Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network August 2015 | Page 90

In your buttercream journey what are three things you have learnt about this medium that you would tell a beginner? The three things I would tell a beginner are: 1) Don’t give up! Buttercream is beautiful, but it takes a lot of practice. It took me months of solid practice to get roses right. 2) Don’t let anyone tell you that you need to use a certain type of buttercream, or that ganache is better. Anything is possible with buttercream, so do what you love, with what you love. 3) You need a 103 piping tip, a 352 piping tip, and a strong, straight bench scraper. Those tips will make so many types of flowers, and once you have a smooth cake you can layer it or leave it smooth, whatever! Don’t be tempted to buy every tool that says buttercream! When it comes to colouring buttercream what are your top tips? I always use Americolor or Wilton gel colours for colouring my buttercream. Never use liquid colours, as they will change the consistency of your buttercream. Always cover your buttercream and let it sit for about an hour. If you are using bold colours, they will darken, so take this into account especially if you are aiming for a particular shade. Lastly, with so many allergies these days, people may want to use “natural” colours. Be aware that these colours generally react differently than regular colours, and may not give you consistent results depending on your recipe, so test your colours ahead of time. are really starting to get what a great medium buttercream is. I love Shawna McGreevy of McGreevy Cakes. Her YouTube videos were the first I watched, so I feel like she has been there from the start for me. She has also shared two of my cakes, so I love her even more for that! Who are your cake idols? I love the work of the Queen of Hearts Couture. They are doing so much for buttercream right now, and people more information www.kerriescakes.com facebook.com/kerriescakesnsw Instagram: kerries_cakes Pinterest: Kerrie’s Cakes YouTube: Kerrie’s Cakes