CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 165, 14 July 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

CORNER FOR BUSY BEES.

HOW TO DECORATE A CAKS

TINKER BELL SAYS ITS EASY.

(Conducted by TINKER BELL.)

Dear Girls, —

Hurrah! The good old "Budget" is just two years old. The last fewdays 1 have been extremely busy planning the party, and making the dainties so necessary on such a great occasion. And oh, girls, you should see the cake! It's what Michael would call a real "whopper," and 1 am very proud of it indeed. 1 spent ever so much time on the icing of it, and when, at last 1 placed the little rose and primrose coloured candles on it, i realised that 1 hadn't yet written my weekly letter to you, so 1 immediately took pencil and paper and commenced.

Seeing that I have been in the throe* of "icing" for the last hoar and a-half, perhaps it would be fitting for roe to give yon a hint or two in that direction. The first thing necessary in th» decorating of a big cake is the making of almond paste, which, as yon may know, is merely icing sugar, ground almonds, and the white of egg mixed together into a stiff dough, a layer of which is pressed on to the top (and, it desirable, the sides) of the cake. Next* the thinner icing, made with icing sugar and milk is applied and smoothed over with the fiat of a knife. So that you will make the icing perfectly smooth dip the knife into hot water now and again.

Let the icing dry now, and the cake will be ready to receive its daintydecorations. The sugar flowers, etc.* [are arranged and fixed into position by smearing them with a little damp icing. Now comes the part requiring the most skill—the ''writing in icing." Having mixed your icing and coloured it, mark out the lettering on the cake with either a sharp skewer or darning needle. Many people are fortunate enough to possess a set of icingbags, and for these the rest is simple, but the others have to make icing hags from paper. This is not difficult to do; merely fold a square of paper into tho shape of a "dunce's cap," leaving small hole in the pointed end, and pin the flap so that the bag will not come undone. Into this a spoonful of the icing is placed, and when the bag is squeezed a little ribbon of icing comes out from the end, and it is not hard to direct this along the letters you have marked with the darning needle. Such is the process of icing, and with a little practice one can become w expect at die art, and turn out worlc almost as good as the professional cake decorator.