experiment and have fun creating the perfect dragées for your pinwheel projects!

Dragées Step 2 Fit the lid onto the plastic container. Make sure the lid is on tightly. Shake the dragées around, making sure they are completely coated.

Step 4

Place the lid on the container and shake the dragées to coat.

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Enjoying time with Norm and Zane “The cake that won on a wedding episode on TLC is one I’ll always remember,” says Zane. “It was a white chocolate curl cake with edible ﬂowers and stood almost 6 ½ feet tall. We both designed it on paper, but it turned out even better than we imagined.”

LLC hrough the years, the entertainment world has had a number of great comedic duos. There were Laurel and Hardy, Burns and Allen, Lucy and Ricky, Fred and Barney, and Oscar and Felix, just to name a few. But did you know that the cake world also has its own very funny pair? Norman R. Davis and Zane Beg of Norm & Zane The Sweet Life LLC are the amazingly talented duo that have appeared on 14 episodes of Food Network Challenge and four episodes of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off. They’re known for their gorgeous white chocolate curl cakes, their incredible, edible sculptured creations and shoe cakes so stunning Carrie Bradshaw would want to wear them.

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What some might not realize, however, is that in addition to being extraordinarily talented and infinitely creative, these two are as sharp-witted and likable as a Hollywood comedy twosome. They constantly poke fun at one another, roll their eyes as the other is talking and bicker about the facts when telling a story. But behind all the subtle jabs and playful teasing lies tremendous respect for one another and a very real friendship that goes far beyond their successful working relationship. “Zane and I fight like a married couple,” jokes Norm. “In fact, we argue more than Zane does with his wife.” Norm and Zane met nearly 25 years ago when Norm worked as a property manager and Zane, newly

immigrated to the United States from Pakistan, was looking for a townhome to rent with his brother. He rented a unit in a complex Norm managed, and the two became fast friends. “You know when you’re new to America and you only have your family, you can only love them so much,” Norm explains. “That’s how we started hanging out together.” In addition to being a property manager, Norm had a home baking business, creating special occasion cakes for people. A creative spirit at heart, he had been introduced to cake decorating at the age of 14 when he went to his aunt’s home to babysit. “She was decorating a cake and putting her makeup on and yelling at the kids all at the same time, and she put me in front of the cake and said, ‘Here, you do this,’” he recalls. Norm was comfortable with the challenge, and intrigued. “I’d done a lot of painting in school, and I looked at working on cakes as another form of artistic expression,” he says. The seed was planted, and throughout high school and beyond, he created cakes not only for friends and family, but for clients as well. “It was just something I did for fun and extra spending money,” he comments. It was Zane who encouraged him to make it a career.

“It was originally Norm’s idea, but he was struggling with creating those curls, and I made it easy.” – Zane Beg When Zane met Norm more than two decades ago, cake decorating as a career choice had never even entered his mind. Growing up in Pakistan, he had always been creative, enjoying drawing and sculpting with clay. But he was also very technologically-minded, and eventually earned bachelor’s degrees in computer science and electrical engineering, as well as diplomas in civil engineering and architecture. He learned about the art of cake decorating simply by spending time with his friend Norm. “Zane would come to my house and hang out with me while I worked on cakes for my clients,” recalls Norm. “He had told me I should open my own bakery, but I’d said no. Then, when I lost my job as a property manager in 1993, he really pushed me into it.” “I thought he had the talent for it,” Zane says. Eventually, Zane wore his friend down and that year, The Sweet Life opened for business. Though Zane says he had “no talent for cake” at the time, it was only a matter of months before his talent was discovered. “The chocolate curl cake was the first cake that I created,” he states, until corrected by Norm. “Okay,” he clarifies, “it was originally Norm’s idea, but he was struggling with creating those curls, and I made it easy.” That cake, he adds, is now their signature cake. While Zane’s skills were apparent by early 1994, The Sweet Life remained a part time endeavor for him for many years. “I was – and still am – a real estate broker,” he explains. “When we first started out, that was my job Monday through Friday. I would come and work with Norm in the evenings on the really challenging cakes. That’s what I like – the challenge.” He credits fondant with getting him more heavily involved in the business.

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“When fondant came into the market in the United States, I started playing around with it and realized it was like sculpting,” he remembers. “It worked like clay for me, so I started making things out of it. I thought it was fun, and kept doing more and more of it.” Zane’s outstanding sculpture work, combined with Norm’s beautiful cake designs, delighted their customers and attracted media attention. Through the years, the two have been featured not only on Food Network and TLC, but also on Oprah Winfrey’s show, news programs and a live one-hour show in Dubai. Their work has been seen in multiple publications including “People” magazine, and they’ve been commissioned to create cakes for President Clinton, Patti Labelle, Rosie O’Donnell, T. Boone Pickens and other public figures. While Zane still works as a real estate broker, the cake business, he says, is now “more like full time work,” although Norm might disagree. “I’m the one answering the phone, taking orders, baking the cakes, dealing with customers, handling appointments, things of that nature,” he says. “Then Zane comes down in the evening, works on a new project, makes a mess, and I’m left cleaning up after him.” When Zane mutters something inaudible, Norm explains, “He just said that I do what I’m good at. Apparently, I’m good at mopping floors and wiping down countertops.” They both, of course, know the truth – they are an excellent pairing of talents. “When the Food Network came to me to do that first challenge in 2005, there was no question about it that I wanted Zane to go with me,” says Norm. “We decided then and there to brand ourselves as a team, and we’ve continued to do so. Six months ago, we officially changed our name to Norm & Zane The Sweet Life LLC.” Though they work as a team, each has received significant individual honors. Norm is an ICES Hall of Fame inductee. “I’m most proud of that because it was

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my peers voting,” he comments. He also is a Certified Master Sugar Artist. “That was a hard test, so I’m proud that I passed,” he says, “even if it was just barely!” Zane was picked by Dessert Professional as one of the Top 10 Cake Artists of North America in 2013. “Zane is pretty proud of that too and he should be, but let’s remember that I had that title first in 2010,” Norm jokes. The two banter briefly before Norm takes a moment to speak seriously about his friend and business partner. “Part of the reason why I have more titles is simply that I’ve been doing this longer,” he says. “But the other thing is that I have the big mouth. Zane isn’t out there like I am, trying to be noticed. The same is true for the shows we’ve been on. The only reason I was the lead on all but one of those challenges is because I’m the mouth. It certainly wasn’t because he isn’t every bit as talented, and I am so thankful that he doesn’t get mad when I get credit for work he has created.” Some of Zane’s creations, in fact, are among the pair’s most popular. He designs all of the company’s gorgeous jewelry and high heeled shoes. His natural curiosity and mind for engineering and architecture drive him to continuously develop new techniques and styles for their cakes. “I look at things and think, ‘Would it be possible to do this in a cake?’” he says. “I look at it as a challenge, and 90 percent of the time, it works. With the shoes, I look at different kinds of shoes and the way they’re put together, and then I apply that to the cake techniques.”

“The shoes Zane does are a perfect size six and don’t look like they were made for Herman Munster,” Norm comments. Instead, they’re sleek and stylish, with detailing so incredible, it’s nearly impossible to believe they’re made with Choco-Pan® gumpaste instead of hand stitched leather and ruffled fabrics. The jewelry pieces he makes are mostly from isomalt or sugar. Some are a combination of gumpaste and isomalt. He’s also developing a class on creating jewelry only from gumpaste. Teaching, for Norm and Zane, is one of their greatest joys and a primary focus of their business. “We travel and teach a lot,” says Norm. “Some of our trips are even overseas. We like to be with the students, and I believe we’re good teachers. I feel like we give a lot in our classes at a reasonable price.” Working as a team helps with the teaching, because one of them can lead the class while the other walks around, assisting individual students. “We’re very hands-on, and we never leave anyone behind,” comments Norm. The strategy works well, as evidenced by the number of happy students who send emails to Norm and Zane after class, with project photos demonstrating what they’ve learned. “It’s wonderful,” Norm says. “Teaching is definitely one of the most gratifying things about my career right now.” Another thing that is gratifying is the fact that companies are now looking to collaborate with Norm and Zane on product development. “We don’t take anything for granted,” says Norm. “We’re very happy with everything that God has given us in the cake world, but our biggest accomplishment so far has been developing products with the Lucks® company, Choco-Pan®, and Clearview Molds®.” Together with the team at Lucks®, Norm and Zane have developed rolling pins and edible papers that make achieving beautiful results on cakes quicker and easier. Simplifying the design process for cake artists is one of their primary objectives. “Zane and I try to teach this in our classes,” says Norm. “We teach very simple techniques so you can create a

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“Teaching is deﬁnitely one of the most gratifying things about my career right now.” – Norman Davis beautifusl cake without spending hours and hours of your time.” Cake artists, he says, don’t typically get paid what they deserve. “The customer isn’t concerned if you spent a half hour on a cake or 10 hours on a cake – they just want a beautiful cake, and they know what they’re willing to spend on it. It’s up to us to decide how many hours we want to spend making it. And the fact is, you can cut your time in half by using an edible paper on fondant sheets or gumpaste, along with a few simple flowers.” Even the shoes Zane creates can be made using edible papers. “All people need to do is cut them and apply them to the fondant or gumpaste,” Zane explains. “It saves a lot of time, because then there is no need to make your own designs on the shoe or do any hand painting.” While Norm stresses that these techniques aren’t for competition cakes, they can be extremely beneficial in achieving a good work/life balance. “Eventually, we cake artists have to wake up and ask ourselves, ‘What is the quality of our lives?’ Is the quality of our lives spending time with loved ones and running to the movies or going for a walk or whatever? Or do we want to

Stop by the Lucks booth (421 and 520) at ICES!

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spend so many hours in our kitchens – whether it’s in a home or at a bakery – and not make any money on our cakes?” Since he advises new cake artists to keep their prices within 25 to 35 cents of their competition, it’s important to look for time saving techniques that yield beautiful results. “Anyone in the cake world needs to come up with how much they’re worth an hour,” he says. “If they’re only making cakes part time and they also work as a secretary making $17 an hour, why should they not get $17 an hour making cakes?” Artists spending more time on their cakes than what they’re able to charge for them will eventually burn out, he warns. That’s why products and techniques that save the artist time are “We’re very happy so critical. with everything that Norm and God has given us in Zane also the cake world, but our are working biggest accomplishment with other teachers so far has been to develop developing products industry with the Lucks® company, s t a n d a r d s they hope Choco-Pan®, and will serve all Clearview Molds®. serious cake artists. “We have – Norman Davis to realize that there are only a few people who can do our job and can do it well,” Norm says. “We shouldn’t have to work our butts off to make $25. If we as an industry could get on the same page so that we’re delivering similar information and guidelines to our customers, it would benefit us all. “For example, Zane and I will do a kitchen cake only if a wedding guest count is 200 or larger,” he continues. “We’ll do a two-tiered cake for 50 guests or more. These are the kinds of standards we’re talking about. If a customer calls three different bakeries and gets the same basic information, it helps us all. This isn’t about price

