Cake Decorating With Grace Stevens ... Step by Step with Fondant

Grace Stevens, Cake Decorating With Grace Stevens. Cape Town: Struik, 2014.

Large format (28 x 22 cm), stiff card wraps with French folds, 152 pages, well illustrated.

Fine condition.

Cake Decorating with Grace Stevens (2014) is a practical, step-by-step guide to the art of cake decorating, aimed at both beginners and more experienced bakers. The book builds on Stevens earlier work and focuses on helping readers create professional-looking celebration cakes at home.
Key Ideas and Content
1. Foundations of cake decorating
The book introduces essential tools, ingredients, and basic techniques needed for decorating cakes, making it accessible even to those with no prior experience.
2. Step-by-step techniques
A major feature is its detailed, visual approach. Readers are guided through:
 Working with fondant and buttercream
 Covering cakes smoothly
 Creating decorative elements like flowers and figures
 These techniques are broken down into manageable steps to build confidence.
3. Advanced decorative skills
Beyond basics, the book explores more intricate skills such as:
Sugar flowers
Fondant modelling
Themed and celebration cakes (e.g., birthdays and weddings)
4. Designing celebration cakes
There is a strong emphasis on designing cakes for special occasions, especially wedding cakes, including planning structure, style, and presentation.
5. Creativity and personal expression
Stevens encourages creativity, showing how different techniques and designs can be combined to produce unique cakes tailored to specific events.
Overall Purpose
The books main goal is to demystify cake decorating by turning what is often seen as a professional or complex skill into something approachable and enjoyable. It aims to help readers progress from simple decorations to more elaborate, artistic cake designs.