War of the Sugarpaste Roses : Wedding Cakes: The English have a different way of doing things. A report from the fondant front.

While American brides dream of wedding cakes with lots of fluffy buttercream shaped in baroque swags, borders and flowers, their British counterparts imagine something else. The English wedding cake is firm, covered in fondant as hard as alabaster and decorated with filigree lace and porcelain-like flowers sculpted from sugarpaste.

But both are changing. This is partly due to British cake-decorating instructor Cynthia Venn. When she visits the United States, decorators flock to her workshops, hoping to master the increasingly popular British decorating style. In turn, Venn says, enthusiastic American students are influencing British methods.

Fondant is a pliable material made of powdered sugar. It is kneaded, rolled out like pie dough and then draped smoothly over the cake; it dries firm on top while remaining moist and chewy on the inside. The surface looks like alabaster and provides a perfect backdrop for delicate decorations. These traditionally draw on England’s rich heritage of needlework; sometimes the rolled fondant surface is even embroidered with tiny threads of piped icing. For really elaborate effects, the diameter of the covered cake can be pierced in intervals and bits of colored ribbon drawn through to make it look as if the cake is woven. Another popular British method is painting the icing on with a brush, which adds texture and dimension.

These elegant techniques date back to Victorian England. During both world wars, however, sugar rationing forced British cake decorators to temporarily abandon their art. Meanwhile, the tradition flourished in British colonies such as Australia and southern Africa. As a result, what was originally an English style is often referred to as the Australian or South African method.

“But the British are reclaiming this heritage,” says Venn, who was recently in this country conducting a weeklong workshop at Crafty Kitchen in Westminster. “The Australians became adept at royal icing lacework, and the South Africans are known for their sugar flowers. Now the British are building on what both countries have done.”

No one is sure exactly what sparked American interest in British cake decorating, but many speculate that Rose Levy Beranbaum’s “The Cake Bible” had something to do with it. When the book appeared in 1988, it featured a rolled fondant wedding cake Levy had designed for Bon Appetit magazine. The same cake was featured on the “Today Show” and displayed in the window of the Museum of Contemporary Art in New York.

“People fell in love with that cake,” says Beranbaum. “I called it ‘Dotted Swiss Dream.’ Several brides planned their entire wedding around the dotted Swiss motif. Single friends joked that they wanted to get married just to have that cake.”

“Brides are asking for these cakes,” confirms Zella Junkin, director of the Wilton School of Cake Decorating and Confectionary Art in Illinois. She says that the school has taught British cake methods for at least 20 years, but that lately the courses have been attracting more students. “Decorators have to keep up. The cakes can cost two to three times more,” she says, “because they take longer to make, but many people are still willing to pay the price.”

“There aren’t enough people trained in this method to keep up with demand,” says decorator Kevin Pavlina, whose work is regularly featured in bridal magazines. “Magazine features have a lot to do with it. Brides will rip a picture out of a magazine and take it to their baker, who often has no idea how to duplicate the cake. I get a lot of calls from frustrated bakers.”

Brides unable to find a decorator able to create the cake of their dreams have been known to pay Pavlina to bake the cake and bring it by air. Pavlina bakes and decorates the cakes in his Detroit studio and often travels thousands of miles to deliver them. The cakes travel in their own private airplane seats.

Here in Southern California you don’t have to go to those extremes. One of the people who came to take Venn’s workshop was Linda Meeden, an Arcadia cake decorator. “About 95% of my requests are for rolled fondant cakes,” says Meeden, who studied the art in her native Australia and is also trained in American techniques. “Decorators thrive on challenge, and with this, the possibilities are endless.”

Eileen Walker was another participant in the class. Her upscale wedding cakes are often seen at places such as the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel. A resident of Huntington Beach who learned cake decorating while living in Zimbabwe, Walker came to perfect her art. Under Venn’s direction she was crafting tiny butterflies to hover over arrangements of minuscule woodland flowers--snowdrops, buttercups, wood anemone and periwinkle--all made of sugar, all incredibly realistic.

“Most people store these flowers under a glass dome in their china cabinet,” says Walker. The sugarpaste flowers (also called gumpaste flowers because the ingredients include gum tragacanth) are painted with diluted food coloring and tinted with petal dust, a blush-like pigment. They are not meant to be eaten, but they last indefinitely if kept from heat, strong light and humidity. Says Walker, “They make a wonderful wedding or christening keepsake.”

In Britain, South Africa and Australia, wedding cakes are usually made of a heavy cake--fruitcake or poundcake--with a layer of marzipan beneath the fondant. American decorators have amazed the British by offering much lighter, fluffier cakes with the same rolled fondant covering. Instead of marzipan, Americans often add chocolate or fruit-flavored butter-cream frosting between layers.

“British decorators are intrigued by this and I plan to include these Americanized versions in my next book,” says Venn. “The British are very traditional and may never give up their beloved fruitcake, but the exchange of ideas is inspiring.”

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Don’t hesitate to try covering your favorite cake with rolled fondant, which works beautifully on American-style cakes as well as on traditional British fruit and pound cakes. The fondant seals in moisture, allowing extra time to experiment with delicate piping techniques. Some cake-decorating shops sell ready-made rolled fondant and flower modeling paste, but both are easy to make and keep for months in the refrigerator .