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fixing or anything of that nature – it’s about providing the customer with standard information that will, in turn, help give us cake artists a better quality of life.” Of course, he adds, “There will always be those who will undercut everybody else but eventually, they burn themselves out. Don’t worry about price matching them – know what you’re worth and stick to your guns. Don’t lower your prices, and don’t give away your cakes. And don’t listen to that bride who says, ‘I’m going to have seven bridesmaids and they’re all going to be getting married within two years.’ That’s fine – if you do a great job, they’ll come to you in two years. Don’t cut that bride a special deal simply because she says she’ll bring you business in the future.” Norm’s other advice for new cake artists? “Pick maybe three charities you will do events for, and make Icing Smiles one of them!” Norm’s words of wisdom have been earned through

trial and error. “In the beginning, I thought I had to do every order that came in, whether I made 25 cents on it or not,” he says. “At that time, I never really did a breakdown of how much I had to make to account for my time and the cost of my supplies and so forth. But now at my age, I think it’s okay to lose an order. I don’t want to be chained to the kitchen and decorating a cake 24 hours to make 25 dollars. I’d rather spend time with Zane’s children, Malayka and Haaniah, or just relax or do something else I enjoy, and it took me quite a few years to realize that it’s okay to stick to my guns and say, ‘No, this is what I’m worth.’” Though hard work, talent and the media have brought Norm and Zane fame, they haven’t raised their prices because of it. “To be honest, the fame has hurt in terms of bringing us more clients because people automatically assume that we’re going to be really expensive and they don’t even check our prices,” says Norm. “In fact, our prices are not expensive at all for our area. You can get an 8-inch birthday cake from us for $32.25 and tax.” Norm isn’t complaining, though. “What fame has done for us is it has opened doors that we would have never been able to open on our own. We’ve been invited to shows, met a lot of great people, been asked to do demos for companies and have been able to work with companies on new product development. It’s exciting, and we’re extremely grateful.” So what’s on the horizon for Norm & Zane? “We’re working with Choco-Pan® on a line of rolling pins, stencils and some other products, along with a new video series,” says Norm. “We’re also working with

“When I was picked by Dessert Professional in 2010, I honestly didn’t feel worthy of it . . . But when Zane was picked this year, I totally agreed with it.” – Norman Davis Clearview Molds® on a line of silicone molds, and with the Lucks® company on a new line of edible products. We have some other things in the works right now too, but unfortunately we can’t talk about them yet.” “The Lucks® Company is now creating some of our henna designs in the edible papers,” adds Zane. “I can’t wait to see more of our art in their papers.” Once simply a guy who urged his friend to open a bakery, Zane Beg is now fully immersed in it himself, and is one of the most innovative, exciting artists in the cake business today. “When I was picked by Dessert Professional in 2010, I honestly didn’t feel worthy of it,” Norm admits. “But when Zane was picked this year, I totally agreed with it. No question, he deserves this. I was the proudest person in the world, and I thought, ‘It’s about time somebody realizes his talent!’” It’s a heartwarming moment, and the friends take a minute to reflect on what has just been said. Then, in true Norman R. Davis form, the holder of the 2010 Dessert Professional title adds, “Of course, I’m still going to say I taught him everything he knows!”

For more about Norm & Zane The Sweet Life LLC, including class listings, visit thesweetlife.com. Also like them on Facebook to be among the first to know what they’re up to next!

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 21

SA with Chef Mike E. Terry, CM Interested in airbrushing but don’t know where to start? Respected industry professional Chef Mike E. Terry provides his advice and success-proven insight on choosing an airbrush and more in this quick Q&A designed to get you off on the right foot. About Chef Terry: Chef Mike E. Terry is an internationally known pastry artist, judge and instructor. He has been teaching for more than 20 years, including classes at ICES, and is an RBA (Retail Bakers Association) Approved Instructor. Chef Terry appeared on the ﬁrst two seasons of TLC’s Ultimate Cake Off, and is an eight-time winner at the North Carolina Food Dealers Show. Please visit Mike at www.bakerypros.com or contact him at bakerypros@aol.com.

Q: A:

How do I pick the right Airbrush System?

Picking an airbrush is like buying a car; they all should do the job – they just have different features that ﬁt your needs and wants better. With airbrushes, you need to look for features important for working with cakes and pastries. Two of these main features are: 1. An airﬂow or pressure regulator. This allows you to turn your air

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pressure up or down like the volume on your radio. Use higher pressure when airbrushing large projects or large areas, as well as when using Petal Dust suspended in alcohol or sheen colors, as they tend to be just a little bit thicker and need more air pressure. Use lighter pressure when airbrushing smaller areas, and on softer icings or whipped toppings. You never want to blow holes in your fondant or icings. 2. A moisture trap. This pulls

all the moisture out of the air so water droplets don’t end up in your airbrush hose, which can cause big problems. Remember, the compressor compresses the air in the room and forces it through the hose to the airbrush gun – moisture and all. Unless you live in the desert and have absolutely no moisture in the air, a moisture trap is really important. If you don’t have a moisture trap and water builds up in your hose, it will work its way through the hose to the airbrush gun, where it will cause your gun to spit the water and color onto your project -- not good!

What else should one Q: look for?

Can you recommend any Q: airbrush systems in particular?

I endorse these airbrush systems, which are made by Badger Air-Brush here in the USA: the Americolor Professional System, the Americolor Student System (it’s great too, but has no moisture trap) and the Special Edition Mike E. Terry MT360PRO. I had a say in how these systems went together, and they have the best features in the industry. They’re priced to be affordable, and each carries a lifetime labor warranty. I’ve used them all for many trouble-free years.

Make sure the compressor has enough air pressure, and make sure it isn’t so noisy that it will drive you crazy after hours of work. Know what you’re buying and from whom. Buy from a company that makes airbrush systems for cakes, and buy a professional system built to last as long as you plan to do cakes. Make sure you buy from a company you can trust so that if something goes wrong, you can call them and they can help you solve your problem. Look into the support they offer before you buy, and make sure the company offers a warranty and has an address in the USA to ship to for repair should you ever need it.

How long should a good Q: airbrush last? A:

A good, professional airbrush system should last many, many years. Take care of it and it will make you a lot of money and save you a lot of time.

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 23

Q: A:

Are all airbrush colors created equal?

No, so choose wisely and remember, just because you pay more for a color, it doesn’t make it better. My color of choice is, of course, Amerimist by Americolor. You can mix colors in your airbrush by adding drops of different colors into your color cup and placing your ﬁnger over the needle/ crown end, gently pulling back on the trigger and allowing the colors to bubble in the cup, which mixes them together.

The ﬁrst reason I started using Petal Dust from The Sugar Art is because it’s super ﬁne and that’s very important when suspending it in Everclear. Everclear dries the fastest and cleanest of all the alcohols, but you also can use vodka. The best way to mix the two is to use one of the glass jars and a fastblast cap. This allows you to mix the color and alcohol, and spray it before it separates.

icings can I Q: What airbrush on?

Q: A:

Can I use Petal Dust in my airbrush?

Yes, you can mix the Petal Dust into Everclear or vodka. Make sure to clean your airbrush well after using Petal Dust. My choice in Petal Dust is from The Sugar Art. Their Sterling colors are shimmers, and their Elite colors are ﬂat colors, and either can be used. To my knowledge, they’re the only colors that are FDA approved as well as Kosher.

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Fondant, chocolate fondant, gumpaste, buttercreme icings, non-dairy icings, whipped cream and icing sheets.

What is the best Q: way to thoroughly

clean an airbrush?

1. Place hot water in a dish and add two Efferdent tablets.

2. Take the gun off the air hose and take the crown off the gun.

Airbrush Glossary of Terms INTERNAL MIX indicates that air and airbrush color mix inside the airbrush, producing a thoroughly atomized “ﬁne dot” spray pattern. EXTERNAL MIX indicates that air and airbrush color mix outside the airbrush producing a larger, coarser spray pattern than inter-nal mix airbrushes.

3. Pull the needle back 1/2 inch and place it in the Efferdent water.

DUAL ACTION refers to airbrushes on which the trigger controls both air and color (down for air, back for color). This style air-brush allows for varying line widths while spraying.

4. As soon as the Efferdent quits bubbling, remove the airbrush, rinse well and put it back together. Don’t leave in the Efferdent too long or it can burn the ﬁnish on your airbrush.

SINGLE ACTION refers to airbrushes on which the trigger controls only the air brush color ﬂow. The more you pull back on the trigger the more airbrush color is allowed to come thru the gun.

Another note: it’s always a good idea to use a gripper mat under your airbrush, as the mat will help keep it secure on your work table and protect your investment.

To download some practice exercises from Mike please visit http://tinyurl.com/ airpractice Simple Air

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GRAVITY FEED refers to airbrushes with topmounted color cups in which gravity draws paint into the airbrush. Less air pressure (as low as 8-16 PSI) is required to operate this type of airbrush. SIPHON FEED refers to when the airbrush is allowed to siphon the color from a Color Bottle or Color Jar great when using petal dust. BOTTOM FEED refers to airbrushes on which paint enters through a siphon tube or color cup attached to the bottom of the air-brush. This type of airbrush requires at least 20-30 PSI to operate properly. SIDE FEED refers to airbrushes on which a small color cup ﬁts into the side of the airbrush. This type of airbrush requires at least 20 PSI to operate. COMPRESSOR Controls the amount of air pressure the airbrush can us and how. The Compressor takes the air in the room and compresses it moisture and all and directs it thru the hose and this is the air that powers your airbrush. www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 25

Wedding Cake Contracts 101

Many things have changed in the cake business over the past several years. One significant change I believe has been pushed to the back of the oven is the proper way to execute a contract with a cake client. A contract becomes much more important for wedding cakes and larger special occasion cakes because many times there is a significant amount of money being exchanged between you, the seller, and your client, the consumer.

The first very important factor to take into consideration when negotiating with a cake client is to not promise anything you cannot produce or deliver. The most effective way to protect you, your business and the consumer is to execute a viable, well-outlined contract for the service you are providing to your client. It is very important that you list all the items you will be providing to your client. If you are responsible for providing the linens, flowers, cake plateau, silverware, cake topper, or even the plates or utensils, these items should be listed explicitly in the wording of your contract. Time is of the essence! Clarifying with the wedding planner, event coordinator, or directly with the client about the time of the event is also very important. I typically note the time of the ceremony, and use that time as a guide for delivery and setup. I typically give a two-

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By Jay Qualls

hour window prior to the ceremony time for setup and delivery. Note this timing in the contract and adhere to your own rule. List all dollar amounts in numerals as well as in written words, as you would if you were writing out a check. This leaves no ambiguity when documenting costs. It is important that if any changes are made to an executed and signed contract, these changes must be done in writing via snail mail or electronic mail. I prefer electronic mail because I have a permanent copy on file for future reference. It is industry standard to collect a 50 percent retainer for the total amount due from the client. It is also noteworthy to mention you should never call your retainers a “deposit,” but rather a “retainer.” A deposit is refundable and a retainer is not. By paying a retainer, the client is paying you for your time in meeting with them, preparing samples, and design and consultation services. By paying 50 percent up front, this is a commitment by the client that is an investment large enough not to find another baker to do their cake, and insurance for you to be able to predict future revenue.

