Welcome to the Cake Decorators Q&A

Hi all – hoping someone can help – I’m making star gazer lillies from flower paste for a cake and im struggling when putting them together to stop the leaves being floppy on the wire – they seem to lose if you understand what I mean! I’m wondering if I need a heavier wire – I’m using a 26 gauge wire for each leaf – my lillies are large (about 4 inches in length) any advise?!

Thank you all in advance

Tania x

Hi Tania

Try a 24 gauge wire, I believe that’s what Paul uses. The higher the gauge number the thinner the wire, you’re using 26 gauge which may be just that little bit too thin to support the size of your flower and foliage. When the wire is sturdier it can be shaped to where you want it to be. Hope this helps. x

Hello Tania

Also just wondered whether you are using paper covered wire? If you are using plain wire it might slip around inside the sugar…. just added this in case this was your problem:)

Thank you both! Yes I am using covered wire – it’s more a case of when the flower is together the flowers move around. I’m going to try the 24 wire and see if that helps. Would you be able to let me know what Lilly cutter paul is using in his tutorial and the size and am I right in thinking he’s putting the flower together before it’s completely dry? I’ve always waited for the leaves to dry over night but is this not correct?

Thank you again x

Hi Tania

I think Paul is using this star gazer cutter set which comes with two different size petal cutters and a veiner
http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/stargazer-cutters-veiner-set
I’m not absolutely certain that it is this one, however at the time that tutorial was filmed Paul was using the cake decorating company a lot for equipment. Paul has said in several tutorials that he likes to wire flowers together before they are completely dry because it gives him better control in shaping them. I must admit I do as you, wait until they are dry. You could try both methods and see which works best for you.

Hi
Have you put the flower tape on each wire of the petal, before taping them altogether?
This may also stop them from turning round.
Let’s know he you get on.
Jackie

Thank you again madewithlove you are a star! I’m going to give it a go the way paul does it and see how I get on – I think I’ll paint them before I put them together tho!

My cutters are the PME plunge cutter – I think they might be a little to big. They’re the large and I could do with one Paul’s size as it looks about half inch smaller.

I don’t suppose you know if paul got to see my handbag cake do you?

Thank you again x

Hi Tania

The PME plungers are pretty big, it’s still good to have them as part of your decorating kit.
Danielle sent me the picture of your beautiful handbag cake, she didn’t say whether Paul had seen it but I bet he did! I know Paul is very keen for members to share their cake pictures, particularly if the cake was tutorial inspired. Did you check on his facebook page at the time? because that’s where it would have appeared. The picture was sent to me on January 28 so it will have gone on about that time. You made a fantastic job of that cake.
I noticed you had a white board background againt the cake for photographing purposes. Did you by any chance come across my portable photo booth blog? It’s here if you’d like to have a peek:
http://www.cakeflix.com/blog/inexpensive-photo-booth-by-madeitwithlove

Good luck with your cutters x

Thank you madewithlove – your tutorial is brilliant I’ve just been reading it – going to have a go at making that – it’s such a good idea!

Thank you for your comments about the cake – really appreciated! I have checked Paul’s page but haven’t seen it on there. I think it was around the time he was doing the cake show so maybe he was busy and it slipped through his net as it were.

Thank you again your help and advice is invaluable! Xx