How Do I Apply A Diamond Pattern On Cake?

Decorating By need2sleep Updated 3 Nov 2008 , 2:57pm by His_snowflake

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need2sleep Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 1:34am
post #1 of 22

HI everyone!! I was wondering if I could get some advice on how to get a diamond pattern on the side of a cake. Should I use a cookie cutter or do I use string? icon_redface.gif I've been brainstorming on how it's done. I've never done this before and I am doing a babtism cake this weekend w/this pattern on the sides. I plan to use SMBC.

Thank you for any help you guys can offer. icon_lol.gif

Sandra

21 replies
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dragonflydreams Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 1:36am
post #2 of 22

. . . there are impression mats available . . . or some people use wooden skewers . . .

http://www.globalsugarart.com/search.php?search=diamond+impression+mat&searchimage.x=34&searchimage.y=3

Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

I use skewers to make the impressions ... I just eyeball it.

Here's one: http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1225307

I've done another where the diamond pattern is smaller (more diamonds across the cake), but I haven't reduced the size and loaded it yet.


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Kim_in_CajunCountry Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 3:12am
post #3 of 22

I attended my first ICES Day of Sharing as a guest (I am SO joining!) and we saw a demonstration by Two Sweet Sisters that used a cutter that looks like this to create diamond patterns on fondant. They said you could use it on buttercream, too. You can pipe pearls at each intersection so that the pattern appears cohesive.
Image Global Sugar Art sells plain ones like this in different sizes as well as some with other patterns inside the diamonds. You can see them here.

You can see examples of their work on their web site. They have also published a book of their fabulous cakes, which you can order through their website. They also travel around the country teaching classes. I had no idea that such phenomenal cake artists, who are also wonderful people, live and work just down the road from me! Go figure!

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banba Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 9:12am
post #4 of 22

you could just use a skewer and make tiny marks evenly spaced around the top and bottom of the cake and then use a ruler and mark lines down form top to bottom if you don't have any of the impression mats etc.

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oilili Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 9:39am
post #5 of 22

need2sleep, you got the quesiton out of my mouth. Not having any of these mats, I tried to do it myself with a ruler. It did the job but it didn't come out perfect. I found it hard to do on a round cake. If you can get easily delivered by any of the e-shops mentioned above, I'd say it's better since it will be a first time.

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deliciously_decadent Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 10:22am
post #6 of 22

I litteraly juto do this about 3 hrs ago and had no idea how to do it, i know that you can get what is called a patchwork press here in aus that is a quilt diamond pattern that is in a large block and would do the whole side of a cake, well i don't have one so i measured out even intervals at the bottom of the cake (divided the lenght of the cake by 8 then measures out and marked with a pin) it was an 9" square cake so each section was 2.75cm wide then repested at the top. then measured 1" up the cake. i then got a ruler went left of the middle and lined up the bottom marker with the 1" marker in the middle then made sure that met with one of the markers at the top and pushed in to make a line then went on the same angle joining all the marks up then turned around and went the other way. i did this on all sides and found it worked really well as all the corners met perfectly, i then joined all the top markers across the top in the same way as the entire cake has this pattern on it. tomorrow i will apply the silver cachous/dregrees to the corners if the diamonds. fingers crossed it work out the way it is suppost to!! will post a pic when i finish (it is the bottom of a small 3 tier wedding cake)
i hope it made sense as it is really easy the way i did it just a bit hard to put in writting?

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junny629 Posted 23 Oct 2008 , 10:42am
post #7 of 22

Wow, Kim. I checked out the Two Sweet Sisters' website, their cakes are awesome. All that details!! Thanks.

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deliciously_decadent Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 7:03am
post #8 of 22

ok so here it is the cake i was saying i was in the middle of, my first attempt at doing the diamond/quilting pattern, turned out pretty good actually and attaching the silver balls was alot easier than i thought it was going to be!!
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1279067

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oilili Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 7:13am
post #9 of 22

Good work adatay!! thumbs_up.gif
So what did you use to make the diamonds? and may I also ask how you glued the silber balls?

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deliciously_decadent Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 7:22am
post #10 of 22

thanks! i used a ruler as i said earlier:

Quote:
Quote:

litteraly juto do this about 3 hrs ago and had no idea how to do it, i know that you can get what is called a patchwork press here in aus that is a quilt diamond pattern that is in a large block and would do the whole side of a cake, well i don't have one so i measured out even intervals at the bottom of the cake (divided the lenght of the cake by 8 then measures out and marked with a pin) it was an 9" square cake so each section was 2.75cm wide then repested at the top. then measured 1" up the cake. i then got a ruler went left of the middle and lined up the bottom marker with the 1" marker in the middle then made sure that met with one of the markers at the top and pushed in to make a line then went on the same angle joining all the marks up then turned around and went the other way. i did this on all sides and found it worked really well as all the corners met perfectly, i then joined all the top markers across the top in the same way as the entire cake has this pattern on it. tomorrow i will apply the silver cachous/dregrees to the corners if the diamonds. fingers crossed it work out the way it is suppost to!! will post a pic when i finish (it is the bottom of a small 3 tier wedding cake)
i hope it made sense as it is really easy the way i did it just a bit hard to put in writting?