You should have a very comprehensive software program to create estimates and invoices, and to track accounts receivable and accounts payable, as well as a method to receive and record payments. In the event there should ever be any disagreement or discrepancy regarding the product you deliver to your customer, there should be a clause in your contract stipulating that arbitration and mediation takes place in your hometown or jurisdiction. This basically gives you an advantage during negotiating. It is also important to limit your written and verbal communication to your client. In other words, anything you say or write can be used against you. If you have a disgruntled or dissatisfied customer, respond in 10 words or less if at all possible. Saying less will help protect you in the long run, especially in written business communication.

which at that point creates accounts receivable in your company. This is when the contract should be executed and signed by you and your client. I have provided you with sample copies of my contract that you may customize and use for your own purposes. I am also providing a copy of my credit card authorization form, which you should keep on file for clients who choose to pay by credit card. This form should be signed and included when you email the client the contract. Your client should then sign and return the form to you with the signed contract. The contract form can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/jqcontract The credit card authorization form can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/ccauthform

Last but not least, send a detailed estimate to your client outlining what you discussed and ask them to respond in writing with their acceptance of the estimate as written. Once they agree to the estimate, create an invoice, Jay Qualls is owner of Maples Wedding Cakes, Jay Qualls Cakes and Jay Qualls Holding, LLC, and is creator of the Jay Qualls Fondant Fabric. He has studied under and worked alongside some of the greatest sugar artists in the industry, and has become one of the nation’s top cake artists to the stars. He has designed for a number of celebrity clients, and was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings 15th Anniversary Issue, as well as Southern Living Weddings, US Weekly and many other publications. Jay was also a top competitor on TLC’s Next Great Baker, and now teaches classes, demonstrates his unique sense of style and methods for cake design, and provides business consulting services to shop owners and home bakers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Background Image © aaabbc - Fotolia.com

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 27

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Over 70 creative marshmallow pops and treats for every occassion Written by: Alejandra Morin of The Marshmallow Studio

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Showpieces Materials Needed: • Showpeel™ • Razor knife • Gloves • Colorant • Isomalt • Sauce pan • Offset spatula • Airbrush • Non-slip silicone half-rounds

on the

Fly

By Stéphane Tréand & Michael Joy

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Stunning e c e i p w o h S y fl r e t t u B Tutorial Background Image © Oksancia - Fotolia.com

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 29

Cut out the silicone shape. Chef Tréand uses a sharp razor knife to cut out the four butterﬂy wings. (Cut outside the outer line along the raised perimeter.) Important Note: It is recommended you make a few practice cuts on the non- patterned part of the silicone before cutting out the embossed pattern.

Step 1 Prepare the Isomalt. At 300º F /148º C, the Isomalt is ideal for dipping. Chef Tréand adds a few drops of teal coloring for a crystal effect.

Show Step 2 Peels 2

Dip the Showpeel. The embossed surface of the Showpeel is dipped into the Isomalt. Slide the Showpeel back and forth (twice) to help release trapped air bubbles.

Step 3

Allow the Isomalt to drain. Be careful not to let Isomalt ﬂow onto the smooth side of the Showpeel.

Step 4 Step 5 30

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Clean the edges. Chef Tréand uses the rim of the sauce pan to gently scrape the liquid Isomalt off the edges of the Showpeel.

Drain in the opposite direction. The wing tip is carefully ﬂipped over so Isomalt can ﬂow down the wing in the opposite direction. This ensures full and even coverage of the pattern.

Step 6 Allow the Isomalt to cool. The wings are set ﬂat on parchment paper while Isomalt is dripped over the ‘ﬁngerhold’ areas. Note: At this time, additional thickness can be added to thin areas.

Step 7

Remove the Showpeel. Chef Tréand carefully peels the silicone Showpeel away from the Isomalt wing. (You will notice when the edges of the Showpeel are not scraped clean while the Isomalt is liquid, it will be more difﬁcult to remove the Showpeel.)

Step 8

Step 10

The freshly cast wings. Use an airbrush to add color. A bit of quick airbrush work on the back (textured) side of the Showpeel will add great depth.

Step 9

Assemble the butterﬂy. A daub of liquid Isomalt is poured on the parchment paper in order to anchor the four wings together. Silicone halfround posts are placed beneath the wing tips to create an angle of motion.

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 31

Simi Cakes & Confections, LLC

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Attach the butterﬂy body. A second daub of Isomalt secures the pulled sugar body to the wings. Be sure to use enough Isomalt to give the body and wings extra strength.

Step 11 The finished butterfly is ready for use. Attach the butterfly to the showpiece. The butterfly is secured to a cast Isomalt sphere for support.

Step 12

The completed effect is stunning!

For video demonstrations please visit http://tinyurl.com/showpeels Michael Joy is a master mold maker, author of Confectionery Art Casting and the founder of the Chicago School of Mold Making. To see the other 30 Showpeel designs visit the Online Store at www.ChicagoMoldSchool.com

Stéphane Tréand M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France or Best Craftman in France), is a Food network Challenge winner and National then World Pastry Team Champion. Chef Treand has recently opened a school, The Art of Pastry in San Clemente, California. For more information visit www.StephaneTreand.com

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 33

FOOD SAFETY FORUM

Industry experts discuss concerns and strategies for keeping your creations safe to eat.

Cake has never been quite as extraordinary as it is today. As cake competition programs wow television audiences, and “bridezillas” and “sweet sixteens” become more and more demanding, cake designers constantly feel compelled to push the limits of what is possible in the edible arts. But while designs become more daring and realism reigns supreme, it’s important to remember that the very essence of the art is creating something good to eat. Integral to edible artistry is the “edibleness” of the design, and when technique and style trump safety, the finished product is a disservice to all parties involved, as well as the industry as a whole. So how does one ensure that what they’re using on their creation is safe to eat? To answer that question, EAN has launched this “Food Safety Forum” series. We’re speaking with experts throughout the industry to get their input on this very important topic. Opinions and experiences vary, so be sure to read each installment of this series for a wellrounded education and advice that will help safeguard the health of your customers, and your business. Our series begins with brothers Edward and Antoni Frys, president and vice president, respectively, of The Sugar Art. The two men, talented cake artists in their own right, have spent nearly 20 years in the industry, and have dedicated much of that time to studying colors and learning how they can be used safely in edible creations. Edward competed on a Food Network Tag Team Challenge, and Antoni appeared on the Next Great Baker. They’re experts in their field and at The Sugar Art, manufacture food colors for chocolate, confections, and any kind of pastry needs. They built their Texas facility specifically for the manufacture of food color and purchased all-new equipment for it. This helped ensure that everything was contaminate-free, and they’re diligent in keeping it that way. Every product they make in the facility, including their Elite Petal Dust and Sterling Pearl Dust, is food-approved by the FDA and Kosher certified, ensuring users that strict food safety measures have been followed in the manufacturing of that product. It’s a commitment they’re passionate about, and they believe that sharing what they’ve learned over the years about food safety

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is the most important contribution they can make to the industry. “The worst thing that could happen would be for someone to get sick from eating something they thought was safe to eat,” says Edward. “You would assume that everyone that makes a product in this industry wants to sell a good, safe product since people will be eating this stuff, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes it’s about the sale, and that’s what’s sad. It falls upon the person producing the pastry to be as knowledgeable as possible so that they can help keep their customers from harm.” A crucial element in doing this is being able to identify and understand the three categories of food coloring: “approved for food use,” “non-toxic” and “toxic.” Approved for Food Use Any coloring used on a part of a cake or confection intended for ingestion should be approved for food use. To know that a coloring falls into this category, here are some things to look for:

• Labeling that includes the words “FDA certified,” “FDA approved for food use,” “FDA compliant,” or “FDA food color” “’FDA certified’ means that the physical powder, in whatever color combination, has been sent to an FDA testing facility and undergone its most rigorous testing procedures, and has been deemed under the guidelines established by the federal government to be certified a food color safe for ingestion,” explains Edward. “Antoni works with the FDA regularly, getting new batches of our colors tested and ensuring that our products stay compliant.” Not all colors have to be certified to be approved for food use, however. Colors that are exempt from testing include titanium dioxide (a whitening agent) and micro pearlescents. “Titanium dioxide doesn’t have to be sent to the FDA for individual physical testing,” says Antoni. “It’s like cornstarch, flour or sugar – as long as you meet the FDA’s basic guidelines, it’s approved for food use. At any time, however, the FDA Background Image © marochkina - Fotolia.com

FOOD SAFETY FORUM can request a sample of your product to have it tested.”

If an FDA-certified color is mixed with a color exempt from testing, like titanium dioxide, that final color cannot be certified, but can be approved for food use.

• Ingredients listing “The number one thing to look for to determine if something is safe to use for food is an ingredients listing,” says Antoni. “Anything manufactured that is intended for consumption is required by the FDA to have an ingredients listing on the package.” “If there is no FDA approval on the package and no ingredients listing, steer clear of that item for food use,” adds Edward. “If it doesn’t have an ingredients listing, it’s probably just meant for decoration. For example, if a product just says, ‘Navy Blue Pearl Dust’ with no ingredients listing, it’s not safe to eat.

• Kosher certification “This is just a step up so you can rest assured that that product has been manufactured in a facility that follows very strict food safety guidelines, from the ingredients that went into it to the equipment used to manufacture it,” explains Edward.

NON-TOXIC “This category may be approved by the FDA for contact or certain application, but not for ingestion,” says Edward. “Although personally, I would recommend a physical barrier between a non-toxic material and a confection, the FDA says that technically, it’s okay if it touches the cake – but it definitely shouldn’t be eaten.” Petal, pearl and luster dusts are among the most commonly used colors in this category. While The Sugar Art’s Elite Petal Dust and Sterling Pearl Dust are food approved by the FDA, many other dusts used in cake decorating are not. “That’s why our business has exploded – because we have the certification that others don’t,” says Edward. “The FDA is cracking down on people selling dusts that have never been tested or approved for food use,” he continues. “The petal dust sold by many companies is basically just naturally-occurring oxides like iron oxides, aluminum oxides

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and mineral oxides. By themselves, they’re not bad for you, but they aren’t intended for ingestion.” The same thing, Edward says, is true with the pearl dusts and luster dusts. “They’re also non-toxic, but for all intents and purposes, they’re cosmetic colors, like powdered eye shadows. There has never been any intention for those products to be used for consumption, but people have been getting away with using them on pastries and cakes for years.” Perhaps even more shocking is the fact that often, these dusts haven’t even been approved for topical use. “I spoke with the chief director of certifications at the FDA personally, and he told me that luster dust has never technically been tested by the FDA for cosmetics purposes,” says Antoni. “So even though a lot of people have been using them for cosmetics for years, they’ve never been physically tested by the FDA and gone through the proper channels and guidelines to determine if they’re safe. The market is so huge with cosmetics and the FDA is so small, they don’t have the manpower or resources to complete all of the regulations to make sure that no one is using them. It’s really frightening that these things haven’t even been approved for cosmetics, yet people are putting them on cupcakes and giving them to children.” Unfortunately, many people confuse a “non-toxic” label for something that is safe to eat. “I’ve seen countless videos of people demonstrating products like dusts and they say they’re completely edible, and I find myself shouting ‘No!’ at the computer,” says Antoni. “I’ve even contacted some companies and asked them why they have videos out there saying that their non-toxic products are completely edible when they’re not and their response has been, ‘Even though it only says non-toxic, it’s still okay to eat it,’ but this is completely wrong.” Edward and Antoni are just as adamant that one of their own products not be ingested. “We have a type of glitter that is non-toxic and it’s not produced in our kosher facility,” explains Edward. “It’s labeled as a craft product, and it’s meant specifically for things that are not to be used on confection. We’ve seen people use it for confection and we tell them, ‘No, that’s not acceptable. If you want to use it on an accent piece, you can do that, but take it off prior to eating.’”

TOXIC The biggest offender in food colorings, Edward says, is what is

commonly listed on labels as “highlighter.” “The highlighters, in my opinion, are a travesty to have anywhere near a food item of any sort,” he says. “These are nothing more than ground-down metals – aluminum powder, copper and brass. If you were to put a magnet to these, they’d stick.” Highlighters are used to achieve realistic silvers and golds. “Don’t get me wrong – they’re absolutely gorgeous colors,” says Edward. “I’ve even used them myself, on Food Network Challenge, when I needed the most brilliant looking silver and gold. But I’ve only used them for ornamental objects that have never, ever come in contact with anything that would be eaten.” Among the products in this category are silver dragees – the little balls that used to be extremely popular on cookies and cupcakes. “The FDA now says that these are metal and shouldn’t be eaten,” says Edward. They’re banned altogether in California and if they’re found elsewhere, he says, “the label will specify that they should be taken off your confection prior to eating – even though they’re sold in the confectionary aisle of the grocery store, right next to sprinkles.” This kind of product placement is dangerous, as is the practice of many manufacturers to use deceptive labeling practices on toxic products. “Often, the labels just say “gold highlighter” or “silver highlighter” instead of ‘toxic,’ even though every other product made by the same manufacturer will be labeled ‘non-toxic,’” says Edward. “It’s left off intentionally to mislead people because if you don’t see it, you don’t think about it.”

