Australian String Work : The 'Rolls Royce' of Cake Decorating

I made this cake to feature the Australian String Work technique.  String work, an extremely delicate form of cake decoration, is also known as extension work. This cake decorating technique employs the use of royal icing piping on an intricate curtain and lacework on the side of the cake. Regarded by cake decorators as the Rolls Royce of cake decorating and by many, as a difficult technique to master, the arduous task requires much patience and the perfect icing to accomplish it.

 

Bridge extension work on side of the cake.

Suspended (bridgeless) string work on the other side.

At the top of the cake, fondant plaque with stenciled tulip, painted with edible dusting powder.

 Piped royal icing bead border at the cake base; and fondant covered board with embossed butterflies.

 Closeup of the bridge with extension work.

Step by step of  bridge extension work.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Pipe first string of icing along scribed line. 2. Pipe layer of strings atop one another  until a bridge is formed (10 layers). 3. Using the finest piping tip, pipe fine strings extending from the scribed line (at the top) to the  bridge. 4. Repeat (step 3) until finish.

 

 Closeup of the suspended string work (top layer).

Side profile of the suspended string work.

 

 Step by step of suspended string work.

Clockwise from top left: 1. Insert pins into cake along top of existing bridge string work 2. Pipe a string draping it across the pins. 3. Using the finest piping tip, pipe fine strings extending from the scribed line (at the top) to the suspended string. 4. Repeat (step 3) until finish then carefully remove the pins.