Katrien's
CRAFTY
TRAY BAKES
Contents
Introduction 7
Equipment and materials 8
Making and decorating a cake board 13
Filling and coating cakes 14
Coating with buttercream or ganache 16
Covering with fondant icing (sugar paste) 19
How to prepare mini cakes 23
Scrumptious recipes and original craft decorations
Basic recipes
Before you start baking 128
Lemon cake 130
Salted caramel cake 132
Devil’s food cake 134
Red velvet cake 136
Buttercream icing 138
Buttercream coating 138
Buttercream filling 139
Chocolate ganache coating 140
Fondant icing (sugar paste) 142
Marshmallow fondant icing 142
Chocolate fondant icing 144
Modelling paste (gum paste) 145
Chocolate paste 146
Royal icing 148
Katrien van Zyl
Cake projects
Abstract art 26
Glass butterfly 31
Ribbon rose 35
Teatime mosaic 42
Lace and brush embroidery 48
Vintage lady 53
Wedding cake card 59
Paper flowers 65
Jacobean cushion 70
Egyptian jewellery 77
Flower pots 83
Gothic swirls 89
Travel scrapbook 94
Girl decoupage 99
Quilled heart 105
Iris teapot 111
Cherry blossom birdhouse 117
Echeveria blocks 122
Storage and transportation 151
Designs 152
Suppliers 159
Abstract art
Abstract patterns are created on the cake surface by mixing different food colours with water or alcohol
and letting them flow wherever they want to. More wonderful ideas for abstract art are available in the book
Quick Art by Angie Franke and Monique Day-Wilde (Metz Press).
Abstract paint 
As you will be painting directly on
your cake surface, prepare and cover
the cake with fondant (sugar paste)
before starting with the project. Be
careful not to indent the surface with
your paintbrush. Leave the prepared
cake to firm up overnight.
99 Liquid food colouring or gel food colouring mixed with water or clear alcohol
in blue, white, pink and purple (mix red and blue together)
99 Edible silver or gold lustre dust (optional)
99 A frilly stamp (I used clear stamps: ‘Flourishes v.2’ by Rhonna Farrer from
www.scrap-a-doodles.co.za)
99 Paintbrushes
99 Unused toothbrush
99 Eye dropper, squeeze bottle or spray bottle (optional)
1. Roll out a small piece of leftover fondant icing (sugar paste) to practise on
until you have mastered the technique and can go on to decorate your cake.
2. Use liquid food colouring straight from the bottle or mix gel food colouring
with some water or clear alcohol until it has a runny consistency.
3. Pour your paint colours on a paint palette or into small bowls. Have a
paintbrush or eye dropper ready for each colour.
4. Place non-stick baking paper and/or paper towels next to the cakes in case
any colouring drips off the sides.
5. Start by painting a diagonal blue line flowing from the one block to
the other.
6. To make abstract patterns on the cake surface, add water or alcohol droplets
to each cake block with a spray bottle, eye dropper or squeeze bottle.
36
13.Push pieces of rolled-up cling wrap (plastic wrap) in between the petals to
lift them, if preferred.
14.Leave the rose head to dry and then attach it to the cake with royal icing.
15.Make another ±15 small loose petals with the remaining paste to use on the
sides of the cake.
To create the calyx and leaves
1. Roll a hazelnut-sized ball or about 3 g (1/10 oz) of light green paste to form
the calyx. Set aside to dry slightly.
2. Rub white vegetable fat (shortening) on your cutting mat and roll out the
dark green paste until paper thin. Place the leaf templates on the paste and
cut out nine or more leaves.
3. Set six leaves aside to dry for a few minutes. Put three leaves for the calyx
inside a zip-lock bag so that they do not dry out.
1. Put all the petals into a zip-lock bag so that they do not dry out while you
work on them.
2. Take the three dark pink petals and frill the edges slightly by rolling the
pointed end of a toothpick over the edges on top of your cutting mat.
Bend the frilled edges backwards using the toothpick.
4. Place 15 ml (1 tbsp) light green and 15 ml (1 tbsp) dark green royal icing into
piping bags. Cut open a tiny hole at the tips of the bags. Cover the bags with
a damp cloth when not in use.
5. Pipe lines resembling long and short stitches next to each other to fill in
each of the six leaves, alternating between the light and dark green icing.
3. Fold and overlap the petals around the rolled centre. Attach them with a
drop of water if necessary. Set aside to dry slightly.
6. Pipe a central vein on each leaf and side veins. Leave for a few minutes
to dry.
4. Assemble the rose on a piece of non-stick baking paper on a sturdy board or
baking tray (cookie sheet).
7. If preferred, use brown or burgundy food colouring and paint the edges of
the leaves to resemble real leaves. Set the leaves aside.
