Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Can anyone tell me how to get my fondant icing perfect? I always seem to have a slight imperfection and want to enter a competiton, Please help

I suspect you see the imperfections because you know where they are, other people would probably not. When I’ve been to the shows I’ve seen so many cakes with slight imperfections, I don’t think any cake would be ‘perfect’. All you can do really is to make sure all your surfaces are dust free so no little annoying bits get stuck to the icing and to utensils. Wear an overall and hair net or hat when decorating, keep nails short and remove any rings so they don’t catch on the icing. Try not to use too much icing sugar when rolling out because it can cause sugar paste to crack and dry. A little shortening on the work surface can help prevent icing sticking. Kneading sugar paste a few hours or the night before can help reduce air bubbles ( a nightmare!), using the right tools for the job like an adequate rolling pin, spacers to roll out the correct thickness of sugar paste and using smoothers to make the cake surface as flawless as you can. Plenty of ventilation helps if the weather is humid, may be a fan or a small AC unit. Above all don’t stress, give yourself plenty of time to decorate in peaceful and organised surroundings. I expect other members will say what works for them. Good luck with the competition. x

My icing cracked on the way to a show and I got first prize.the judges look for a variety of techniques and new ideas

This is how the British Sugarcraft guild mark a sugarpaste cake:

Does the exhibit comply with the schedule? Yes/No
General visual appearance (proportion/colour/balance) 10 Marks
Originality and creativity 10 Marks
Coating quality (smoothness/cracking/air bubbles etc) 10 Marks
Finishing Quality (piping/lace work/frills etc) 10 Marks
Feature decoration (top piece/run outs/flowers etc) 10 Marks

I have a wee bit more detail on each area if its useful. I am doing my first competition in four weeks (same one?) and I haven’t even started yet!