Hi. I am a fairly new caker and I have a serious issue. I cannot, for the life of me nail the art of scrolls. With vision in head, bag in hand, and cake ready to be decorated I still somehow muck it up each and every time. My problem is that I don't have sequence or a "rhythem" so to speak. Looking at alot of the beautiful scroll work it seems as if there are repitions of c's and s's in different directions. My question to the masters or even intermediates would be- when you are applying your scrolls, what are you thinking? Are you purposefully repeating a pattern? Are you going solely off of memory? Do you have a picture with the scroll design in front of you as a guide? Drawing and art have never really been my "thing" but I am great when it comes to method. Please help me to incorporate some method into my madness!! Any tips and advice would begreatly appreciated.
Depending on the design of the scroll (yes, there are different ones) I usually have a press or prop a pic right in front of me & copy that.
Presses help a whole lot
And make sure you thin your icing a bit (I use corn syrup in my BC)--makes the fluidiy of the scrolling process go so much better!! You know, come to think of it, I'm a doodler and love to scroll all over any paper in front of me with a pen. Here's an example of scroll work free style with a 60 thrown in here and there for a 60 th BD. I think doing scrollwork is just fun!! http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_867033.html
I love scrollwork on cake and did my first scrollwork recently on the wedding cake in my photos. I find that I am not very good at following the presses. I actually draw scrollwork as my doodle when I'm sitting in a boring meeting at work. I really liked one page (yep, filled up almost an entire page sitting in that meeting ) and sort of used it as a guide on the cake.
I tried to randomly go in different directions and mix in "C"'s and "S"'s. I was pretty pleased with the outcome.
I rebaked a layer of my wedding cake and didn't want to trash it so I iced it and covered it in scrolls just to practice, then put on a couple of holly leaves and berries for color and I love that cake! Haven't posted a picture yet. On the practice cake, I wasn't worried about perfection and I thought it turned out better than the wedding cake. It 's the harder I try the worse it is, but if I just let it flow, it looked much better.
So my advice, be random, relax and let it flow.
Thank you ladies soooo much! I will definitely keep all of these tips in mind and let you guys know how it turned out. I really appreciate it. Wish me luck!
You can also make your own templates. You can draw your own, or there are many stamps out there with awesome scrolls. After you get the design drawn or stamped, take piping gel and trace the design. Let it sit overnight, and you've got your own press template. I found this to be a great way to be consistent until I felt comfortable freehanding.
I suck at scrollwork....just wanted to let you know I feel your pain. I would say mine look like a 3rd grader did them but my 3rd grader is an awesome artist so she could clearly do better then me!
I was thinking of putting some parchment over the scroll page in the M. Braun book 'Cakewalk' and practice, practice, practice....... *sigh* but I feel like a twit.
Cornelli lace is another killer....they make it sound so easy and random and I always get fouled up and turn the wrong way and then my line design is forced to stop. Or worse, I make the same turns so it doesn't look random at all, lol.
I draw them onto parchament paper. That way the template won't stick to the buttercream.
For me the presses are more difficult to do.Creating your own pattern is easier than following one. Scrolls are easier for me without a pattern to follow. Is almost like handwriting. You didnt get good in handwriting in one day. Takes some practice. Just keep trying..
Edna
I love this place! I have tried the parchment and piping gel trick in the past, but the problem is that apparently, I am an idiot because it never works. I do however like the idea of having a pattern in my face to look at because if I left it to my brain to visualize, I would pretty much be like cake dva and end up with a huge mess because my eyes and brain don't get along that well I guess. Metro cakes, I have seen so many awsome things on stamps that I was thinking about what they could be used for outside of paper projects- Sigh! That's another issue within itself! Everytime I go to a major craft store I salivate at all the cool templates and decor that they have for scrapbookers and then zilch when it comes to cakers. Anywho- Ms. Edna I completely agree that practice makes perfect and I do need to practice much, much, much, much more!! All of the tips, advice, and encourgement is sincerely appreciated ladies! Thank you all very much! By the way- I've looked at all of you guy's photos and you all rock!!! I am in awe and amazement! I feel like I amongst celebrities, or should be celebrities anyway.
Thanks again ladies!
And make sure you thin your icing a bit (I use corn syrup in my BC)--makes the fluidiy of the scrolling process go so much better!! You know, come to think of it, I'm a doodler and love to scroll all over any paper in front of me with a pen. Here's an example of scroll work free style with a 60 thrown in here and there for a 60 th BD. I think doing scrollwork is just fun!! http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_867033.html
Your "60" cake is beautiful!
I can't do scroll work without a visual aid, and I'm terrible at tracing. I've also found that if I practice it first say on a paper towel then the rest of my scrolls look better. lol-then there are times when my scroll or even handwriting has a mind of its own and I get a corner where a curve was supposed to be
I tell you guys this...I do scroll work in a weekly basis..I had no choice but to get good at it..Either do or die...Practice will get you good at it, and the consistency of the icing is very important. Don't get discourage on the first try. Keep working on it..
Edna
I have to say that this was the most entertaining post I've read recently because I am horrible at scroll work and can emphathize with those on this post and yet am so impressed with the experienced and the pro's on here with their expert advice!!!!
I'm also a newbie at wedding cakes and started as a hobby - NOT - it is becoming, by word of mouth, a BUSINESS! ....and wouldn't you know, more brides want scroll work!!!!
Could you someone explain a little more in detail how the piping gel on parchment works? I have a bride who wants all BC - no fondant - and scrolls on all four tiers.....any tips????
Again, thanks and LOVED this post - I really needed a laugh today!!!
you trace scrolls ( or whatever you want) onto parchment paper then pipe over your design with piping gel, then let the piping gel go hard(you could use royal icing) and then press onto your cake, when you pull the paper away your left with a slight indent of your design on your cake ready to pipe over in the colour of your choice, if you are writing words etc make sure you pipe backwards on parchment so that it the correct way round on your cake, i hope this makes sense to you good luck
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