Silicone Texture Mats and Buttercream?

A very common question I get is if the DTC silicone mats will work on a buttercream cake.  I wasn't sure so I decided to give it a try.

I decided to try it out with the oak tree bark mat.  Since the mat is so deep and detailed I knew I needed a very thick layer of buttercream to start.  I added approximately a 1/3" thick layer of buttercream to the outside of the cake. I made sure the top was smooth how I wanted it.  Then semi smoothed the sides.  I didn't get super picky on this.  Just a quick smooth.  Sorry I forgot to take a picture at this stage.

Then in the freezer the cake went.  I wanted it nice and cold but not frozen.  In my freezer I left it about 15-20 minutes.  I wanted the cake firm enough that it took some pressure to dent when I touched the side of the cake but would move some.

Take the cake out of the freezer and lay the texture mat next to the cake and very firmly and evenly press the mat into the cake.  I was by myself so not the best picture.  Press firmly.  You can use a fondant smoother to make sure it is evenly pressed. When you have the nice thick buttercream layer and you are pushing on it like this it will force some of the buttercream up above the top edge of the cake.  I liked this look and played while pushed to get the somewhat rough top edge that bark would give.

Gently pull the mat away.  I did get some of the buttercream stuck in the deep crevices but only after the cake has been out a while and I kept futzing with the cake.

The buttercream really picks up the details!

Quick airbrush with some various browns.

Add some grass and butterflies and I'm all done!

DTC Products Used:

Oak Tree Bark Large Texture Mat

You could also use:

Pear Tree Bark Texture Mat

Let's get Corny!

I was attending the Missouri ICES Day of Sharing this last April when Laura White did a demo on a crab boil cake.  She started to show how to make the corn on the cob.  She mentioned that you should charge a lot if they want corn because they are difficult to make.  She then took a tiny oval cutter and started cutting out little corn pieces to attach for the cob.

Obviously my mind was working over time trying to decide if I could make a texture mat to ease the process.  It took me several attempts to get one that I could share with you.

Here is how hard it to make some corn!

I took some yellow fondant and white fondant -- added a touch of tylose to each -- unfortunately I do not measure the tylose.  You can also use gumpaste, 50/50 (50% gumpaste/50% fondant), candy clay, etc.  You will just want something that can hold its shape and not smoosh flat while drying.

I used about 60:40 ratio of yellow:white fondant/gumpaste.  Slightly mix and marble the colors together.
 Form the resulting marbled fondant into a corn cob shape.

Lay the log onto the DTC Corn Texture Mat and roll it up in the mat.

Give the tube some gentle even pressure making sure to maintain the log/corn cob shape.

Unroll.  How does my corn look?

Let me know what you think about Decorate the Cake's new Corn Texture Mat.

DTC Products Used:
Corn Texture Mat

Let the Good Times Roll!

Here is a quick and simple cake to add to your Mardi Gras festivities this week.

First we covered the cake in a green fondant.  Then using our new wavy texture to add the purple details.  I like to roll out the fondant on top of the texture mat.  This helps me to make sure that I'm rolling the fondant even.

Look Mom!  No hands.  I had to operate the camera!  

Next I turned the mat over and slowly pulled it off the fondant.  

Using a small square cutter I cut squares and arranged on the sides of the cake.  Easy!

Dust some sugar pearls with gold luster dust and place at the corners.  I also painted the board with the same gold.

Then I used green, purple and gold bling ribbon and some double sided sticky tape to add some bling to the board.

I will get the details on the mask in another blog.

Products Used:

Wavy Texture Mat
Fleur de lis - Fancy Mini

Gold Bling Ribbon

Apply Green Bling Ribbon

Purple Bling Ribbon

Other Colors of Bling Ribbon

Get Out of the Dog House!

This cake is sure to let you out of the dog house!

It is a pretty simple cake -- but the spiked dog collar bottom border puts it over the top.

Roll out a length of fondant to the size for the mold.

Lay the fondant on top of mold cavity and press in.  To get the fondant into the spikes you will need to really push it in.

Use a rolling pin to smooth down the back of the mold.  Take a small knife and trim off the excess.

Pop in the freezer to harden -- this is necessary to get the spikes out intact.  Have a bowl of ice cream while you wait!

Turn the mold upside down and gently roll up.  As you come to each spike, gently stretch the mold to pop it out.  I accidentally ripped one off - while it was still frozen I put it in place with a touch of gum glue and it stayed affixed just fine.

Get some supplies out to dust the spikes!  I mixed a little of Albert Uster's gold dust with vodka.

Paint the spikes.

Products Used:
Spiked Dog Collar
Doggie Assortment
Paw Print Texture Mat

Puppy Paw Print Tutorial

Here's a quick tutorial for Decorate The Cake's cute paw print mold.  I used black fondant and mixed in some tylose powder.  Tylose powder makes the fondant dry faster and harder.  I rarely use gumpaste anymore, and instead use fondant with tylose for modeling or making flowers.  Start with a small ball of the fondant/tylose and then press it into the mold.  It may take a few tries, but soon you'll figure out the right amount of fondant needed to fit perfectly in the pad or the toes.

