By Michelle Anderson
Cake Decorating Expert
One interesting and festive cake designs for a party is to form the
cake into a present shape complete with bows, streamers or wrapping
paper imprinted fondant covering. You can give a gift and a cake at the
same time! This is an old favorite which is gaining a great deal of
popularity among the professional set of designers because it is quite
simple but can be very creatively executed with a little thought and a
few tools. Each element can be created separately and then assembled
with little fuss.
Cake: There is no limit on what
shape the cake can be although square is obviously the traditional
choice to mimic a box. Rectangle, round, hexagon and even heart shaped
boxes are equally pretty but increasingly complex to cover for beginner
designers. You can even stack several boxes on top of one another to
create a stack of presents depending on the amount of cake required for
the event. If you are really adventurous, you can even stack your
presents as a topsy turvy cake.
Different shaped boxes and complimentary boxes work
with stacks, it is up to you which appeals to your senses. If you are
stacking cakes it is important to follow all the foundation and
construction rules recommended for cakes. You would not want your pretty
pile of presents to collapse because dowels and cake boards were left
out of the process.
Wrapping Paper: There are
quite a few options a cake decorator can use for this aspect of the
design. Fondant is a logical choice to use for the paper because it is
so versatile and is smooth like real wrapping paper. If you have a
steady hand and creative skills in painting you can simply cover your
cakes and then hand paint designs with a brush and food coloring. Stamps
and cut outs can also be utilized for creating repeating designs on
fondant for the wrapping paper. One very pretty and spectacular effect
is created by using sugar sheets
patterned with designs that already look like paper. Stripes, hearts,
flowers, polka dots, animal prints and other patterns can be purchased
easily at your local cake decorating store or online. Pattern the
fondant before you cover your cake following the instructions on the
product. Embossing mats can also make great raised patterns on the
wrapping paper. Try using assorted techniques and designs if you are
stacking your "boxes" for a casual event and stick with similar looking
packages when creating a cake for a more elegant get together.
Bows and Streamers:
The bow on a present can take many forms from a traditional knot with
two loops to a festive messy assortment of streamers. The look depends
on your choice and taste. The bow can also feature ribbons extending all
around the box on both sides or be pinned on top alone. Either look is
pretty and can be easily created with a ruler and sharp cutting
instrument. When you are making ribbons for the loops and accompanying
side accents it is important to use a ruler and make the end result as
close to real as possible. This type of cake design is very simple to
make. Simple roll out the fondant or gum paste with a roller or pasta machine
thinly and cut strips measuring with a ruler to ensure width is
consistent. Brush the ends of the strip with gum paste adhesive or water
and fold the strips in half forming a loop. To ensure your loops don't
collapse use form to hold them apart until the gum paste or fondant has
dried. Use two loops and two cut ribbons for a simple bow or combine
several loops in a round construction to form a complex design. Use a
dab of buttercream to secure all the loops together on top of your
present cake. Streamers can be created in a similar manner using thinner
width cut strips. Simple wrap the length of the strip around a dowel
creating a spiral and allow it to dry. Then slide the streamer off the
dowel. Use several of the same color or different colors to create what
you want. Secure the various streamers with buttercream on top of the
wrapped cake.
Other Elements: You can finish your
cake with a name card on top to add realism and have somewhere to write
a message or more than one message! Roll out fondant or gum paste and
cut square or rectangular pieces which you then can write on with edible
pen or pipe your message using a small round tip. Secure the card to
the top of your present cake with a little dab of icing.
source: about.com
