Cakes & Sugarcraft Magazine January/February 2023

This January/February 2023 publication is the 173rd issue of Cakes & Sugarcraft, an inspirational and informative magazine for anyone who enjoys making and decorating cakes.

A new year brings new beginnings. And what better way to celebrate than by taking up baking and cake decorating as your latest hobby?

Elena Wilkinson is back and kicking off the issue with her latest sugar flower arrangement, this time focusing on the colour blue. The poppies, forget-me-nots and bramble vines in this bunch would look beautiful adorned on a winter tablescape or as a wedding centrepiece. Similarly, Sarah Hunter's three-tiered blue cake features decorative royal icing, an elegant option for any wedding, anniversary or engagement.

If you’re looking to try out some textures, there’s a few to pick and choose from. Pamela McCaffrey's woodland tree stump cake is made using dampened wafer paper, the perfect place to begin experimenting. And the ruffled anemone project showcases the use of sugarpaste frills, which you can tailor to your own personal preference.

There’s a contemporary wedding cake where the design incorporates a clean fondant base, with sugar rose petals and rice paper sails, giving it a modern, unique look. Another eye-catching tutorial to try is the spring wedding showstopper by Naomi Burroughes, including moulded bas relief and aged fondant techniques.

For something fun and colourful, have a go at painting some floral scenery. You don’t need a lot of equipment to make your own rendition of Amber Seah’s tropical cake; simply use the templates and decorate however you like.

Get your creative hands ready and model a wild safari centrepiece, ideal for children’s birthday parties. With cute modelled characters, this cake can be easily tailored to any age or animal fan.

Finally, we can’t not mention Valentine’s Day. So if you’re looking to impress that special someone in your life, Viktorija Siskova’s divine chocolate heart mousse cakes will be sure to knock their socks off!

From piping to painting; modelling to mousses; techniques and textures. Whatever you fancy trying your hand at, there’s something for you to get stuck into this New Year.