COLOUR MILL FLORAL CAKE

Instructions

Cake by Siobhan Houlihan - Mystery Baker

@mystery_baker

1. Bake your cake as per the instructions on the back of your LOYAL Premium Cake Mix. Allow the cake to cool completely before getting started.
   Tip: Once out of the oven, carefully wrap in Gladwrap and pop in the fridge. This will keep your cake from drying out while cooling!
2. Begin by breaking off a manageable chunk of Colour Mill Decorators Dough White and knead with your hands to soften.
3. Once soft, pliable and workable, lightly dust your work surface (LOYAL Self-Healing Mat or kitchen bench) with cornflour.
   Tip: Don't overdo it, too much cornflour will cause Decorators Dough to dry out.
4. Roll out the Decorators Dough, frequently flipping, rotating and dusting it to ensure a smooth, even, non-stick surface. Roll to approximately 2mm thick. Measure the circumference and height of your cake to ensure you've rolled out enough fondant. Use the base of your cake tin to trace a circle in the fondant to cover the top of the cake.
5. With your cake completely cooled. It's time to crumb coat the cake. Pop your Colour Mill Gloss Frost in the microwave in 20-second bursts to soften.
   Tip: You're trying to achieve a texture like a soft serve ice cream
6. Using your LOYAL Straight Spatula, scoop a generous amount of Gloss Frost onto the tip of the spatula and apply straight to the side of the cake. Smooth out with your Colour Mill Serial Scraper to fill gaps and trap crumbs. Continue until the cake is covered in a thin layer of Gloss Frost (cake should be peeking through) and pop in the fridge for 5-10 mins to let it set.
   Tip: Don't ice the cake so much that you can't see any cake, this will make the Decorators Dough layer slip off.
7. Remove from the fridge. Roll up your rolling pin in the Decorators Dough, this will make it easy to apply to your cake! Sit the rolling pin parallel to the cake, secure the edge of the fondant to the cake and roll out to cover the entire surface of the cake. Press lightly to ensure it's secure. Apply the top piece of fondant to the top of your cake.
8. Use your LOYAL Fondant Smoother to lightly smooth out the joins of the fondant using small, circular motions.
9. It's time to paint! Pop a few small drops of your chosen colours onto a paint palette or non-porous surface. Mix each colour with a small amount of decorating alcohol (or vodka). This will turn them into watercolour colours!
10. Using a flat brush, paint rough, floral shapes randomly around the cake. Follow this with another layer of paint to add dimension. Continue until your flowers are starting to take shape.
11. Use a round-shaped brush to paint stems and leaves from each flower - filling the empty gaps.
12. Use a detailing brush and straight Paint Blend in the same colour as your flowers (no alcohol) to paint small detailing strokes onto each flower.
13. Clean your detailing brush and pick up 24 Karat Metallic Paint Blend. Use this to outline every flower and add highlights to the stems and leaves. Finally, clean the brush again and pick up some Black Paint Blend. Paint stamens on the centre of each flower.
14. Serve and enjoy!