The Jabot Mold

What is a JABOT? 

My friend Wikipedia defines Jabot as :
Jabot (pronounced /ʒæˈboʊ/ ( listen), from French jabôt: a bird's crop); alternatively a bird's croup or craw. Originally the term jabot referred to the frilling or ruffles decorating the front of a shirt.^[1] It has evolved into a decorative clothing accessory consisting of lace or other fabric falling from the throat, suspended from or attached to a neckband or collar; or simply pinned at the throat.

My other friend Thesaurus defines Jabot as :

Noun

1.

jabot - a ruffle on the front of a woman's blouse or a man's shirt flounce, furbelow, ruffle, frill - a strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim

There... a Jabot is a fancy neckwear!

Because of its intricate details, the cake industry has adopted it as one of its classic designs and pattern.  There have been ways to make jabot details from royal icing. And as the industry evolved, they have developed a  more convenient way to create a uniform look for a Jabot piece. Resin molds, Plastic  and Silicone molds have popped in the cake decorating market.

I was given the opportunity to discover ways to use a jabot silicone mold. As it looks convenient to use, I will have to say it is  very tricky, it is not complicated, it is  time consuming, the result is rewarding! the piece is such a beauty!

DTC offers 2 styles of jabot mold found in this link :
Jabot #1
Jabot #2

Both designs are stunning!

I tried doing the the pieces using fondant, it works but we have to consider the time and the structure of fondant. Fondant cannot be thinned out as much as we can thin out a gumpaste. And because the product will be a thin and delicate piece we need more elasticity and a more stronger paste to do the project. Therefore, we  have to use gumpaste to deal with the Jabot Mold. The fondant can be mixed with a little amount of tylose powder to add strenght and elasticity. The RTU (ready to use) gumpaste is conveniently available in the market. There are many recipes by different cake experts for homemade gumpaste.

 Materials: 

DTC's Jabot Silicone Molds
2 inch size ball of well kneaded gumpaste
shortening (crisco)
rolling pin
tooth pick
dresden tool
small fine clay knife
6 inch rolling pin
foam pad
steamer
forming mat
fine scissors
wire brush
Lots of patience!


 Knead the  gumpaste well and form a  sausage , place the rolling pin on the sausage lengthwise and  flatten it out in the middle making sure that you create a thin well .

Roll sides, lengthening and widening the paste. 

Rub a small amount of crisco on the mold. Lay the sheet of gumpaste you just rolled and press gently but firmly to the mold making sure that the gumpaste adheres and goes through the nook and crannies of the details. 












Make sure the middle portion is thin enough that you can almost see the mold through. 













Trim the edges and smooth the edges with your fingers.




Try to lift the gumpaste off the mold, this is an event that may may you nervous, you shouldn't be, as the shortening you rubbed on the mold will help you lift it up effortlessly!. Lift slowly and check if you got the details. If you left out some, return it back to the mold and press the part where it needed the details with your clay knife.

If you need to patch some broken strings, this is the time to do it. Don't worry if there are film of gumpaste still on the piece, we will clean it out later.













Lay the piece on a foam pad and let it dry for 10-15 minutes.

If the piece has slightly hardened a bit after 15 minutes, take your dresden tool or toothpick, poke the film  of gumpaste on the foam. 

It is easier to  poke the dried film than when it is moist. 










Yes, the back part of the piece will look messy, you can clean it out using the wire brush, but be gentle. Do everything on top of the foam pad so to keep the piece still and safe.  








Steam the back portion of the piece to clean out any remaining bits of  gumpaste scraps.









Let the pieces dry to form on the forming mat for a curved look.  If you don't have a forming mat, use a roll paper towel.



If you want it flat, just lay it on top of a foam or a box with a paper towel.









Note : dry it front side down since the back portion has been steamed. Remember that the back part is moist and will stick on to anything if you dry it back side down.



When the piece has dried up totally dried up you can go back and trim the edges and the details for a more cleaner look.

I hope this short tutorial has been helpful in dealing with
the jabot mold.

Please stay tuned for the continuation of this tutorial as I will be using the jabot pieces in combination with other classic molds that DTC is offering.

Happy Cake Decorating!
 Joanne Wieneke
The Little Cake Patch





DTC Products Used:
Jabot #1
Jabot #2
Scroll Oval Center
Filigree Butterfly