baking&decorating TRENDS IN BAKING & FINISHING TECHNIQUES During the week, look for opportunities to prepare for the weekend rush for occasion and birthday cakes. JodiLee Knops, senior cake designer for DecoPac, outlines two easy airbrushing techniques that can help you prepare for busy weekend orders. You can airbrush items like gumpaste flowers as much as a week in advance and have them ready for the weekend rush or last-minute orders. 1 Keep all flowers separated and tuck the leaves in to protect them from overspray. 2 First spray with yellow, starting from afar to catch the sides; then hit them harder in the middle. 3 Next, “tip the tops” with orange highlights, taking care not to overspray leaves or other flowers. 4 Add pink to the tips of the roses and to the baby’s breath. 5 Finish off with neon purple in the centers of the small flowers—it’s fine to leave the outside of the leaves white. 6 Add a gold pearlescent luster to the entire arrangement for depth. Arrange the flowers how you’d like them before you place on a cake. | 16 | inStorebuyer | April 2011 |