Nanako's Cake Decorating Class

Course 3

Fondant and Tiered Cakes

Lesson 1 ~ Details, Stringwork and Borders
  • Cornelli Lace
  • Sotas
  • Bead Border
  • Brush Embroidery
  • Single Drop String
  • Multiple Drop Strings
  • Overlapping Drop Strings
  • Ruffle Border
  • Ruffle Garland

Lesson 2 ~ Working with Rolled Fondant
  • Covering a Cake with Rolled Fondant
  • The Fondant Rose
  • Fondant Leaves
  • Fondant Package Cake

Lesson 3 ~ Lily Nail Flowers
  • Easter Lily
  • Poinsettia
  • Petunia
  • Morning Glory
  • Tiered Cake Construction

Lesson 4 ~ Tiered Cake Assembly and Decorating
  • Assemble and Decorate Tiered Cake

Supply List for Course 3

  • Course 1 Student Kit (Tip #3, 12, 16, 104, Decorating Bags, Standard Couplers, Spatula, Practice Board Set)
  • Course 2 Student Kit (or, Tip #1, 2, 5, 14, 103)
  • Course 3 Student Kit (includes the following)
  • Tip #18
  • Tip #68
  • Tip #352
  • Tip #86
  • Tip #127
  • Lily Nail Set
  • Rose Bouquet Flower Cutters (set of 5)
  • Gum-Tex packet
  • Fine artist's brush
  • Ball and Veining Tool
  • Cake Sparkles
  • Cake Dividing Wheel
  • Thin and Thick foam (1 each)
  • 8" Baker's Best Plate
  • 7" Baker's Best Pillars
  • Icing Sugar (4 lb. If choosing to make your own rolled fondant, approx. 10 lb.)
  • Solid white vegetable shortening (approx. 3 cups)
  • Cake (approx. 4 cake mixes in total)
  • 8" square cake, at least 3" high for Lesson 2
  • 6" round cake and 10" round cake (sizes and shape of these cakes depends on your own cake design for Lesson 4)
  • Class Buttercream Icing
    • 3 recipes
  • Royal Icing
    • 1 recipe

  • Rolled Fondant
    • approx. 6 lb

Supply List for Each Lesson

Lesson 1
  • Pen / Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Course 1 Student Kit
  • Course 2 Student Kit
  • Course 3 Student Kit
  • Class Buttercream Icing (1 recipe - keep this icing to ice the cake for Lesson 2)
  • Stiff consistency (1 cup)
  • Medium consistency (1 cup)
  • Thin consistency (1 cup)

Lesson 2
  • Pen / Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Toothpicks
  • Course 1 Student Kit
  • Course 2 Student Kit
  • Course 3 Student Kit
  • Rolling Pin
  • Tapered Spatula or small knife
  • Plastic food wrap
  • Icing Colour of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons solid white vegetable shortening
  • Dusting Puff (place 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch on piece of cheesecloth and gather up the edges, secure with rubberband)
  • Piping Gel
  • 1/2 cup Medium consistency Class Buttercream Icing (from Lesson 1)
  • 8" square cake, at least 3" high, placed on a cake board the same size as the cake and crumb coated with thin consistency Class Buttercream Icing (from Lesson 1)
  • Rolled Fondant
    • 12 oz. colour of your choice for roses
    • 36 oz. white
Lesson 3
  • Pen / Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Toothpicks
  • Course 1 Student Kit
  • Course 2 Student Kit
  • Course 3 Student Kit
  • Wilton Candy Foil Wrapper (1 pk) or very thin aluminium foil cut to 3" squares
  • Egg carton or mini muffin pan to transport flowers
  • Royal Icing (1 recipe)
    • 1/2 cup white with 1/2 teaspoon Piping Gel
    • 1/2 cup pink or red
    • 1/2 cup yellow
    • 3/4 cup white
    • 1/4 cup blue
    • 1/4 cup green
    • 1/4 cup yellow

Lesson 4
Lesson 4 is all about decorating your cake, which is at least two-tier, Stacked or Push-In Pillar construction.
Depending on design of your cake, supplies will vary. 
Here is textbook sample of supplies for Lesson 4:
  • Pen / Pencil
  • Scissors
  • Toothpicks
  • Course 1 Student Kit (Tip #16, Couplers, Spatula, Decorating Bags)
  • Course 2 Student Kit
  • Course 3 Student Kit
  • Rolling Pin
  • Tapered Spatula or small knife
  • Plastic food wrap
  • Icing Colour of your choice
  • 2 tablespoons solid white vegetable shortening
  • Dusting Puff (place 2 to 3 tablespoons of cornstarch on piece of cheesecloth and gather up the edges, secure with rubberband)
  • Piping Gel
  • 1/2 cup Medium consistency Class Buttercream Icing (from Lesson 1)
  • Cakes
    • 6" round cake, 4" high, placed on a 6" cake circle and crumb coated with thin consistency Class Buttercream Icing, then attached to 8" separator plate.
    • 10" round cake, 4" high, placed on a 10" cake circle and crumb coated with thin consistency Class Buttercream Icing, then placed on a 14" foil-covered cake circle or base.
  • Rolled Fondant Roses from Lesson 2 (if duplicating the textbook cake, you will need 20 full size, 10 medium size, 8 rose buds and 30 leaves)
  • Rolled Fondant
    • approx. 18 oz. to cover the 6" cake
    • approx. 36 oz. to cover the 10" cake

Recipe - Classic Rolled Fondant

(from "Wilton Weddings")
yield: 2 lb.

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water*            * or, 3 tablespoons cold water, and
1/2 cup Glucose*                * 1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon Glycerin
2 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening
2 lbs. Icing sugar
2 to 3 drops liquid food colour and flavoring, as desired

Combine gelatin and cold water; let stand until thick.
Place gelatin mixture in top of double boiler and heat until dissolved.
Add glucose and glycerin, mix well.
Stir in shortening and just before completely melted, remove from heat, add flavoring and colour.
Mixture should cool until lukewarm.
Next, place 1 lb. Icing sugar in a bowl and make a well.
Pour the lukewarm gelatin mixture into the well and stir with a wooden spoon, mixing in sugar and adding more, a little at a time, until stickiness disappears.
Knead in remaining sugar.
Knead until the fondant is smooth, pliable and does not stick to hands.
If fondant is too soft, add more sugar; if too stiff, add water (a drop at a time).

Use fondant immediately, or follow the direction for storing rolled fondant.

Storing Rolled Fondant
Rolled Fondant dries out very quickly, so keep it covered and store properly and promptly.
If stored properly (and promptly), it will keep up to 1 month in room temperature and can be frozen indefinitely.
  1. Roll it into smooth ball, disc, or log shape.
  2. Coat it with solid white vegetable shortening.
  3. Wrap with plastic food storage wrap (microwaveable), twice.
  4. Wrap with aluminium foil.
  5. If freezing, put it in a resealable plastic food storage bag or airtight container.