Hints, Tips and Information on Baking and Decorating Cakes

Ribbon Insertion

Difficulty (2)

Ribbon insertion is very simple to achieve but gives a very impressive look to your cake and is certain to get that ‘wow’ factor.

You may click on any image in this guide to enlarge it.

You will need
Cake covered with fondant icing
Coloured narrow ribbon (available from all cake decorating shops)
A pair of scissors
Tweezers
Greaseproof paper
Pointed knife

Cover the cake with fondant icing and leave for 24 hours to firm slightly and create a skin on the surface.

Take the ribbon and cut out lots of small pieces approx 1 cm in length and put to one side.

Decide where you want the ribbon to be on the cake. In the picture above, it is used to edge the top of the cake. To ensure it is evenly spaced from the edge, a template is made from greaseproof paper.

Cut a circle of greaseproof paper smaller than the diameter of the cake and lay it on top of the icing. Being careful not to press your fingers into the icing, cut slots into the icing on the cake using the template as a guide. Make the slots in pairs approx 0.5 cm wide and 1.0 cm apart.

Using the tweezers, carefully insert one end of a strip of ribbon into one of the slots of a pair.

Carefully bend the ribbon over and push into the second slot. You may find the the point of a blunt knife helps.

Continue round the cake

When you have gone all the way round. Using the flat of your hand, rub over the top of the ribon to smooth out any rough edges and to push the ribbon into place.

Leave to dry fully and decorate as required.