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3Turn out the pastę onto a worksurface dusted with icirvg sugar and krvead until it is smooth and pJiable. If the pastę is dry and cracked. fołd in a tittie vegetabie fat (shortening) and knead again.

Put it inio a polythene bag. or double wrap the pastę in cling film (plastio wrap). and storę tn an airtight Container until you are ready to use it

BUTTERCREAM

As weil as makmg a delicious ftWng between tayers of cake. a thin coat of buttercream spread all over the cake fiSs any smali gaps and aiso provi<5es a smooth surface on whch to apply the sugarpaste. Buttercream can also be ftavoured.

To make about 500g (1lb/2 cups)

• i25g (4ozfA cup) butter. softened or soft marganne • I5mt (itbsp) milk • 375g (120Z/2T. cups) icing <conf«ętioner's) sugar

IPut the butter or soft margarine mto a mbdng bowi. Add the milk and/or any flavounng reguired (see box. betów).

2 Sift the tcmg <confectioner’s) sugar mto a bowt. a littie at a time. and beat well after each addition. until all the sugar has been mcorporated mto it and the buttercream has a lighi. creamy texture.

3 Storę the buttercream in an airtight Container until reguired.

MODELLING PASTĘ

Modeilmg pastę is madę by incorporatmg an edibie gum mto sugarpaste. The gum is availabłe m powder form and is easly kneaded mto the sugarpaste. which makes the pastę much firmer but snu pliable You can modeł items using just sugarpaste. but modeilmg pastę keeps its shape well and dne$ much harder. givmg strength to your fmished work The natural gum. gum tragacanth. or the manmade alternative. CMC (carboxy methyl cellulose). were employed to make the modeilmg pastę thai i$ used in this book Both are wbely used in the food industry as thickeners Gum tragacanth needs a littie time after it has been kneaded mto sugarpaste before the gum starts to work. usually around 4-8 hours CMC. on the other hand. starls to work wtualły straight away and is $i:ghtly stronger and cheaper. There are aiso some ready-made modeilmg pastes avaiiabte that give good resuits All these items are avaiiab)e from cake-decoraiing suppiiers.

To make 500g (Ito) of modeilmg pastę

• 10ml (2tsp) gum tragacanth or S-7ml (1-1'/.tsp) CMC

• 500g (1tt>) sugarpaste (rollcd fondant)

IPut the gum on a worksurface and knead it into the sugarpaste

2 Double wrap the pastę m cling film (płasiic wrap) or polythene and keep airtight.

BUTTERCREAM FLAVOURINGS

• Vaniiia Add 5ml (itsp) var a essence (extract)

• Lemon Replace the milk with 15m' (1tbsp) fresh lemon juice.

• Chocolate Mix the mitk and 30mi (2tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder to a pastę and add to the mixture

• Coffee Mix the milk and I5ml (itbsp) instant coffee powder to a pastę and add to the buttercream mocture

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Modeilmg pastę keeps its shape well.

Modeilmg pasto is used to make the vnrious characlers.