Autumn Cake Tutorial: Tricot Cake. How to use silicone molds

The cold is coming and I can finally use the tricot silicone molds that I’ve been gathering all year long.

Every time I go teaching in another country, I have the habit of buying some materials and equipment that I can’t find here in Spain. The thing is, if you want to create new designs, you need new equipment, right?

So, this time I’m bringing you a tutorial with a coat included. Every time a look at this cake made with fondant Renshaw Extra Marshmallow, it transports me to a mountain shelter, with the fireplace on and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. And you? As you will see, this design is not very difficult and the key to do it is in the silicone molds.

To make this design, I used 2 molds of different brands. The purple one is from Karen Davies and the smaller green ones are from Marvelous Molds. I think they’re great, as they give you a lot of definition and texture.

TO ELABORATE THIS CAKE, YOU’LL NEED:

• A cake filled and covered with ganache (15cm diameter & 15cm tall)
• 1 dummy egg and a small dummy ball
• Fondant Renshaw Extra Marshmallow
• ProGel Food Colouring: Pink, Cream and Caramel
• Rainbow Dust Colours: Strawberry, Yellow and Brown
• Basic fondant tools
• 1 cake base (20cm diameter)

STEP BY STEP

Before using the silicone mold, put a bit of cornflour on it to prevent sticking. It would be better not to put any grease on it, as we will powder the fondant later. Stretch the fondant beforehand and then put it on the mold. Stretch it again to make sure that the fondant fulfills the entire mold.

With a plastic knife (don’t use a cutter!), remove the excess of fondant on the sides. Make sure that the edges of the mold remain smooth.

Turn the mold around and pull the tab to remove the fondant. It’s important not to stretch the fondant, as it would deform if you did. You just need to fold the mold backwards. Repeat the whole process a few times in order to obtain several sheets of fondant with tricot texture.

Cover the cake with a thin layer of fondant and then apply some water on it with a brush. Start sticking the sheets we did before, making sure they don’t deform. Next, cut the excess of fondant on the upper part.

Once the cake is covered with the tricot sheets, dye again the fondant pink in order to get a darker tone. Fill the braid mold, sprinkled with cornflour beforehand, and cut the excess of fondant. Make 5 equal strips.

Stick the braids on the cake as shown in the picture after applying some water with a brush.

For making the details, use the wood button mold. Fill it with a bit of fondant dyed caramel and unmold. Make 3 buttons.

On this picture you can see all the pieces you’ll need to make the buttons. Cut 6 small squares and cut 2 of its angles. Make 3 thin strings as well.

Stick the buttons to the cake, placing the squares first, then the strings and, lastly, the proper buttons.

Let’s add more details! Stretch some strips of soft pink fondant and make a cut every 2 mm with a cutter. Fold the strips in oder to get pompoms.

Stick the pompoms all around the top of the cake. Apply some water with a brush on the joint. Massage the joint in order to smooth it and conceal it.

For making the knit cap, use a dummy egg and a small dummy ball. Dye some fondant with ProGel Cream and make 3 tricot sheets using the mold by Karen Davies. Make 2 more sheets with white fondant.

Stick the cream sheets on the dummy egg and the white sheets on the dummy ball. Make some squares and a strip with the rest of the white sheets and stick them to the egg as well.

Make some shades on the pink fondant with the Strawberry Powder colour. You can give a much more intense colour on the edges and on the braids with a darker pink.

Paint the hat with some Rainbow Dust Yellow powder mixed with a bit of Brown powder. Add shades to the edges of the white decorations. Finally, put the hat on the top of the cake and line the base of the cake with fondant dyed with the same colours as the hat.

I hope this tutorial inspired you to make your own autumnal creations and that it helped you to learn how to use silicone molds: the great heroes of this profession.

See you on my next post!