MAINTAINING FOOD SAFETY WITH NON-EDIBLE MATERIALS So if someone absolutely must use a non-toxic or toxic item in a cake design, how can they do so while still keeping the cake safe to eat? “Though it’s highly recommended that only food-safe products be used, the FDA would allow it under a couple of conditions,” says Edward. 1. The customer must be made aware that any item made using ingredients not approved for food use is for decorative purposes only, and should not be eaten. 2. There should be a physical barrier between the decorative item and the confection. “When I had my shop, I once had a bride tell me that all of the flowers from her florist were organic,” Edward recalls. “I said that was fine, but I still didn’t want the flowers directly touching the cake. Think about the

water in a vase with a flower in it,” he explains. “After just a couple of days, the water gets nasty. Now think about what a cake is – a sugar-rich environment full of moisture. It’s like a petri dish – bacteria will grow instantly in that cake. You’d never put a flower into a cake if you thought about it that way, would you? So what would you do? You’d wrap the flower up in wax tape or dip it in wax or maybe put a plastic sleeve inside of the cake and put the flower into that sleeve. There are ways around it. The same thing goes for using colors that aren’t food safe. If you’re going to make a heart to put on top of a cake, it shouldn’t be touching the cake, and you should take it off before it’s eaten.

LOOKING FORWARD Not surprisingly, as more and more people seek out natural foods, natural colors are making their way into the confectionary industry. “Europe is ahead of us in using these colors, but they do provide alternatives for people here who want to use all-natural products,” says Edward. “They’re probably four times more expensive than what is currently approved by the FDA as synthetic food colors and the color limitations are dramatic, but they’re made with real fruits and vegetables, and they smell amazing.” Natural colors, since they’re completely made with fruits and vegetables, are exempt from certification, and don’t require any FDA testing to be considered food safe.

RESPONSIBLE BAKING Though Edward and Antoni appreciate the efforts of the FDA to keep Americans safe from harmful products, they stress that it’s important for cake artists to educate themselves on the products they use, and pay attention to labeling. “As much as they try, the FDA can’t regulate everything because there are too many companies and too few agents,” says Edward. “They’re looking out for our best interests, but they’re not 100 percent infallible. We as manufacturers have the responsibility to provide the best product and we cannot, in good faith, say something is edible when it’s not. Unfortunately, while there are a lot of companies producing good, quality products, there are others who aren’t. That’s why it’s so important to Antoni and me to share what we know. We don’t want to see anyone harmed, and as more people are made aware and demand safer products, it will benefit us all. “

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 37

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56 www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com

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MINIATURE SUGAR PORTRAITS A TUTORIAL BY ROSEMARY GALPIN

I have had many requests for instructions for making the “Vintage Porcelain Miniatures” on my hat inspired cake created for the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show in 2012.

Rosemary Galpin is an accomplished sugar artist. Using the technique in this tutorial she won silver in the Oklahoma Grand National Wedding Cake Competition in 2012 and First Place Best of Masters Division at Austin That Takes The Cake 2013.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Rosemary’s work has been featured in Brides Magazine, Modern Wedding Cakes and Chocolates, American Cake Decorators Magazine, Cake Central Magazine, Mail Box News Magazine, Hill Country Sun Magazine and The Smithville Times. Please visit her online at www.memorymakerscakes.smugmug.com

Supplies & Tools You Will Need • Fondant (with a bit of Tylose) or Gum Paste • Edible Image of Your Choice • Edible Glue • Shortening (I prefer high ratio) • Powdered Sugar

• Confectioner’s Glaze • Rolling Pin

(pasta machine optional)

• Ball Tools (Small-Medium-Large) • Exacto Knife • Plastic Wrap

• Cutting Surface • Cutter (shape appropriate to edible image)

Background Image © LeonART - Fotolia.com

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 39

After printing your image using edible paper, decide what size/shape would best suit your project and cut out while still on the paper backing.

Roll out fondant to approx. 3/16” deep and 1” wider around than your image.

Turn image upside down, remove and discard paper backing. Apply a generous, even coat of edible glue to back and apply to fondant taking care to gently smooth out from center to edges. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the fondant taking care to keep tight and free of wrinkles and large air bubbles. I ﬁnd that applying a ring of shortening on my work board around my project helps keep the plastic wrap smooth and tight.

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6 Using a greased large ball tool, apply light pressure while going around your cut out just catching the outer edge of the image. When the sides have rounded down almost to the work surface, remove the plastic wrap and carefully cut away the excess fondant using a greased Exacto knife angled to slightly undercut the fondant. Gently smooth the side with a greased ﬁnger to round out the bottom edge. Let the miniature dry overnight.

7 You may have to use your ﬁngers to gently smooth out any air bubbles that rise to the top during this process. Reduce the size of the ball tool as the image rounds down.

8 9

Attach your choice of sugar framing to edge of dried miniature with sugar glue and let dry.

10 Paint frame with edible color mixed with a bit of vodka or lemon extract, dry for one hour.

Apply a thin coat of confectioner’s glaze to entire project and let dry thoroughly.

Hint – If you want a more aged and vintage feel, apply a light dusting of fawn or brown petal dust before applying the confectioner’s glaze.

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g n i dd e W es k a C l l e T l l i W Tales r a g u S t

en c n i yV

e by K

Aaaaaaaaah all done! Massive wedding cake by Bronwen Weber

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It’s OUR 20TH BIRTHDAY! Who could have ever imagined reaching this benchmark moment? Looking back to the very beginning, certainly not me. The sweetest ticket in the country will be in Tulsa Oklahoma this September 28 and 29. Set your vehicle on autopilot and hit the road, they all lead, to the Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show where the Kings and Queens of Cake will present magical sugar theater. Magnificent displays of cake art will take pride of place, in the creative arts location of the River Spirit Expo (formerly the Quiktrip Building). Competitors have already been lining up to register their preferred themes for Ballet 2013. All are determined to figure out the perfect formula that provides the killer edge in designing the winning cake. On site the atmosphere is always charged. Contestants arrive in a mad flurry, chattering and calling out pleasantries to each other as they rush to register their cakes, choose their tables, unload and move their artwork in.

Sugar Artists Strut Their Stuff For the ﬁrst time new and unique designs sauced with sassy style ﬁnally see the light of day. These showpieces have artwork that may have taken weeks or even months to make. Tables are artfully draped and pinned, nervous competitors sweat, and cakes are eventually perfectly positioned, ready to enchant the viewing public.

Artistry by Julia Usher

Bronwen’s contribution to Halloween’s Last Hurrah, “Yikes Mrs. Frank (Frankenstein) gets married.”

Enjoy hundreds of spectacular cakes in the bustling fun-ﬁlled atmosphere of the Tulsa State Fair. With stunning table settings and sublime designs, you are assured of a visual decorative feast. See the quality and style stirred up by the nation’s premier cake designers as they dish up a glorious menu of bespoke wedding cakes. Never has the immaculate construction of an edible ﬂower been so vital, the addition of a sugar streamer so nerve wracking or the stacking of carefully constructed tiers so vital. Strolling through this labyrinth of edible art, visitors can soak up a quintessential experience: The ultimate inspiration for consumers to simply muse and marvel or create the cake of their dreams. Beautifully presented, there is something for everyone, young or old.

Kerry and husband Doug at the event

Bronwen Weber

Julia M. Usher

Artistry by Julia Usher

productive my earlier reaction had been.

you are measuring your success solely by the money in your bank account then this is probably not the Ask yourself how you would react to this sort of industry for you. Of course there are exceptions to situation and if you can see yourself handling things every rule but for every celebrity baker and cupcake calmly and maintaining focus on making your own store chain there are thousands of talented bakers business successful. Come join us just forpaying ourthe Second Annual bills doing somethingSugar they love. Ask Competition Memphis, is money thein driving force for youTN or do you How well do I handle criticism? Arts Show andyourself, th feel September that the art is its 5 own. reward? on Cake decorating is a highly creative industry and by Working through these questions, answering putting our work out there as professionals we are Join judges and teachers, Dana Herbert,from on which honestly,Jay willQualls, give youand a good foundation inviting the world and his wife to comment on our th th Sept. 6 and 7 astothey teach and teamyour separate decision. Ifclasses, your decision is that it’s abilities and our taste. And believe me, they will!a class as wellmake teach on Saturday. Harriet Cobb will also not for you then relax and enjoy making your friends Can you accept that not everyone will loveteach your work youth classes, on Saturday in various ageIfgroups. and family smile with your hobby. your decision and that some may be very verbal in their dislike of is yes, the cake industry is for me – congratulations it? Is criticism of your work likely to send your blood This is a fundraising event 4-H of Shelby County. and good luckfor with your adventures in cake, it is a pressure rocketing or badly knock your confidence? If rewarding job with it’s own warm and supportive so then you may be better off keeping your creations Entries for competition are $25. for friends and family only. Class prices and more information can be found online at:

You Are Invited! Save The Dates!

Julie Gibson is the proprietor www.westtnsugarartists.org

Do I want to be rich? of Ice Maiden Jay Qualls Dana Herbert Deadline for entry is July 31st!Cakes & founder This may sound flippant but it is a serious question. of CakeOffice.com. For more Industry vendor space available well. Contact: Harriet Cobb at : harrietcobb@me.com You can make a reasonable livingisout of cake as given information please visit her blog at the right balance of talent and marketing skills but if www.CakeOffice.com.

ICES The Only International Organization Dedicated To The Sugar Arts

International Cake Exploration Societé 38th Annual Convention & Show

August 8 – 11, 2013 • LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY Enjoy the largest gathering of Sugar Artists, from the hobbyists to world famous decorators from Around the Globe! • • • • • • •

Meet over 2,000 sugar artists from around the world Demonstrations and Hand-On-Classes Shop the “Trackside” Vendors Live Cake Challenge Sugar Arts Displays Certiﬁcation Testing Business Solutions for the Professional Cake Decorator

TOURS Louisville Legacy Horses, Hooch & History Irish Acres CHARITY “Old Friends” Rescue for Thoroughbreds

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Inspiration Everywhere You Look

What you can learn?

The OKLAHOMA STATE SUGAR ART SHOW (OSSAS) sets the standard like no other and under its umbrella a plethora of cake art in a kaleidoscope of color and design. Join us at this companion competition for a full program of exceptional divisions displaying celebration and special occasion cakes, memorable techniques and creative innovation threaded throughout the exhibit.

Daily show demonstrations for 2013 conducted by celebrity edible art stars & FREE to all. This year the lineup is, power pair the amazing Bronwen Weber & Cookie legend Julia Usher.

Be inspired; celebrate the cake, compete, share, be educated. Competitors don’t have to compete in the wedding cake competition if they are not inclined to or do not qualify. The Grand National Wedding Cake Competition is only open to contestants’ semiprofessional and above. That said there are more than sixty categories and divisions to ﬁt any level of expertise in the OSSAS. Cake aﬁcionados travel thousands of miles to be a part of this iconic exhibition. It would be fair to say that a huge number of competitors credit success at this event to be a key that opens doors to television possibilities, presenting, teaching and other exciting avenues that involve the sugar arts.

The price of general admission to this icon event at $10 is minimal – all visitors can access the show, the exhibition and world-class demonstrations for this minimal cost.