5. Take three of the larger light pink petals and frill the edges as
explained above.
8. Take some of the excess rolled-out dark green paste and place it over the
dried ball of paste. Tuck the paste underneath one side of the ball and cut it
off with scissors. Set aside to use later when assembling the rose and calyx
on the cake.
6. Place the three petals on greaseproof paper, overlapping them slightly.
Attach the petals to one another by brushing a tiny drop of water on the
edges with a small paintbrush. Do not use too much water as it will make
the paste too sticky.
Tip
The large rose, stem, calyx and
leaves can be made up to a
month or more ahead and stored
in a container or cake box in a
cupboard. Do not store them in
airtight containers as the paste
could sweat and melt. Assemble
the different parts of the rose on
the cake.
7. Frill three or more small light pink petals and place them next to the bigger
petals or wherever you see a gap.
8. Place three frilled medium pink petals on top of the light pink petals,
overlapping them slightly. Attach the petals to one another by brushing a
tiny drop of water on the edges with a small paintbrush.
9. Place the rolled centre on top of the big petals and attach it with a drop
of water.
10.Place two frilled medium pink petals over the roll.
11.Place three light pink petals over the medium pink petals, tucking them in
and around the other petals to give a natural look. Bend the edges of the
petals outwards. Attach the petals with a drop of water.
12.Place the last light pink petal in the centre of the rose.
38
39
Jacobean cushion
Jacobean embroidery is a form of crewel embroidery using wool or yarn to make exotic floral patterns. Modern
Jacobean embroidery includes a variety of fabrics, beads and threads. For more inspiration I can highly recommend the book Crewel Twists: Fresh Ideas for Jacobean Embroidery by Hazel Blomkamp (Metz Press).
Jacobean flower 
This flower can be made ahead and
then placed on the cake, or it can be
made directly on the cake. Modelling
paste is used to make a design piece
and royal icing is piped on the
modelling paste to fill in the design.
99 At the back of this book is a design for the Jacobean flower (see p. 154).
Enlarge the design to fit a standard A4-size sheet and copy the design onto
a piece of paper.
99 Make a 1/5 batch, i.e. 50 g (1¾ oz) of modelling paste (recipe p. 145)
coloured light orange (mix together a drop of red and a drop of yellow to
make orange).
99 Make 1 batch of medium-firm royal icing (recipe p. 148) for the whole
project and colour it according to the amounts given into six colours:
15 ml (1 tbsp) dark blue, 15 ml (1 tbsp) light blue, 15 ml (1 tbsp) light purple
(mix together blue and red to make purple), 15 ml (1 tbsp) dark green (mix
together blue and yellow to make green), 15 ml (1 tbsp) light green and
15 ml (1 tbsp) brown (to be used for the tendrils)
1. Copy the flower part of the design onto a piece of non-stick baking paper
with a pencil and retrace the design on the back of the paper to make a
mirror image.
2. Spread a small amount of white vegetable fat (shortening) on your cutting
mat to keep the paste from sticking.
3. Roll out the modelling paste until about 2 mm (1/10 in.) thick.
4. Place the flower template on the paste and rub over the design with a pencil
to transfer the pencil markings to your paste.
70
Flower pots 
99 At the back of this book is a design for the flower pots (see p. 155). Enlarge the
design to 10 cm (4 in.) high, copy it onto paper and cut it out with scissors.
99 Make a 1/8 batch, i.e. ±50 g (1¾ oz) of white chocolate paste (recipe p. 146)
to make two flower pots.
1. Keep the rolled shapes you created with modelling paste at hand.
2. Spread a small amount of white vegetable fat (shortening) on your cutting mat.
3. Knead the chocolate paste until it is soft enough to roll out.
4. Put some greaseproof paper on the cutting mat and roll out the paste on it
using spacers or rulers to roll the paste to an even thickness. It should be
rolled out until very thin. (If the roller sticks to the paste, place some cling
wrap (plastic wrap) over the paste before rolling.)
5. Place the flower pot template on the paste and cut out a pot with a craft
knife, scalpel or pizza wheel.
6. Turn the pot upside down and place some of the rolled shapes on the back
of it, pressing lightly to make them stick to the paste.
7. Turn the pot right side around. With your fingers, trace over the designs to
create a raised relief image on the paste.
8. Dust the pot with silver or copper lustre dust using a soft brush, such as an
unused blusher brush.
9. Dust the edges of the embossed patterns with black powder colouring or
dusting powder, using a small paintbrush.
10.Repeat the above steps to make another flower pot.
11.Set the pots aside to use later.