If the fondant is not wanting to stay in the mold or is sticking to your fingers, dust on a little corn starch.

Press the fondant into the mold and continue with the rest of the paw prints.

Let the paw prints dry for an hour or so in the mold.  If you are in a hurry, you could put the mold in the freezer for 10 minutes.  When I was ready to flip them out, I put a cake circle on top, flipped it over and then carefully peeled back the mold.  Most of the prints came out easily, but I did have to  help a few of them out with a small paint brush.  I use a paint brush as opposed to a toothpick or fingernail (yikes!) so I won't leave a mark in the fondant prints.  

Make more prints, if needed.  The bottom tier of my cake was a 12" round and I used about 20 paw prints to go around the cake.  When you're ready to put them on your cake, first put a small dot of buttercream on the back.

Then using a toothpick or paintbrush, pick up the print by the buttercream dot and carefully place it on the cake.  

I loved having this mold for this cake.  I wanted all of the prints to be basically identical.  I'm afraid if I would have tried to model them by hand, they wouldn't have been so uniform in shape and size.  And it would have taken me FOREVER to make each one by hand because I'm such a perfectionist - I seriously could spend 20 minutes making one print!!!  The other thing I like about the mold is the raised or rounded dimension it gives the print.  Something I couldn't achieve with a Cricut or cutting a stencil by hand with an X-acto knife.  

This mold is very versatile.  You could use melted chocolate in a squeeze bottle or even isomalt.   It could also be used as a texture mat.  Above all - just HAVE FUN playing with your cake!

Guest post by Charla Tatom

www.celebratewithcake.net

Products Used:

Paw Prints Texture Mat - Large

Similar Item: 

Paw Prints Texture Mat

Wedding Dress Corset Cake/TuTu Cake

Oh! this has to be one of my favorites - the Corset Lace.  When I found this lace I fell in love with it and knew it had to be made into a mold -- It has proven to be extremely popular and I love seeing the different projects using it.  I was so excited to add it to the list of test products for the Decorate the Cake Product User group and just love what Lori came up with for her project. 

Wedding Dress Corset Cake/TuTu Cake
by Lori Holbrook, DTC Product Test Group Member


My name is Lori Holbrook but I am also known as the Busy Bee Baker. I am a self-taught cake girl!!! I love to cook and after the birth of my first nephew my cake baking turned into cake decorating. That first cake prompted some of my friends to want cakes. After a move my cake orders had ceased until someone saw a picture on facebook of the last nephew’s 1st birthday cake and my business has taken off. I am also a full time special education teacher but I have a huge passion for cake art!!!! My business name is a celebration of the 3 nephews we call the Killer Bs…..all their names begin with me….so each B in Busy Bee Baker represents one of my nephews!!! You can check out my work on Facebook….search for Busy Bee Baker!!!!


This was a fun creation for me. I had been toying with the idea of a corset cake when I saw the corset mold. I used three different DTC products for this project. The Corset Wedding Cake then morphed itself into a Tutu cake. I had some batter left over from another cake order so I made one 4 in” layer and two 5” layers. I dirty iced all three with the 4” layer between the two 5” layers…to try and have a little bit of a curve so I wouldn’t have to sculpt. My cake was not of the sculpting texture….future cakes would be sculpted.


Once the layers were dirty iced and chilled, I rolled out white fondant and embossed with the feather swirls and draped the layers. Next I made the corset from the mold and attached to the cake to cover the back seam. I applied edible sugar pearls to the front of the cake and then made pleats and attached to the bottom of the cake and added a fondant rope to cover the seams. Then I draped white fondant around the top of cake and spiraling in to cover the top. Once I completed I got the idea to paint the corset with luster dust to show off detail in pictures….that is when I had the vision of a tutu cake…..I added a few fondant roses to the bottom of the corset and snapped some pictures.


Then I went back toke off the roping and rose buds and painted the bodice of the cake and the bottom pleating with pink luster dust. I added the roping back and thought the front needed something more so I added a fondant cut out of the DTC medallion and dusted it with luster dust and attached to the bottom of the cake........then made a pair of fondant ballet shoes to go atop the cake of to the side.


I think the corset added a neat detail that can be used for the front of back of cake.

Along with the corset mold, I used the Fancy Scroll finding mold and the Feather Swirls #2 Texture Mat shown below:

  

Here is the corset lace press

Here are the progression pictures and final results 

 

Products Used:

Fancy Scroll Findings

Feather Swirls Texture Mat

Corset Lace

Mermaid by Maria Short

Maria Short, chef/owner of Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, created this adorable mermaid for her first project as a member of the DTC product user group.

She chose the small scale fish texture mat and the spiny starfish mold.

The mermaid is hand molded from FONDX  strengthened with tylose.  If you listen close enough you can hear the ocean breeze and the waves crashing on the shore! 

You can check out more about Maria at www.shortnsweet.biz.

Products used:
Spiny Starfish
Small Fish Scales Texture Mat