Class Information After the 2013 competition concludes artists can attend a hands-on class with the inimitable Bronwen Weber. This is cheapest class on the planet $250 for two days and will be held at The Doubletree Hotel host hotel.

One of the many sculptures that Bronwen churns out regularly at her bakery Frosted Art in Dallas TX.

Oklahoma State Sugar Art Show WITH BALLET 2013!

September 28 & 29, 2013

With Competitor Setup (No Public Viewing) September 27

At The River Spirit (Formerly Quiktrip) Building Lower Level • Tulsa, Oklahoma

Sugar Art Show Location #42 On Fair Map www.tulsastatefair.com Saturday Hours, 10:00 A.M. Till 10:00 P.M. Sunday Hours, 10:00 A.M. Till 6:00 P.M.

www.oklahomasugarartists.com

There are times when you see something being created that causes you to pause and take a moment to wonder. You marvel at this something that is so different, so unique and it catches your immediate attention and admiration. While researching what was new and exciting in the sugar art industry, we stumbled upon something that intrigued us to learn more! This â&#x20AC;&#x153;somethingâ&#x20AC;? is a new and innovative process from The Sugar Lab. The Sugar Lab is a partnership that is

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By Dawn Daniels transforming regular sugar into a dimensional, structural medium. This process is opening up a whole new domain in the world of cake design by creating an interesting new blend between technology, food, and art. Husband and wife team, Kyle and Liz von Hassein, began The Sugar Lab two years ago while graduate students in architecture at SCIarc. 3D printing became a point of interest for

both of them while studying there. Living in a small apartment without even an oven proved to be a blessing in disguise. It all started when the couple was not able to make a birthday cake for a friend, and it got sweet from there! They decided to 3D print something for their friend instead. The name “Chelsea” in cursive 3D sugar became their first project in what we now know as The Sugar Lab. Since graduating, Kyle and Liz have optimized the process of 3D printing with sugar in their new studio in Los Angeles, CA. To 3D print an image, you must make a 3D model on a computer. The computer program then cuts the model into thin horizontal layers. These layers on the computer screen then become the layers your printer transforms into your 3D image. The Sugar Lab uses a mixture of water and alcohol layered onto the sugar substrate to moisten and harden it. All 3D projects done by The Sugar Lab are custom made with design processes started by the client. With a “you want it, we can do it” mentality, the Sugar Lab can design and produce just about anything.

One project recently taken on by The Sugar Lab is a cake that is supported by 3D printed sugar cake stands and tiers. 3D printed sugar has expanded from just ornamental or “meant to sweeten,” to being a major component in unique cakes being made and decorated today. The Sugar Lab has made some incredible advances and discoveries that were not thought to be possible in the field of cake and confection decorating. By taking 3D printing and sugar, The Sugar Lab hopes to continue to transform the way decorators and desert connoisseurs view sugar art. We are looking forward to seeing what The Sugar Lab does!

For more information visit The Sugar Lab at www.the-sugar-lab.com.

Background Image © Sea Wave - Fotolia.com

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 49

November 15 ~ 1 7, 2013 Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Centre Hotel SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS

All Your Cake Decorating Needs Under One Roof a n a h T e Mor w o h S g n Baki EXPLORE • DISCOVER • SHOP For exhibitor information:

info@americasbakingandsweetsshow.com

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h g u o r h T k l a W A ! n i t a l e G h t i W e Tim ns

by Diane Simmo

Known for their translucent beauty and durability, gelatin ﬂowers have been a part of cake decorating for several decades, found in books as far back as the 1960’s. Oh how things have changed over the years though, take a walk through time with me as I share methods with you from old school to modern school and beyond.

Prepping the Gelatin

Gelatin Mixture Ingredients • 1 Tbsp unﬂavored gelatin (Knox, etc.- Not Jello) • 2 ½ Tbsp water • Food colors (airbrush colors dissolve better) *To alter the recipe, simply maintain the ratio of 2 ½ parts water to 1 part gelatin

Step 1

Step 2

• Place gelatin in a microwave safe bowl Place in microwave for 10 sec • Sprinkle gelatin over top and intervals, stirring until all stir together gelatin is dissolved •Let sit for 3-5 minutes (will be very thick) Background Image © gudrun - Fotolia.com

Step 3 • Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes for the foam to rise to the top • Gently scoop this away with a spoon www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 51

Tips: •Airbrush color works best if you have it as it is already liquid •Gelatin can be rewarmed as needed (do this in 5-10 sec intervals) •You want the gelatin to be the consistency of nail polish when using (if too warm it will be much thinner, if too cool it will be very thick and gooey) •Leftover gelatin can be saved and reused, just make sure it al ways gets fully warmed to a liquid state every 24 hrs whether you are using it that day or not (to prevent mold) •Yellow food color tends to cause excess air bubbles, just scoop off the excess bubbles as you did when ﬁrst clarifying • Once dried, gelatin art pieces are good indeﬁnitely

Step 4

Gelatin is now clariﬁed (clear) and ready to add desired food color.

Back In The Days When kids had to walk to school three miles through three feet of snow uphill both directions (as we’ve all heard), gelatin ﬂowers used to be created with wire frame and dipping method as shown here. When working with gelatin, it is best to use paper covered 28 or 30 gauge wire. (Cloth covered wire will come unraveled)

Option A

• Wrap 28 gauge wire around a wooden dowel or other round object • Twist ends together • Add a point if desired with tweezers or other tool of choice

Option B - 2

• Continue to work your way around the petal, holding the latest indented area in place as you work wire into the next area • Twist ends together when complete

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Option B - 1

Frames

• Use a gumpaste cutter as a guide to form your shape • For indent areas, use a ﬂat ended palette knife to hold wire in place, and then work into next indent with a pair of tweezers

Prepare all wires frames, using white wire for ﬂowers and green wire for leaves

Dipping

•Insert the frame into the gelatin, making sure you get to the twisted area of the wire •For best results, lift the frame out horizontally, ﬂat rather than vertically, upright to avoid large droplets forming

Assembly

• Allow to dry (usually an hour is sufﬁcient) •Tape together with ﬂoral tape (remember to stretch the tape before you start wrapping)

Let There Be Sheets

Veining sheets that is! Diane recalls “I had been teaching the old school method and got lazy after class one night and didn’t clean up. The next morning, I found the dried gelatin had all the detail of the plastic cups it had been in and the light bulbs started going off in my head (you’d have thought it was the Fourth of July up there!).” The following months brought many hours of research and development with the manufacturer, soon after Gelatin Veining Sheets were introduced to the public.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Assembly

•Lay a 28 gauge paper covered wire •Allow to dry for 3-5 hours •Trim just inside the lines over rough side of veining, then brush •Gelatin will release from sheet on it’s own (or to desired shape) warm gelatin onto entire outline of petal •Dry time will vary depending on •Scrapbook scissors can also be air movement, temperature and •Use a soft, ﬂoppy brush and used for a little variety humidity of your area leave a fairly thick coat

•Once all petals are trimmed, accent as desired •If stamens are desirable, assemble these before adding petals •Create variety using food color markers, food color and vodka (accenting with disco dust if desired) mixture as paint, disco dust (using •Assemble using ﬂoral tape (remember to stretch the tape before wrapping) piping gel as glue for the dust), etc.

•Add petals using ﬂoral tape to attach •Note: General humidity does not affect the gelatin once it is dry

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Beyond The Flowers There is still fun in the gelatin world if you aren’t that fond of flowers! There are also veining sheets to create butterflies and dragonflies as well as feather and fairy wings. Still not your cup of tea? Well wait, there’s more, Texture Sheets! There is a slight variation to the gelatin recipe for the texture sheets. Use 4 parts water to 1 part gelatin for texture sheets.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

•Using the 4:1 ratio recipe, •Brush a small amount of warm •Cut into even strips (a paper brush a thin coat of gelatin on gelatin on the end of a strip, trimmer works great for this) the sheet •Cut the strips in half lengthwise then hold together for 5-10 •Wait about 2 minutes, then add to have approx. 5 long strips seconds until set •You can trim the edges with a second layer •Repeat until all strips are •Best advice, work fast and sloppy! scrapbook border punches for formed to loops •Let dry for 8-12 hours decorative looks *A little is glue, a lot makes goo!

Step 4 Trim the corners off each side of the glued end to create a slight point (this will make assembly easier)

Step 5 •Accent the edges with disco dust using a thin smear of piping gel on a paper plate •Dip edge into the gel and then into the disco dust •Tap gently to remove excess dust

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Assembly •Start with a small amount of gelatin and add drops to form a circular base •Add additional loops using warm gelatin and paint brush until desired fullness is reached

Beyond The Bow

Yes, there are even more adventures beyond the bow with this wonderful medium. Now that you know how to make a sheet of gelatin, take a look at your scrapbooking toys with new eyes.

There are all sorts of scrapbooking punches available... one single punch and done, mini pieces to create your own look, and this is just a small sampling. There are border punches to add pizzazz to your bows and ribbons. You can cut circles and lay them on your texture sheets right after brushing the gelatin on to have polka dot sheets.

Let your imagination run wild and happy gelin’!

Diane Simmons is from Michigan and owns Cake Connection, a retail supply shop. She has been traveling the world sharing her method for gelatin ﬂowers since creating the veining sheets over ﬁve years ago. Please visit her at www.cakeconnection.com.

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Gelatin Balloon Dog

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

By Tami Utley

I am an ICES approved teacher with over 20 year’s experience. I have written articles for American Cake Decorating Magazine and ICES and have demonstrated the gelatin bubbles are their convention. I currently teach in San Diego at a local cake shop and on Yummy Arts. You can visit me at www.sugarartbytami.com.

MATERIALS NEEDED: • Long Balloons (as for balloon animals) • Balloon Pump • Unﬂavored Gelatin • Americolor Super Red Gel Food Color (or airbrush color) • Black food marker (black gel food color will work) •Toothpick, (tweezers or clamp optional) Background Image © nightﬂy84 - Fotolia.com

• Medium microwave safe bowl • Duct tape • Shortening • Ruler • Measuring Spoon • Styrofoam or slotted plate (cooling rack will work) • Paintbrush • Scissors • Paper Towels www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 57

Gelatin mixture: 2 parts cold water to 1 part unﬂavored gelatin (like Knox). I used 6 tablespoons water and 3 tablespoons gelatin. However, this is not a fussy recipe, so different proportions will work. Start by putting cold water into a microwave safe bowl. Add a little gel color; the amount will depend on how translucent you want your balloon dog (I used 3 drops).

Stir to dissolve the food color and then sprinkle your gelatin over the water so it will all get absorbed.

Let sit for 5 minutes to ‘sponge’.

During this time, blow up your balloons. I used a balloon pump which usually comes with the long balloons as a set.

A balloon will be needed for each section of the balloon dog. There will be 3 folded balloons, 2 are for the legs and one for the ears. Blow up the balloons to twice the length of the ﬁnished leg (4”), knot one end. Coat each balloon with shortening, wiping off the excess. I re-coated and wiped a second time since some balloons do absorb the shortening more than others

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Now fold the balloon in half so the two ends meet.

Tape with duct tape. Note: A toothpick can also be added to the knot of the balloon as a sort of handle to hold and use later to stick into Styrofoam for drying.

Twist the two ends together.

Four straight sections will also be needed, 1 each for the body, head, neck and tail. The head and neck are about 1 ½” long, the body is 2” and the tail is 1” with a 1” excess. These will also need to be coated with shortening and the excess wiped off as before.

10 11

9 Put the gelatin mixture into the microwave for about 15 seconds (depending on the microwave). The gelatin needs to heat up but not boil. Stir gently to make sure the gelatin is dissolved and being careful not to incorporate any air bubbles. Remove any foam or un-dissolved gelatin. *Important: Let the mixture cool to lukewarm or the balloon will pop when dipped.

