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I have seen some pretty well done decorations, but these ones by a chick named "Christine McConnell" really take the cake.

So I was wondering firstly how one does such fine details and secondly how does one even name them? All my attempts to scour the web for "master decorations" or similar were met with complete failure.

Tiny honey bees Monster stuff Spiderman

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  • There are lots of different techniques on display in the pictures you've posted. Which one(s) are you interested in?
    – Marti
    Oct 19 '15 at 18:51
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    Start here and you'll have enough keywords to google to your heart's content.
    – Stephie ♦
    Oct 19 '15 at 19:12
  • @Marti, all of them, actually. :)
    – mathgenius
    Oct 20 '15 at 10:08
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They = cake decorators

They have an artistic hand (I don't have one and cannot decorate anything). They have lot and lot and lot of practice. They have wasted a lot and lot of cakes and icing and fondant to achieve that level of perfection.

They have a lot of experience with making their own icing (and fondant) that will work well when decorating bags in their own controlled environment (temperature/humidity)

They usually use small pipettes (or syringes) and small pastry/decorating bags with fine points couplers.

As for "naming them", I assume you are talking about "cake decorators" and google will return gazillions entries.

Max.

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  • Uhhhh... that's like if I asked "how do dudes do research" and you saying "dudes = scientists. They have lot and lot and lot of practice. They have lot and lot and lot of experience. They have wasted numerous samples to achieve that level of research. They usually use tools to do research." Notice how that does not answer my question in the slightest. No offense - I am grateful for your input, but I asked "how", not "do they have experience, lol". For instance - it is quite frikkin obvious pipettes and stuff are used, but how do you fashion tiny spider legs, like in the last picture?
    – mathgenius
    Oct 20 '15 at 10:12
  • I'm quite a blabber-mouth and had no more space in my last comment. :D I know they use fine tools, that is a given, but given that the spider legs in the last picture are extremely fine, two issues pop in my mind - do they use a magnifying glass or similar to craft such fine details and from what is it fashioned, so that it would be easily workable and would stay firm like that?
    – mathgenius
    Oct 20 '15 at 10:13
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    @mathgenius - magnifying glass if they have poor eyesight, materials: stiff royal icing if piped, fondant or gum paste if sculpted. And speaking about not answering: Lots and lots of practise is part of the "how". As unclear as your question is, this answer is pretty precise. You said yourself that you don't knowthe terms, so "cake decorator" is a good clue, too.
    – Stephie ♦
    Oct 20 '15 at 10:56
  • @Stephie, ah, thanks! But I have to disagree on the "lots and lots of practice", while technically it is part of the how, it's a stupid answer, you might as well say "with their hands", "using their eyes" or "as a consequence of being able to decorate cakes". While all those are correct, it's either a stupid answer or a smart-ass one. No offense, though. And how can this question be unclear? "How do they do such fine details" is unclear? What next - "How does water evaporate" is a super unclear question, too? Yeah, no idea what is being asked, no sir-ee. Seriously.
    – mathgenius
    Oct 20 '15 at 11:21
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    @mathgenius Because just by looking at the photos I see piping, sculpting, painting, icing, crumbling. Just to name a few. Assuming that you are familiar with our help center, you should realize that this is way to broad if you expect us to explain the detailed "how to"s for all these techniques. There are books, webinars etc. on single techniques... But you are very welcome to discuss this in chat instead of here in comments.
    – Stephie ♦
    Oct 20 '15 at 11:28

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