New and Exciting Tools

Just six months ago, if I wanted to make a houndstooth effect on a cake I would probably be torn between spending hours upon hours painting it by hand or paneling it with wafer paper or icing image prints. Neither ever gives me quite the satisfying results that these new molds do.

Marvelous Molds is an innovative company that creates texture mats and detail molds out of food safe silicone with cake decorating in mind. One of the most impressive creations they've offered is their Silicone Onlay series -- silicone mats that are designed to take fondant, press it into a design and allow the decorator to apply it directly to the cake. We use these constantly in the shop for chevron patterns, houndstooth, herringbone and quatrefoil designs.

The process is fairly simple: roll out your fondant thin, lay it over top of the mold which has been lightly dusted with cornstarch and gently press over it with a small rolling pin. Once the lines of the mold have cut through the fondant, brush water or tylose glue of the fondant in the mold, remove whatever sections you do not want on the cake, and press it to the tier. Here I have used an accent mold of hibiscus for an island theme cake.

1. 1Lindsey, one of the talented decorators here at Pink Cake Box let me follow her through the process of using the molds on a two tier cake. Here she preps the mold with a small amount of cornstarch in a sachet.

   

2. 2Then uses an acrylic rolling pin to press fondant over the onlay mold. The herringbone is a complex texture with a lot of small pieces, so the pressure from the rolling pin must be even all across the mold.

   

3. 3The mold has been spread with glue and the unnecessary sections removed, leaving only the pink herringbone behind to be applied to the cake. Lindsey carefully peels back the onlay, flattening any stray pieces that might have stuck in the mold.

   

4. 4She matches up each section as she goes to make a continuous pattern.

   

5. 5An entire tier covered flawlessly and the onlay mold that made it possible. If you noticed, even the bow has a delicate houndstooth print.

   

   ...and the finished cake! What spectacular results!

   

Want to try it for yourself? Marvelous Molds has a full range of products and designs. Fairly easy to use with stunning results! Note: We receive a small commission if you end up purchasing a mold or onlay through one of these links. So thank-you for supporting us. We only recommend products or services we use personally at Pink Cake Box.