Grab the straight balloon by the knot and dip into the gelatin; rotating the balloon around to coat the entire surface. Let excess drip back into the bowl. Repeat with the remaining straight balloons.

12 Now using clamps, tweezers or the toothpick handle, dip the folded balloons in the same manner.

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The balloons will need 3 layers of gelatin to be thick enough once dry so after 3 minutes repeat the previous three steps, two more times. The gelatin mixture in the bowl will cool between steps, so it will need to be reheated. Pop the bowl back into the microwave for 5 seconds to re-heat.

Hold the balloon upright (knot on the bottom, rounded part of the balloon on top) and tap to let excess gelatin drip off. A ﬂat brush can be used to remove the excess gelatin at the base of the knot if needed.

Note: Gelatin shrinks as it dries so any imperfections will be minimized. Also, we need a fairly thick layer so the gelatin won’t collapse when the balloon is popped. If it does collapse, it can usually be ‘popped’ back out with the end of a paintbrush, just be careful not to rip the gelatin.

Place the balloon onto a holder or cooling rack with the knot side down to dry completely. If a toothpick was used as a holder, it can be placed into Styrofoam to dry. The balloon can be placed in front of a fan to speed up drying time, or let the dry on its own. Without the fan it could take a full 24 hours to dry, possibly more, with the fan, only about four hours. The gelatin is dry when it is ﬁrm and no longer cool or rubbery. Save any leftover gelatin by placing plastic wrap on top and storing in the refrigerator.

Once dry, place scissors next to the knot and poke the balloon and it will deﬂate and release from the gelatin. Make sure to only cut one end and pull from the other. If some balloon does stick, usually placing a paint brush inside and rubbing will remove the excess.

Heat the remainder of the liquid gelatin and use to attach the pieces of the balloon dog together. Use a paint brush to dab a little liquid gelatin at the base of one of the folded pieces (ears)

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I love the magazine. I found it to be very informative. I enjoyed the interview with Edna De La Cruz, I admire her work she is fantastic! I love mini cakes in general and enjoyed reading about the mini fruit cake. However my favorite cake information was the heart cake. I thought it was interesting that cake that was cut into heart shape was placed in the batter. Thank you so much Cheryl for your time in putting together the magazine and blessing us with it. Take care. — FRANCES GLOVER

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Attach the head. Holding for a minute or two until the gelatin sets.

Attach the neck to the ears/ head.

Use either a black food marker or a small paint brush with black gel food color (no water!) to make the eyes and mouth for the dog.

19 21 23

Next, attach the body to the legs in the same manner

Attach the tail to the top the back legs.

Attach the ear/head/ neck piece to the top of the front legs.

Remember, water will dissolve your gelatin dog.

24 62

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Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Done!

This can be put in the refrigerator or sit out and will last for months. I have placed the gelatin dog on buttercream, rolled buttercream, candy clay and fondant with no problems, attaching to the cake with piping gel or icing.

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Are you hosting an event, show or class? Launching a new product? Do you have news you’d like to share?

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Starting a Business? Three Things You Must Know

By Luce + Associates

Starting a new business is a very exciting and busy time. There is so much to be done and so little time to do it in. If you expect to have employees, there are a variety of federal and state forms and applications that will need to be completed to get your business up and running. That’s where we can help.

Employer Identification Number (EIN) Securing an Employer Identification Number (also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number) is the first thing that needs to be done, since many other forms require it. EINs are issued by the IRS to employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofit associations, trusts, estates, government agencies, certain individuals, and other business entities for tax filing and reporting purposes. The fastest way to apply for an EIN is online through the IRS website or by telephone. Applying by fax and mail generally takes one to two weeks. Note that as of May 21, 2012, you can only apply for one EIN per day. The previous limit was 5.

State Withholding, Unemployment, and Sales Tax

Once you have your EIN, you need to ﬁll out forms to establish an account with the State for payroll tax withholding, Unemployment Insurance Registration, and sales tax collections (if applicable).

Payroll Record Keeping

Payroll reporting and record keeping can be very time consuming and costly, especially if it isn’t handled correctly. Also keep in mind, that almost all employers are required to transmit federal payroll tax deposits electronically. Personnel ﬁles should be kept for each employee and include an employee’s employment application as well as the following: Form W-4 is completed by the employee and used to calculate their federal income tax withholding. This form also includes necessary information such as address and social security number. Form I-9 must be completed by you, the employer, to verify that employees are legally permitted to work in the U.S. If you need help setting up the paperwork for your business, give us a call. Letting our experts handle this part of your business will allow you to concentrate on running your business.

Luce & Associates offers a broad range of services for business owners, executives and independent professionals. Their services encompass nearly every aspect of ﬁnancial life. If you have any questions please contact them today at (404)298-6687 or www.luceaccounting.com. Your initial consultation is free. Background Image © silmen - Fotolia.com

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Booth 226 & 228

Fondarific is Proud to be a Corporate Sponsor of ICING SMILES Icing Smiles is a nonprofit organization that provides custom celebration cakes and other treats to families impacted by the critical illness of a child. If you would like to help Bake a Difference by becoming a sponsor, donor or volunteer, please visit their website. www.icingsmiles.org

Lily Sugar Flower

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

A Tutorial By: James Rosselle

Steps

You Will Need:

Gum paste Groove board Rolling pin Lily cutter and Veiner set (www.nycake.com) Tweezers Ball tools set and mini pizza wheel cutter (www.nycake.com) 24 gage white wire cut into ¼ A Foam pad www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 67

The make-up of a Lily: A lily flower has six petals (three large and three small), a center and six stamens. I will take you through the process of making this six petal blossom!

Set up your station.

Step 1: Roll Gum Paste

Roll gum

Note: I use my line of Gum Paste (James Rosselle Gum Paste) which is manufactured by FondariďŹ c (www.fodariďŹ c.com). After opening, the sugar paste needs to be conditioned. To starts, knead the sugar paste as you would bread dough. Next, add water to soften the sugar paste. Continue adding water until you reach your desired consistency. Add shortening paste to your hands should the sugar paste become tacky. Store unused sugar paste in an airtight plastic bag to prevent the sugar paste from drying.

Roll sugar paste over the grooves of the cell cakes board. The sugar paste should be very thin, at least 1/16.

Step 2: Cut Out Sugar Paste Cut out sugar paste using the Lily cutter set. The cutters set included two cutters, small and large.

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Cut out sugar paste

Step 3: Wire Lily Petals

Wire lily petals

After the petals have been cut, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll want to insert ďŹ&#x201A;oral with through the center vein. First, dip one end of the wire in gum glue. Insert the glue end of the wire half way through the center vein of the petal.

Thin edges of petals

Step 4: Thin Edges of Petals Using a medium sized metal ball tool (part of my line at New York Cake) thin the edges of the sugar paste petal.

Step 5: Vein Petals Once the edges of the petal have been thinned, center the petal in the lily veiner and press. Press with a good amount of pressure making sure the sugar paste receives the vein impression.

Vein petals

Step 6: Veined Petals Vein all six petals, three small and three large.

Veined petals

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Step 7: Dry Petals

Step 8: Center of Lily

Center of Lily

Dry Petals Dry veined petals over night on a piece of bumpy foam with the tips of the petals curved back.

You will need a piece of green sugar paste the size of a pea, a wire with a hook on one end and a pair of tweezers for the lily center.

Step 9: Center of Lily Part 2 Taper the green sugar paste into a long teardrop shape to about one inch in length. Pinch the top of the sugar paste three times making sure the pinches are centered. Allow to dry overnight.

Center of Lily Part 2

Step 10: Center of Lily Part 3

Step 11: Lily Center Assembly Lily Center Assembly

Center of Lily Part 3 What you will need: Green ďŹ&#x201A;oral tape, dried lily center, six brown lily stamens

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Tape the six brown lily stamens around the base of the center with the green ďŹ&#x201A;oral tape.

Dusting

Step 12: Dusting What you will need: soft tip brush, Honeydew Green petal dust, dried lily petals. Dip the brush into the Honeydew green petal dust. Start shading the base of the petal using upward strokes. Shade the front and back of all six petals.

Step 13: Lily Assembly

What you will need: green ďŹ&#x201A;oral tape, complete lily center, and six lily petals that have been highlighted with the apple green petal dust.

Lily Assembly

Tape the three large petals to the lily center to begin. Follow by taping the three small petals. Continue taping until you reach the base of the wires.

Step 14: Finished Lily

Finished Lily

The lily is complete! www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 71

Edible Art of the Day is dedicated to showcasing the best edible art from around the globe! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re continuously inspired by the impressive talent of our members. To view all of our winners please visit http://www.edibleartistsnetwork.com/edible-art-of-the-day

Here are a few recent favorites: Louisa Massignani Cakes Alouisa facebook.com/ cakesalouisa

Becky Allder Ballderdash & Bunting facebook.com/ ballderdashandbunting

Background Image ÂŠ gudrun - Fotolia.com

Amanda MacLeod www.amandamacleod.co.uk

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Brendy Vaughn Brendyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cakes facebook.com/ BrendysCakes

Alisa Seidling â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Cake Works facebook.com/cakeworksbakery

Cynthia Lorow The Vagabond Baker facebook.com/thevagabondbaker

Donna Moreno Sweet Expressions by Donna facebook.com/SweetsByDonna

Sabrina Rowles Enticing Cakes Inc. facebook.com/EnticingCakesInc

www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 73

Edible Artist on the Rise

s t n e c c A e k Ca by Grace Pranito

Wow, so much has happened over the past month – it’s been so amazing! School’s out for summer, and the fun has oﬃcially begun. Mom ﬁnally let me use her new Spellbinders® Sweet Accents™ cake machine. Here is the machine. Nope, it doesn’t need a computer or any electricity – I really love that! Just set it on the counter – it has a big suction cup on the bottom that holds it in place – and you’re good to go.

I decided to do a picture frame with my favorite school photo, using the “Wonderful Wings”set in the Grand Templates collection along with the “Daisy Flower Topper” set in the Shapeabilities® collection, and of course Icing Images® colored icing sheets AND Simi Cakes isomalt and molds. (Sidney from Simi Cakes sent me a huge box of molds and isomalt for me to work with. They’re on the agenda for the next issue – so cool I can’t stand it!) First, I gathered all my supplies. I like to have everything right within my reach before I begin. I then scanned my school picture, blew it up a little larger to 4”x6” and printed using the edible printer. The image didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked – I think Mom needs a new edible printer.

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my picture behind the frame and used a tiny bit of water on a paintbrush to hold the layers together.

Next I chose my color scheme. I thought blue and yellow would be a great match. Mom likes the premium icing sheets from Icing Images because they smell great and stay soft for a long time when you’re working with them, but you can use any edible paper you like.

I used Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities® “Grand Labels Twenty Three” for my picture frame. I wanted some texture on the frame and used the “Dainty Dots” M-Bossabilites™ folder. I laid the icing sheet on the embossing sheet and removed the plastic backing, then stacked in the order on the package and ran it through the machine. Here’s a link to the instructions – you’ll see it’s simple dimple: http://www.icingimages.com/ sweet-accents-instructions

I laid the frame on the edible paper with the backing still on and used the cutting plates. Again, it’s very simple, and the instructions are right on the package to explains what order to use them in. This is what it looks like when it’s cut out. I laid

Next, I started on the ﬂowers with the Shapeabilities “Daisy Flower Topper” set. I cut two icing sheets in half and used the same embossing folder to give them some texture. I followed the instructions right on the package.

