Review of Lesson 2 of Intensive PME Professional Diploma in Sugarpaste

This is my review of Lesson 2 of Intensive 5 Day Course for the PME Professional Diploma Course in Sugarpaste.

The opening talk in Lesson 2 of Intensive 5 Day Course for the PME Professional Diploma Course in Sugarpaste covered awareness of a professional approach to business, including the need to find out about the health and hygiene regulations you would need to conform to if you start selling your cakes professionally, the finances of running a cake business and what to consider when taking orders and payments.

The practical session of Lesson 2 of Intensive 5 Day Course for the PME Professional Diploma Course in Sugarpaste covered cake carving, using textured rolling pins including basket weave, levelling and preparing a fruit cake for icing by use of marzipan. We also had to cover the top of the marzipaned cake with a layer of sugarpaste which we then textured, in preparation for creating an inlaid plaque in week 3.

Pillow Cake with Basket Weave Texture

For my carved cake, which had to include use of the PME basket weave rolling pin and feature the garret frill cutter, I choose to create a pillow cake. You can find the recipe for my Chocolate Cake in my Chocolate Cushion Cake post. I also used the technique of inlaying cut-outs that we had covered in Lesson 1.

I made my own template for the cushion cake. My chocolate cake recipe provides a firm cake and I made the cake the day before using it to ensure that it was firm enough for carving. Once carved into the shape of a cushion cake, I split the cake, filled it with chocolate buttercream and then crumb-coated it with a thin layer of chocolate buttercream. I covered the cake in two colours of sugarpaste. For the bottom layer, I used plain dusty pink sugarpaste, and I then used my own template to cut the fondant to shape before placing the carved cake on top of it, gently bringing up the fondant to shape around the cake. I covered the top of the cake with a layer of sugarpaste that I had coloured a light brown and textured with a basket weave rolling pin. This paste was also cut to shape before placing on the cake. I eased the two layers of sugarpaste together but was not too worried if there was a small gap, as I used my sugarpaste gun to create contrasting piping – as you would find on a real cushion.

I decorated my cushion cake with an inlaid garret frill and fabric effect flowers.

I really enjoyed this class and there was a lot of creativity demonstrated. There were 9 students in this lesson and such a variety of carved cakes were produced, including a Chinese Steamer Basket with sugarpaste sushi! It was very inspirational and there was no overlap in ideas between students at all.

You may also be interested in my other reviews of the Intensive 5 Day Course for the PME Professional Diploma Course in Sugarpaste: Lesson1, Lesson3, Lesson4, Lesson5 and Final Presentation Board and Presentation Celebration Cake.

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