[.ca] The Ultimate Book of Wedding Cakes (ISBN 1853917028)

Sugarcraft Wedding Cakes:
Attention to detail and perfection in execution are the trademarks of the cakes featured in The Ultimate Book of Wedding Cakes by Lesley Herbert. In this picture-filled book, Herbert features over 30 original wedding cake designs. Herbert features a variety of wedding cakes in this book. The techniques that she features for decorators are rolled fondant (sugarpaste), royal icing, pattern transfer, piped embroidery, color flow collars (floodwork), and frills. While the majority of cakes are coated in marzipan and sugarpaste, she also includes a cake done in buttercream and a cake covered in a white chocolate ganache. The most valuable part of the book for me was the 14 pages of templates at the back of the book. The embroidery templates are simple, classic, and elegant. The strengths of this book are in the detailed instructions Herbert provides on how to reproduce these cakes. From the templates to pictures of stages of construction, these instructions are clear and well-written. All of the metrics provided have been converted to inches for decorators outside of the UK. In the Acknowledgements section, Herbert provides a list of suppliers that were used in the creation of this book. Herbert also has included 4 pages on pillars and stands featured in the book. While Herbert sets the expectations of anyone using this book, it is a good resource for advanced decorators. The step-by-step instructions and detailed photographs will make sense to experienced cake professionals and enthusiasts.