I cut the ﬂowers – ﬁrst yellow, then blue. This is what they looked like when they came out of the machine. Just turn them over and they pop out pretty easily. If they don’t pop out easily, use the end of the needle tool.

I heated up some isomalt from Simi Cakes & Confections and used one of her molds to create some cool blue isomalt for the center of the ﬂowers. This part is so much fun, but be careful – the isomalt is VERY hot. You can see I’m using one of my winter gloves!

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I laid these out to dry too for a little while to hold the shape. Next, I laid out the ﬂower and used a tiny bit of water to hold the layers together. I also used some balled-up paper towels to hold them in place until they dried a little. Here you’ll be able to see that I broke a petal – but no worries; I took all the middle petals out of the yellow ﬂower and thought it looked cool, so I left it that way.

Then I put the whole thing together and added a dried gumpaste backing to finish it. Wouldn’t this make a great topping for a birthday, graduation or anniversary cake? Then I moved on to the butterflies while the flower was drying, following the same steps on each package.

With the butterflies, I used the needle tool (sorry, I forgot the real name for this one) to poke out the insides of the butterfly. Then I laid the two pieces together and put them back in the machine using the using the “Embossing Sandwich.” My American Girl Doll Sagie is helping (she’s a camera hog!). Now I had these really cool looking, two-toned butterflies – perfect!!

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This machine is quite awesome. You can make so many great edible treats for your cakes and cupcakes. For more ideas and instructions on how to use it, visit the Icing Images website at www.icingimages.com and click on “Videos & Tutorials.” You’ll ﬁnd great tutorials from Simi Cakes & Confections, Mike Terry, Peggy Tucker and more. I would recommend watching all of them before you begin, as they give great tips and tricks for the machine. Author Bio: Gracie is our youngest Local Beat Reporter and is a third grader in Addison, IL. If you have any questions for her please email us at cheryl@edibleartistsnetwork.com and we will be sure to forward your questions to her.

Back to School Tutorial by Ruth Rickey, CMSA

Ruth Rickey is a CertiďŹ ed Master Sugar Artist who teaches, judges and demonstrates worldwide. She also advises decorators on her blog at www.SugarZen.wordpress.com or visit her at www.RuthRickey.com. DOWNLOAD THE PDF

What you will need:

Modeling Chocolate (I use Choco Pan, www.choco-pan.com)

Rolled Fondant

(I use FondX, www.caljavaonline.com)

Gumpaste

(I use Choco Pan, www.choco-pan.com)

Flat, shader or filbert dusting brushes 18/0 spotter detail brush Small scissors

Rice cereal treats

Toothpicks

Non stick mat

Cornstarch puff

Rolling pin

Petal Dusts

Small spatula Water pen

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(I used my Kit 1, Kit 2 and Face Dusting Kit)

Face Mold

(I used Face #7 from Creations by Edith)

1 Take two rice treats and compress them together, shaping loosely into the shape of an apple, but smaller than usual.

Roll out modeling chocolate and cover the rice treat apple.

Smooth and shape with your hand to form an apple shape.

Dust first with yellow (Daisy), then follow with shades of red and burgundy (Mini Red, Flaming Sward, Kiko, Boomer).

5 Form a small, elongated teardrop, dust brown (Chocolate) and attach to the apple.

Color gumpaste to the desired flesh color. I used Porcelain Face for this example.

Roll a ball of paste and touch the paste to the cornstarch puff, then press deeply into the face mold. www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 79

9 10

Dust first with yellow (Daisy), then follow with shades of red and burgundy (Mini Red, Flaming Sward, Kiko, Boomer).

Remove excess paste and pull from the mold.

11 Roll a small ball of flesh color gumpaste into a slim sausage. Bend in half and fold one side over the other, forming a knee.

12 14 80

Paint the face in the following order: eye liner (Copper Face), whites of the eyes (Snow White), eye color (Blue Eyes), pupils (Turkish Black), white highlight (Snow White), lips (Cherry Lips), eyebrows (Copper Face for blond hair) and, finally, dry dust on cheek color (Pink Cheeks). I used petal dust mixed with water and use an 18/0 spotter brush for painting.

Roll two tiny white balls of fondant and attach as socks. Take a small ball of pink fondant and form a slightly tapered oval. Attach as the shoe, with the smaller side as the toe. Repeat.

Dust your fingers with cornstarch, then pull/ pinch out a skirt. Thin the edges with your fingers and give the skirt curves or motion as desired.

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13 15

Form a cone of pink rolled fondant. If your fondant is soft, you may need to add tylose to it to help strengthen it. I use FondX, which is perfect for figure modeling out of the bucket. Attach on top of the legs. Make sure that the cone is sitting at a 90 degree angle, not leaning forwards or backwards. For best results, allow to firm up for a couple of hours. For soft fondant, please allow to dry overnight.

Roll a tiny ball into a slender sausage.

With your thumb and forefinger, taper a wrist, leaving a small ball on one end.

Narrow a bend for the elbow in the same manner.

Slightly flatten the ball (hand).

Using embroidery scissors, cut a small v shape from the hand, creating a mitten shape. Using your small spatula, cut the four fingers. Gently soften the edges of the cuts with your fingers. Attach the arms in position with water or gum glue.

Flatten a small ball and begin to stretch the fondant in your hair color choice into a bell shape.

Wet the head of the doll and attach the hair, pulling into the proper position, marking a part and curling the edges.

Use a spatula to mark hair lines as desired. Wet the toothpick and insert into the body.

Roll out green fondant and cut into a circle. Style the edges as you like and attach all elements with water.

Roll out green fondant and cut a small rectangle. Repeat with white fondant, making the rectangle slightly smaller. Put the white paste on the green paste, then cut mostly through with your spatula in the middle, to form a book. Attach to the dollâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands with water. www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 81

One of the cake world’s most exciting events of the year is coming, and it’s not to be missed! The ICES 38th Annual Convention & Show happens August 8 – 11, 2013, in Lexington, Kentucky. Get all the details at www.icesconvention.org, and make your plans to see the sensational exhibitors listed here for the latest and greatest products available. Bring this guide with you to the show as your “to do” list or, if you can’t make it to the show, check these companies out online, at their web addresses provided below. To download a PDF of this guide please visit http://www.edibleartistsnetwork.com/ices-2013

All Things Cake

All Things Cake offers a wide variety of sugar art supplies from all your favorite suppliers. Our staff is solely made up of cake decorators, so call, email or come by with your decorating questions anytime! See our ad on page 64.

BOOTH 418

918-994-4490 www.allthingscakeshop.com

Amazing Cakes of Austin

• Reusable CAKE KITS: High Heel Boot/Shoe Kit Guitar Kits -acoustic and electric Humidor Kit • CLASSES • CAKE WEAR, our new line of chef coat. See our ad on page 38.

BOOTH 151

512-619-6765 www.amazingcakesofaustin.com

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Cake Connection

Gelatin art supplies... including NEW sheets being debuted at ICES show. Also sugar dippers (with new designs as well!), and a HUGE selection of FMM products from England. See our ad on page 2.

BOOTH 313, 315, 317 & 319 517-990-0880 www.cakeconnection.com

CakeSafe, LLC Cake Things

Your home for Innovative Cake Things… Cake Supports and Boards, Cake Push Pop and Stands, Cupcake Stands, LED’s, Tools, Turntables … and much more! We strive to bring you affordable and hard to find cake decorating supplies. See our ad on page 63.

Come see the “Best in Class Products” for the baker/sugar artist including The CakeSafe for successful & stress free cake deliveries; The Airbrush Booth, virtually eliminating overspray, & The Sugar Shack warming box for pulled/blown sugar. See our ad on page 64.

BOOTH 326 & 328

401-533-3636 www.CakeSafe.com

LLC

Choco-Pan/ Sweet Art, Inc.

BOOTH 549

281-733-6080 www.cakethings.com

CakeSafe

Gourmet rolled fondant, modeling chocolate, gumpaste and high quality textured rolling pins. See our ad on page 17.

BOOTH 113 & 115 888-287-8455 www.choco-pan.com

Clearview Molds

www.edibleartistsnetwork.com Edible Artists Network

Life is short BUT sweet so have fun growing your cake and confection business with Edible Artists Network! • Step by step tutorials from industry leaders • Interviews with professional cake decorators • Informational articles that help keep your business growing See our ad on page 61.

The “CLEAR” choice in silicone rubber molds. Our food grade silicone molds are safe and nontoxic. They are perfect for food and hobby applications See our ad on page 5.

BOOTH 542

wwwclearviewmolds.com

BOOTH 524

888-287-8455 • www.edibleartistsnetwork.com

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Fondarific

Now you can have your cake and EAT your Fondant TOO! Fondarific has revolutionized the fondant world with its 15 Gourmet flavors and 13 Brilliant Colors. See our ad on page 66.

BOOTH 226 & 228 912-232-4410 www.fondarific.com

Icing Images

Come and see what everyone is talking about! New Spellbinders® Sweet Accents™ for Icing Images® Food Grade die cutting, embossing & stenciling machine! This new innovative machine unveils at 1:30 on Friday August 9th! Live demos, free give aways and a chance at the big wheel! See our ad on page 77.

BOOTH 425-427

540-869-5511 www.icingimages.com

The Knock Shoppe

See “Elissa” for a 15%25% Discount. Our first universal cake stand .. • Cake Stand • Cake push-up stand • Cupcake Stand Enter our “Name the Cake Contest” to win a cake stand system! See our ad on page 63.

The Marshmallow Studio Stop by our booth for yummy marshmallows! See our ad on page 28.

BOOTH 414

619-621-8253 www.themarshmallowstudio.com

BOOTH 145-244

608-296-2300 www.TheKnockShoppe.com

Lucks Food Decorating Company

Lucks Food Decorating Company is the leading manufacturer of USAmade edible food decorations. Our trendy designs and quality decorating products help you finish cakes and confections with ease. See our ad on page 19

BOOTH 414

800-426-9778 www.lucks.com

ake

hanC T e r

More Than Cake

Finest in powdered floral fragrances for gum paste, and powdered flavors for fondant, butter creams and more. Visit our booth #143 at ICES 2013. See our ad on page 63.

BOOTH 143

N.Y. Cake

757-508-8961 www.morethancakeonline.com

Stiletto High Heel Shoe Kit comes with all the templates, silicone heel mold and drying ramp to create your favorite edible designer shoe. See our ad on page 28.

BOOTH 316

800-942-2539 www.nycake.com

PhotoFrost

PhotoFrost manufactures top quality, edible printing, embossing and die cutting products for decorators of all levels. Our vibrant colored icing sheets will help to give that “WOW” factor to all your cakes. See our ad on page 95.

BOOTH 216, 218 & 220

352-528-9292 www.photofrost.com

Simi Cakes & Confections Simi Ready-to-Use Isomalt in Crystal Clear, Vibrant Colors & Metallics, Pre-Made Isomalt Gems, Designer Silicone Molds, Sugar Tools, Cake Decorating & Chocolate & Isomalt Workshops. See our ad on page 32 & 86.

BOOTH429

321-543-3492 www.simicakes.com

Ruth Rickey Products

Cutters, Veiners, Molds and custom dusting kits. Tools, including the Ruth mini mat. See our ad on page 78.

BOOTH 540

www.ruthrickey.com www.EdibleArtistsNetwork.com 85

Teach Me, Simi!