Making sugar flowers requires special cutters and petal dust, a blush-like pigment, sold in some cake-decorating shops or by mail order from Maid of Scandinavia. Books illustrating flower-making techniques are also available, with diagramed instructions for beginners.

ROLLED FONDANT ICING

Water

1/2 ounce unflavored powdered gelatin

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons liquid glucose

1 tablespoon glycerin

Few drops of vanilla or almond extract, optional

1 1/2 pounds sifted powdered sugar

Cornstarch

Bring half-full saucepan of water to boil, then remove from heat. Place gelatin and 3 tablespoons water in heat-proof bowl over saucepan of hot water. Stir occasionally until gelatin has dissolved. Add glucose and glycerin and stir until mixture is thin and slightly warm. Add flavoring if desired. Remove bowl from saucepan. Stir sifted powdered sugar into gelatin mixture with wooden spoon until mixture binds together. Dust hands and fingers with powdered sugar and knead mixture into ball.

Dust rolling surface lightly with powdered sugar and knead icing until smooth, pliable and free of cracks. If fondant is sticky, knead in additional sifted powdered sugar. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in covered bowl in refrigerator.

Roll fondant to 1/4-inch thickness on surface dusted with powdered sugar. Using rolling pin as support, lift fondant and drape over top and sides of cake. Trim off excess with pizza cutter or sharp knife. Dust fingers and hands with cornstarch and smooth surface with gentle circular movements until smooth and glossy. Air bubbles may be pierced with pin and rubbed smooth. Decorate surface with piped royal icing and sugar flowers. Makes 1 3/4 pounds, enough to cover 1 (10-inch) layer cake.

Note: Liquid glucose and glycerin are available at cake-decorating supply shops.

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FLOWER MODELING PASTE

1 pound powdered sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon gum tragacanth

2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

5 teaspoons cold water

2 teaspoons shortening

2 teaspoons liquid glucose

1 egg white

Sift sugar, cornstarch and gum tragacanth into oven-proof bowl. Heat gently in low oven until sugar feels warm.

In another bowl, sprinkle gelatin into cold water and let stand until all water is absorbed. Dissolve mixture over hot water or in microwave, but do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in shortening and liquid glucose. Pour sugar-cornstarch mixture into heavy-duty electric mixer bowl. Make well in center and pour in liquids and egg white. Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated. Increase to maximum speed and mix until paste is white and stringy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Wrap paste in plastic wrap and store in covered container in refrigerator overnight.

To assemble flowers, work quickly. Paste dries out quickly and must be kept covered. Cut off only small quantity required and store remaining paste in refrigerator. Sprinkle rolling surface with cornstarch and roll paste out until thin and translucent. Cut into desired shapes. Roll wood pick gently back and forth along petal edges to give natural, frilled look. Assemble petals using egg white as glue. Air-dry away from heat and direct sunlight. To color, brush flowers lightly with petal dust. Makes 1 pound.

Note: Gum tragacanth is available at cake-decorating supply shops.

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ROYAL ICING

2 pounds sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup egg meringue powder

1 scant cup faucet-hot water

Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder and water. Beat on medium speed until mixture holds stiff peak. Use as is to pipe white-on-white design on rolled fondant surface or color with paste food coloring. Dries to hard, candy-like texture. Store unused icing in refrigerator in covered container. Makes 4 cups.

Note: All equipment that comes in contact with icing mixture must be completely grease-free, including beaters, mixing bowl and piping tubes.

Egg meringue powder is available at cake-decorating supply shops.

Cake Talk

Information and Organizations

Southern California Cake

Decorator’s Club.

Meets monthly in Huntington Beach

c/o Francis Kuyper

432 N. Lola Ave.,

Pasadena, Calif. 91107

(818) 793-7355

ICES (International Cake Exploration Societe)

4883 Camelia Lane

Bossier City, La. 71111

(318) 746-2812

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Books, Supplies and Classes

Cake Decorating & Candy

Supply Shops Ltd.

P. O. Box 2800

Palos Verdes, Calif. 90274

(310) 532-7490

Crafty Kitchen

15667 Brookhurst St.

Westminster, Calif.

(714) 531-9504

Gloria’s Cake & Candy Supplies

3755 Sawtelle Blvd.

Los Angeles, Calif.

(310) 391-4557

Party Cake Shop

1238 S. Beach Blvd.

Anaheim, Calif.

(714) 821-1881

Parrish’s Cake Decorating Supplies

225 West 146th St.

Gardena, Calif.

(310) 324-2253

Jane’s Cakes

1331 Honolulu Ave.

Montrose, Calif.

(818) 957-2511

Wilton Industries

2240 West 75th St.

Woodridge, Ill. 60517

(708) 963-7100

Maid of Scandinavia

3244 Raleigh Ave.

Minneapolis, Minn. 55416

(800) 328-6722

Full-color catalogue and bimonthly journal.

Merehurst Ltd. Publishing Co.

Ferry House 51/57 Lacy Road

London SW15 1PR, England

Charles Letts & Co. Publishing Ltd.

Diary House, Borough Road

London SE1 1 DW, England