Lace Embossing: Delicate lace patterns for wedding cake

Delicate lace patterns make a beautiful addition to wedding or special occasion cakes. In this feature, Diane Gibbs, a well-known member of the Maryland cake decorating community shows us how to create an embossed lace effect on a buttercream-iced cake.

You Will Need:

1. yard or more or lace toothpicks
2. Piping bag and #1 or #01 tip
3. Buttercream icing
4. Coloring as desired

For transfer method, add:

• Royal icing
• Glass or other sturdy surface
• Wax paper
• Tape

When choosing your design, use a heavier type of embroidered or crocheted lace rather than thin nylon lace for best results. Laces that are used for bridal gowns work the best, but can be very expensive. You can economize however, by buying a quarter of a yard and then repositioning the lace around your cake to complete the design instead of purchasing a larger, more expensive piece.

If you choose this route, cut the piece in a place that will make it easy to align, i.e. at the beginning of a pattern that is repeated.

For this cake, the lace was used to create a design, which encircled the cake on its side. You may also select from lace appliques and repeat the design or use it as a design for the top of the cake. The only limits are in your imagination.

Note, however, that whatever lace you choose, although it will be reusable on other cakes, will absorb oils and turn color in this process.

1. Begin by icing a cake with buttercream icing. Smooth the texture of your cake by using a knife, which has been warmed in hot water, or gently pressing a paper towel into the surface of the icing. If you use the hot knife method, be careful not to get water drops on the icing as it may cause the lace to stick.

2. Lace embossing must be done on a freshly iced cake before the icing has had a chance to crust over. Position the lace on the cake, and insert toothpicks to hold it in place. Gently rub the lace with a paper towel or plain piece of paper, pressing the surface of the icing to create the embossing. Take it easy-if you apply too much pressure the embossing will be too deep. And you could have trouble removing the lace or create extra work for yourself in the next step.

3. Remove the toothpicks and gently pull the lace off the cake. If you are using a small piece of lace that does not go completely around the cake, you must remove the entire piece and reposition it to complete the embossing. It will take some effort to make sure the pattern lines up each time you reposition. Move quickly from one section to the next so that the icing will not crust over. If a seam results, be sure to place that point at the back of the cake.

4. Smooth over any holes that may have been left by the toothpicks.

5. Using buttercream icing with a small tip such as a #1 or #01, pipe over the embossing lace design, filling in the depressions. It helps to have the piece of lace next to your work area so that you can refer to it as you go. The piping can be done in the same color as the cake icing, or you can use a contrasting color.

6. After you have filled the entire design, you can overpipe to create a raised look, outline the design, or add colored highlights to achieve your desired effect.

Alternative Transfer Method

If you are using a cake with straight sides (rectangular, square, hexagonal, etc.), you may transfer your lace pattern in royal icing. This is a good alternative of you want to use a particular design, but don't want to ruin a piece of antique lace, for example. Or you might just like the effect! Here's how:

A. Trace the lace design on tracing paper with a pencil, or place the lace on a photocopier and adjust the darkness or lightness to have it reproduce on the paper.

B. Measure each side of your cake and transfer those measurements to the paper design.

C. Place the pattern on a very sturdy, flat surface such as glass or hard plastic, and tape a piece or wax paper on top of it. Using a very small (#1 or #01) tip, pipe the lace design onto the waxed paper with royal icing in appropriate lengths for each side of your cake. Let dry completely.

D. Carefully peel the waxed paper away from the royal icing lace.

E. Attach the icing lace to your cake with small dots of royal icing. Seal any edges with icing and add borders as desired. You can see that this technique will only work with small lace pieces or on a cake with straight sides so the lace can lie flat.