Blown Sugar Bubbles & Hearts Sculpture

Announcing EAN hosted classes with Sidney Galpern, owner of Simi Cakes & Confections

Monday, Nov. 18th 9am - 1pm (Addison, IL)

Learn incredible pulled sugar/isomalt techniques and cast beautiful sculptures to create a a striking centerpiece. Class Cost - $95

Chocolate Sculpture Class

Monday, Nov. 18th 2pm - 5:30pm (Addison, IL)

Cast freeform and molded chocolate sculptures, make bows, and use chocolate transfer sheets, luster dust and Icing Images to create beautiful color and contrast. Class Cost - $95

Save your seat today! http://tinyurl.com/eanchocolate

Pulled Isomalt Ruffle Roses & Fabric Pleats Tuesday, Nov. 19th 9am - 5pm (Addison, IL)

Learn pulled sugar/isomalt techniques to create the look of ruffle roses and pleated fabrics, plus cast beads and drops to make smaller versions of the cakes shown Class Cost - $175

A full day of learning! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss it! http://tinyurl.com/eanisomalt

Certified professional chocolatier, cake designer, sugar artist and international instructor Sidney Galpern is paying a very special visit to the Windy City this November for a trio of EAN-hosted classes. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss this chance to learn from one of the best!

http://tinyurl.com/eanthree

Ken is the owner of The Social Gloo, a new media marketing company specializing in social media management for business. Visit Ken online at www.thesocialgloo.com

Increase Your Social Reach With Email / Grow Your Email List With Social Media art 2 P By Ken Fehner

Welcome to Part 2 of our conversation on email marketing and social media. Last time, we discussed how to increase your social media reach with email. In this post, I will be discussing how to grow your email list with your social media. Please see Part 1 for my explanation on why you should be using an email marketing service like Constant Contact and not Outlook or other email providers for your newsletters. Let’s acknowledge that all your social media fans and followers probably haven’t subscribed to your newsletter yet. The good news is services like Constant Contact make it easy for you to add widgets, apps and links to your website, Facebook and other social media platforms. In Constant Contact, you can go to “Contacts” and select the “Sign-up Tools” tab. You will be able to select from website sign-up forms, installing a signup app on Facebook, creating a “Text-To-Sign-up” for mobile phones and, ﬁnally, the very cool custom QR code you can put on store signs and business cards that allows smartphone users to join your email list. All of these options are free.

tab. Then, just swap your new sign-up tab with one of the tabs on the top. Now that the tab is installed, click on it to customize it. You can add your logo and, if you have various email lists, you can oﬀer the choice of which list to sign-up for. Now you’re done, right? No…now you have to get your fans to use this new feature. I suggest you go ahead and make a post inviting your fans to sign-up. Be sure to give them a couple of reasons why they should sign-up. The great thing is you don’t have to give away the store…reasons to sign-up don’t have to be monetary. For example, if you’re a bakery, you could say, “Sign-up for our newsletter right here on Facebook to receive our latest news, how-to’s and baking tips!” Remember, most of your fans will view your post on their newsfeed. So, be sure to include the link to the app. You can ﬁnd the link url by clicking on the link and copying the link from your browser. This link may be a little long, so you may want to shorten it by using Google’s url shortener. Now, paste the link into your post and you are good to go!

“The great thing is you don’t have to give away the store… reasons to sign-up don’t have to be monetary.”

For this discussion, we will be selecting the “Install Facebook App.” Once selected, you will be prompted to install the app on Facebook. (Please note, you must be an admin of the Facebook page to add the app, and you should be logged in to Facebook.) If you manage more than one Facebook page, you will select the page you would like the app installed on. Once the app is installed, go to your Facebook page and make sure it is visible. It could be hidden because Facebook only shows four tabs or apps. Your tabs are located under your cover photo. Next to the last tab on the right, you will see a small down arrow…click on it to reveal the other apps. You can simply rearrange the tabs by mousing over the app to reveal the settings option on the top right of the Background Image © venimo - Fotolia.com

Over time you will start to see your email list grow as fans discover and use your sign-up form. Remember to remind them about your form each time you send out a newsletter, and let them know what they are missing by not signing up. Whenever you send out an email you will want to include the share buttons which allow email recipients to share your newsletter on their favorite social media platform. This is why it is also very important to include a “Join Our Email” link in each of your newsletters. I hope these tips have been helpful. Best of luck with marketing your newsletter with social media.

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Faces

By Lesi Johns-Lambert

Calgary, Alberta - Canada

Author Bio I am a Certified Cake Designer. I founded Lesi’s Kitchen, School of Cake Artistry in 2007. (www.lesiskitchen.com) I enjoy passing along my cake knowledge and my emphasis remains creativity and art based.I believe that we are in a time when cake is not just cake anymore. You need to stand out from the rest and I encourage my students to incorporate their own personality into all of their artworks.

You will need:

Gumpaste of your choice Styrofoam structure to hold ﬁgure head Orangewood modeling stick, sharpened to a dull point on both ends Small bowl for water

DOWNLOAD THE PDF

Several different sized brushes for blending seams Thin pointed modeling stick Small paring knife Emery Board and Sanding Block Copper and ivory gel color Petal dusts: Mango, rose, mushroom Background Image © Miro Novak - Fotolia.com

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Before you begin dye your gumpaste to the desired skintone.

1 3 5 7 9

Roll a 1.5â&#x20AC;? piece of colored gumpaste to a smooth round ball

Lightly score a center facial line, horizontal eye line and mouth line. Using your pointed modeling stick, make two small holes on the eye line and on either side of the mid facial line Be sure to start with one ball and cut it in half so that both pieces are of equal size

Place above and below each eye area

Using your small paring knife, cut a slit to form a smile (or frown if you prefer.)

2 4 6 8 10

Shape to form a neck and insert modeling stick into the bottom. Insert modeling stick into your Styrofoam form so that you can be hands free Insert a small piece of black gumpaste (or fondant) into each of the eye holes. Eyelids. Start with a small ball and cut it in half so that both pieces are of equal size. Shape each piece into a small crescent shape. Smooth into place with a dampened brush. Be sure to keep your brush damp so that you can completely blend each added piece of gumpaste into your ďŹ gure. Repeat for both eyes.

Create a bottom lip by forming a small crescent shape.

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Blend the seams it into your ďŹ gure using a dampened brush. Be sure tuck the corners into the mouth for an even seamless look. If your gumpaste becomes dry and small cracks appear, they can be ďŹ lled after all of the facial features have been added.

Using your sharp modeling tool, insert to make nose holes. Begin to shape the nostril ďŹ&#x201A;are from inside the nose hole.

Add a small ball of gumpaste to the cheek area under each eye.

For the chin, again make another crescent shape. This one should be thicker in the centre.

Blend the seams into the face. You may choose to use a smaller brush to blend into the smaller spaces under the nose.

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12 14 16 18 20

Make a small teardrop shape for a nose. You can comfortably play with the proportions for your features without problem. The asymmetry is what will give your character some personality.

Using your dampened brush and your sharp modeling tool, give the nose some shape. Blend the nose bridge and nostril edges into the face.

Using your dampened brush, blend seams into the face

Apply under the mouth. Your crescent can be larger of smaller depending on your facial feature preference. Another small crescent over each eye will create eyebrows for your character.

21 23 25

Smooth out any seams that may be visible.

Using a dampened brush, push and blend to create the characteristics of the ear.

You should be left with a fairly smooth surface to work with.

22 24 26

Add a ďŹ&#x201A;attened half circle to either side of the head to create ears. The top of the eye should be in line with the corner of the eye. Once your character has dried, using a medium coarseness emery board and a sanding block, smooth away any rough edges on your character. At this point you are free to get creative and make this character come to life.

27 28 Add hair, eyebrows, glasses, mustache, hatsâ&#x20AC;Ś.whatever you fancy.

Using your petal dusts, give his face a little color. Some paint added to the eyes for a little sparkle. Have fun with it!

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r o f e k Ca e r u C the

Chef Dana Herbert is taking on the biggest and sweetest project of his career: a 20,000 pound, 20 foot high cake that will take the world record for the largest wedding cake ever made. Touted as the Cake for the Cure, the cake will be used to raise money to beneﬁt the Susan G. Komen for the Cure of Southern Nevada. The project will be built live in Las Vegas, Nevada at the International Baking Industry Exposition on October 6-9 by Chef Herbert and his all-star team of 19 sugar artists. With the world record of the largest cake ever made hanging in the balance, the Guinness Book of World Records will be on hand to document the feat. Slices of the Cake for the Cure will be made even sweeter as they are sold to IBIE participants and online with 100% of the proceeds going towards breast cancer research and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure cause. A portion of corporate sponsorship of the cake will also go to Susan G. Komen.

How Chef Dana Herbert is Looking to Break a Record and Help Beat Cancer By Dawn Daniels

With the large scale of the cake, the project will need to be pulled oﬀ by a team of sugar artists who are dedicated to making the dream of the largest cake ever made a reality. Chef Dana has recruited the best of the best including cast mates from TLC’s Cake Boss: Next Great Baker. Season 1 recruits include Jay Qualls, Greggy Soriano, Kendra Jordan and Johanna Lyons. Carmelo Oquendo, Jasmine Frank and Heather Macia from Season 2 also are on board, as well as Melissa Payne from Season 3. Additional members of this star-studded team are: Robert Self and Nicole Wilson from TLC’s Ultimate Cake Oﬀ and WEtv’s Wedding Cake Wars; Lace McKee from TLC’s Fabulous Cakes; and Gonzuela Bastarache, Ashleigh Wright and Michelle Curran from Food Network’s Halloween Wars and Sugar Dome. Professional bakers Juniati Kolingba, Dominicke Hayman, Stephanie Drye, DeAndrea Williams, Sebastian Todd, Latisha Mays, Edward Frye and Netesha Herbert also will be lending a hand, and students from the culinary school of the Art Institute of Las Vegas will help construct the cake.

Chef Dana Herbert’s career has skyrocketed since his win on Season 1 of Cake Boss: Next Great Baker, but his love for the culinary arts started as a child. “My grandmother was a great cook and I learned from her, hanging at the edge of her counter,” says Herbert. As a teenager, Herbert grabbed cookbooks and just started cooking or baking, as what he describes as the “light bulb” went oﬀ. Chef Dana has a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts and an additional Associates of Arts in Pastry from Johnson and Wales University, making him a double threat in the kitchen. He owns Desserts by Dana, a cake and dessert shop in New Castle, DE where he describes 100+ hour work weeks. “Some of the hard work is just survival but most of it is for the love of what I do. In building this business, I have had a ‘no quit’ attitude and that allows me to work to that extreme,” says Herbert. And with that same “no quit” attitude, Herbert has taken on the challenge of constructing the Cake for The Cure while raising money for a good cause. “I really wanted the cake to be for a charity that really could use funds to continue their work, and I am happy to support Susan G. Komen,” says Herbert. The Cake for the Cure may be built in Vegas, but the blessings it will provide won’t stay in Vegas! They will spread like icing on a cake for the cause of breast cancer research to ultimately help people across the country aﬀected by the disease.

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Mother of Cakes Sugar & Cake Academy commissioned a chocolate cake sculpture by Florida Artist Paul Joachim. The sculpture was of Norman R. Davis and Zane Beg. It was over 6ft tall with Norman piggy backing on Zane’s back. It weighed over 250lbs with chocolate and cake.

The transportation of the cake was filmed by A&E Networks Shipping Wars and was watched by over 1.7 million viewers. The show filmed the cake being transported from Paul’s place in Orlando, Florida to the Academy in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. The cake was part of a dinner celebrating the two artists. Tanveer Walli the Director of Mother of Cakes commissioned the cake to celebrate

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Norman’s birthday and Zane being named one of the top 10 cake artists in the USA. The duo have worked closely with Mother of Cakes since its launch the ICES Convention in Charlotte North Carolina 2 years ago. Although all the cake has been removed the sculpture is still standing at the school. View the clip here: http://tinyurl.com/shippingwars

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