Sunday Sweets Kicks It Old School
May 6, 2018 Let's talk piping, peeps.
Because nothing shows off a baker's talent - or makes our jaws drop - quite like this business right here:
(By Finespun Cakes)
That's a style known as Lambeth, named for Joseph Lambeth, who popularized it back in the 1930s.
You'll know a Lambeth cake by its over-the-top frills and use of overpiping, which creates all that fabulous detail and depth:
(By Rosebud Cakes)
Of course Lambeth cakes are a bit old-fashioned now, but never fear, piping purists! Some bakers are doing their darndest to bring Lambeth to the next generation, with STUNNING results:
(By Aniko Vargane Orban)
No words. Only grabby hands.
Or how about this one?
(By Cakeium)
Check out those crisp clean lines! And still all hand-piped. AH-mazing.
While we're throwing back to classic cake skills, let's talk Oriental Stringwork.
;)
(By David Cakes)
This gravity-defying sorcery is achieved with Royal icing, which hardens to a porcelain-like consistency. Believe it or not, that net is handpiped icing, y'all. HAND-PIPED ICING.
Bakers are using string work in modern designs now, too, which makes me so, so happy:
See how the filigree section stands out from the cake?
And note the hanging borders on this black and white number:
(By KupKake Tree)
I'm all about that middle tier with the flower, though. Soooo pretty.
Oh! And these colors!
(By Cake Decor India)
I never knew how much I needed this color combo in my life, you guys. SO GOOD.
(Btw, to achieve those upward loops? The baker has to turn the cake upside down. Mad skillz, my friends.)
Here's one so perfect you'll swear it can't be cake:
(By SifBeth)
See those tiny, TINY lines all around the border? HAND-PIPED.
Jumping back to a Lambeth style for this oh-so-sweet number:
(By Craftsy member FlourSugarButtr)
Another fantastic color palette, and don't be fooled by how smooth those ropes are; the base may be fondant, but all the piping is, well, PIPING.
And one final Sweet for now:
(By Beyond Buttercream)
Bakers, you are KILLING it with the color choices today. Rock on with your bad selves.
And the rest of you, look closely at those chained string borders. HAND. PIPED.
Hope you guys enjoyed our little glimpse into modern cake mastery! If you're interested, I highly recommend Googling both "Lambeth" and "Oriental Stringwork", because there's so, SO much more than I could show you here today.
Happy Sunday, and happy browsing!
*****
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Reader Comments (21)
OMG those cakes are perfection :O
Boy, I’m gonna be singing “Lambeth Walk” all day now...
That green, blue and gold cake is amazing! And those upward loops?? Piped upside down?? How???
🐙 🎂 !
These are breathtaking! Much too pretty to cut!
And there are people out there who want this kind of cake for $200.
How could you even cut into one of those?
I have said this before, surely, but my GOSH! These creations are almost not believable as something to eat!
I would have to look the other way when the first cut was made.
(As you know, the first cut is the deepest.)
=^-.-^=
I love the 2nd one!
Amazing, absolutely amazing!!
I am in love with the the orange juice roses.....tiny and perfect ....(fourth from last).
I want a rug made of them. Velvet.
....sigh...!!!! 💛=^-.-^=💛
These are beautiful. I love them all!
Joseph Lambeth lives!!! I bought his book on cake decorating from 1936 (with updates in the 1960s, I think). The overpiping and stringwork fascinate me.
@Lynne, they put a cake board on top of the tier and invert it to put the stringwork on. I think that the cake that I saw in the video of oriental stringwork was fondant covered. It looks incredibly cool.
I asked Bobbie Noto of 5th Avenue Cakes who uploads a lot of tutorials on stringwork (and overpiping) whether it is possible to transport cakes with hanging stringwork and she said "absolutely". I'll believe it when I try it... LOL.
Wow, hand piped!
Well thats it *flings baking pans & pipes into bin* I'm never icing a cake again *sob* Such beautiful perfection....and that string work....and those colours WOW! *shuffles away snivelling*
I can't wait to see what happens when somebody orders one of these from the local bakery.
For grins and giggles....
Because I know of no one who does this style of decorating to ask.
Said Bridezilla waltzes into cake shop, with heart set on one of the cakes featured.
How much does Lambeth piping add to the cost of the cake? I know pricing is regional, but curious for when said wreckage appears with "I wanted this for $300 and the bakery said okay" (shows picture of #3 cake up above), and then the picture of a horribly mangled drippy mess.
Honestly these are so beautiful. I would love to watch someone do that style of piping in real life.
That 3rd cake looks like Wedgewood china in red! So beautiful! It's pretty enough for a picture but not too elaborate to eat.
Sheila, you're my spirit animal!
Any time you’re Lambeth way
Any evening, any day,
You’ll find us all
Doin’ the Lambeth walk.
Ev’ry little Lambeth gal
With her little Lambeth pal,
You’ll find ‘em all
Doin’ the Lambeth walk.
Ev’rything free and easy,
Do as darn well pleasey,
Why don’t you make your way there?
Go there, stay there,
Once you get down Lambeth way
Ev’ry evening, ev’ry day,
You’ll find yourself
Doin’ the Lambeth walk.
@FordPrefect313, look up Bobbie Noto Lambeth on google. She's got a number of tutorials where you can watch the magic. Enjoy!
Is anyone else thinking about what color your tongue and lips will be after eating these? And the laundry task for all the napkins? geez.