to 'glue' on the balls i pirped on a bit of RI then pushed the balls into the fondant a bit too

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oilili Posted 24 Oct 2008 , 7:29am
post #11 of 22

Oh, yeah, sorry I forgot to read the thread above!
Thanks

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need2sleep Posted 28 Oct 2008 , 4:31pm
post #12 of 22

I want to thank everyone for all your suggestions. Unfortunately I didn't have time to order the mats online and I couldn't find them at my local Micheal's. So I tried the skewers and rulers technique. I actually used a dowel rod so my impressions were a little wider. They did not come out perfect but my brother and sister-n-law loved the cake anyway. Hopefully one day I will be able to do as good a job as you guys!! Everyone at CC is great! thumbs_up.gif

Thanks again,
Sandra icon_biggrin.gif

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scootinby Posted 28 Oct 2008 , 5:53pm
post #13 of 22

Hey guys, just know read thread here and I now it's a little late, but you can also take the top side of a bounty paper towel and smooth over cake and it will leave very clear diamonds on your cake to trace!

JUST FYI

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need2sleep Posted 28 Oct 2008 , 9:07pm
post #14 of 22

Scootinby - Will that work on any kind of icing or just regular buttercream. I used SMBC and it seemed a bit soft. Or should it be cooled in the fridge first, then imprinted with the towel? Sounds like it would be super easy that way!

Thanks.

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scootinby Posted 29 Oct 2008 , 6:20pm
post #15 of 22

I'm sure it would if the icing crusts. I've only tried it on crusted buttercream. Hope that helps!

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becklynn Posted 29 Oct 2008 , 6:38pm
post #16 of 22

Hey Kim_in_cajun_country! I was at the ICES DOS too! (Where do you live? I am in Metairie)
I loved watching those Two Sweet Sisters do their demo. They were so funny! and their cake was awesome! I bought the 3 diamond cutter because of all of the different things they did with it, but I have used the diamond impression mat in the past and I like using that too.

need2sleep - The buttercream must be well crusted to use the mat. I hope you end up getting one - it's easy to use - you'll love it! Good luck!

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Kim_in_CajunCountry Posted 29 Oct 2008 , 9:55pm
post #17 of 22

becklynn - I'm in the St. Martinville area. I had never heard of them, much less that they were in my neck of the woods! It's hard to believe that they took the Wilton courses four years ago and now they are in such great demand. Amazing!

I think we should add our CC screen names to our name tags for the next DOS so that fellow CC'rs will recognize us! I look like this (on a good hair day). Do you recognize me?

Image

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Kim_in_CajunCountry Posted 2 Nov 2008 , 3:38pm
post #18 of 22

I had to make a baptism cake so I took the opportunity to try out the diamond cutter. My fondant had set up so I had to press pretty hard, which caused the buttercream to ooze out of the bottom. But it did give it a more quilted effect! I'll definitely try again, but next time I'll try to get the diamond pattern on the fondant immediately after covering the cake. This was only my third time covering a cake in fondant so it took me longer than it would if I knew what I was doing!

Image

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tonicake Posted 2 Nov 2008 , 4:08pm
post #19 of 22

Hi! I use a diamond template, it puts a soft line in the fondant and I trace over it with the Wilton wheel cutter. If you want a stitched quilted look there is a wheel that will do it for you.

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His_snowflake Posted 2 Nov 2008 , 9:46pm
post #20 of 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by becklynn

Hey Kim_in_cajun_country! I was at the ICES DOS too! (Where do you live? I am in Metairie)
I loved watching those Two Sweet Sisters do their demo. They were so funny! and their cake was awesome! I bought the 3 diamond cutter because of all of the different things they did with it, but I have used the diamond in the past and I like using that too.

need2sleep - The buttercream must be well crusted to use the mat. I hope you end up getting one - it's easy to use - you'll love it! Good luck!




I tried this diamond cutter on buttercream and it didn't work very well. The buttercream was well crusted (I ended up using an impression mat on it instead). Maybe there's a technique to it I don't understand. I'm sure it works better on fondant.

Now that I paid $30 for the thing at my local cake decorating shop, I'd sure like to know what other kinds of things it can be used for.

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Kim_in_CajunCountry Posted 2 Nov 2008 , 11:46pm
post #21 of 22

It probably does work better on fondant, but it's definitely going to take some practice. I was inspired by the cakes designed by the ladies at TwoSweetSisters. They demo'd the technique at the ICES Day of Sharing that I attended. I'm definitely going to try it again.

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His_snowflake Posted 3 Nov 2008 , 2:57pm
post #22 of 22

One thing I didn't mention earlier, the instructions say it cannot be used on buttercream but in the packaging mine came in, the instructions were folded up inside and you couldn't read that part before you bought it.

I tried it anyway with poor results.

Could you give me some specific ideas or links to pictures for some of the uses besides a diamond impression on the side of a cake they used it for?

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