Tip
The flower pots could be used without adding lustre dust if you cannot
obtain it. Silver lustre dust gives the pots the appearance of pewter whereas
copper lustre dust creates a foil sheet look. The pots can be made a few
days ahead and stored on non-stick baking paper in an airtight container in
a cupboard.
85
1. Place the stamp on the modelling paste and lightly press on the stamp to
imprint the pattern. Remove the stamp to reveal the design.
2. Repeat, stamping the entire surface of the paste. Wait a few minutes for the
food colouring to dry slightly.
3. Cut strips about 1 cm (½ in.) wide from the paste with a scalpel or craft
knife. Use the lines on your cutting mat to guide you. The strips do not have
to be perfectly straight. Use a ruler to guide you only if the food colouring is
completely dry, otherwise it might smudge.
4. Place strips of paste upside down on the template following the numbers
from 1 to 35 for the order in which the strips have to be placed. Use the
inside lines as a guide for placing the strips and overlap the strips on the
outer sides. Brush a drop of water, sugar syrup or apricot jam on the strips
with a paintbrush to make them stick. The strips can extend over the edge
since the design will be cut out and neatened later, but cut the strips shorter
if they are too long.
5. Make more strips as needed and keep on placing them on the template until
the pattern is complete.
6. Place a final bigger piece of paste in the centre of the design to create
the iris.
7. Turn the entire paste design over so that the stamped side is on top and
place it on your cutting mat. Position the teapot body template on the paste
and cut out the outline with a craft knife or scalpel.
8. To make the lid, spout and handle of the teapot, place small pieces of
leftover paste strips on your cutting mat in three vertical rows, slightly
overlapping one another. Glue the pieces together with a drop of water,
sugar syrup or apricot jam. Place the templates on the strips and cut them
out with a craft knife or scalpel.
9. Leave the teapot body, lid, spout and handle to dry for a few hours
or overnight.
Tip
The separate pieces for the teapot can be made weeks ahead and stored
on non-stick baking paper in a container or cake box or on a baking tray
(cookie sheet) in a cupboard. You could stamp different motifs or even
letters on the paste to make the cake more personal.
123
Katrien van Zyl knew from the age of 12 that she would love to bake for a living.
KATRIEN’S CRAFTY TRAY BAKES
Scrumptious recipes and original craft decorations
Katrien van Zyl
193 x 260 mm
160 pp
Softcover
RRP: R220.00
ISBN 978-1-928201-35-9
Publication date: May 2015
Available in Afrikaans: Katrien se kreatiewe koeke
ISBN 978-1-928201-36-6
A self-proclaimed chocoholic, she combines these two loves when baking
commissioned wedding and party cakes. After completing a four-year degree
in home economics at Stellenbosch University she worked in the catering
industry for several years, where she became involved in wedding planning and
commercial baking for weddings and parties, among others. Soon she started
marketing her original wedding and party cake designs from her website.
After the success of her first two books, Katrien’s Cakes and Katrien’s Mini
Cakes, she was inundated with requests for courses so she started teaching cake
decorating She is also a popular guest at food shows and on television and radio.
Katrien is married and lives in Blommendal, Cape Town. She is also the author of
Sugar Brides & Grooms in the popular Twenty to Make series as well as Katrien’s
Dessert Cakes.
Metz Press is an independent publisher of high quality information books
and illustrated non-fiction for the local market as well as the international
co-edition market. We have sold rights to our books in countries all over
the world, having impressed reputable international companies with our
quality of content and production and our ability to deliver.
Publisher:
Wilsia Metz
Tel: +27 (0)21 913 7557
Fax: +27 (0)21 913 5102
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.metzpress.co.za
Postal address: PO Box 7322, Welgemoed, 7538, South Africa
Street address: 1 Cameronians Avenue, Welgemoed, 7535, South Africa
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM METZ PRESS
This book shows you how to apply popular craft techniques to cake decorating,
creating edible crafts using fondant icing (sugar paste), modelling paste,
chocolate paste, buttercream icing, ganache and royal icing.
Whether you are a baker or cake decorator who would like to learn new crafts
and apply them to your cakes or a crafter who would like to learn to bake and
decorate cakes, there is something for everyone.
Katrien chose tray bake cakes (rectangular sheet cakes) to work on, keeping the
shape simple and focusing on the craft techniques used to decorate them. The
cake is a blank canvas on which artwork is created.
The inspiration for the decorative designs comes from paper crafts, mosaics,
embroidery, printed fabric patterns, quilting, appliqué and whatever craft you
can imagine.
This book features 18 cake craft projects from start to finish, as well as mini
cakes, showing you step by step how to create your own works of art. As an
added bonus there are some tried and trusted recipes for cakes, buttercream,
ganache and fondant icing as well as designs to use in decorations.
METZ PRESS
w w w.met zpress.co.z a