Table of Contents

Introduction

BUTTERCREAM BASICS
Stable Buttercream Recipe, Adding Flavours
Equipment
Nozzle Guide
Colouring Buttercream, Mixing Colours
Inspirations
Covering Cakes, Crumb Coating, Smoothing, Sharp Edges, Textured Finishes
Covering Boards
Dowelling
Cupcakes, Recipe, Piping Peaks and Swirls

PIPING TEXTURES AND PATTERNS
Ruffles, Up and Down, Back and Forth, Squiggly
Basketweave, Contemporary Basketweave
E- and C-Scrolls
Star Fill
Dots
Leaves
Shells and Fleur de Lis
Scrolls, Lines and Zigzags

FLOWERS
Sunflower
Leaves
Camellia
Hydrangea
Carnation
Sweet Pea
Lilac
Daisy
Chrysanthemum
Daffodil
Rose and Rose Buds
Piping and Arranging Flowers on a Cake
Cupcake Bouquets
Cuppie Cakes

PALETTE KNIFE TECHNIQUES
Palette Knife Brush Strokes
Thinning
Blending
Gradient Blending and Painting Flowers
Marbling

TRANSFERS, STENCILLING & STAMPING
Frozen Buttercream Transfers
Transfers Troubleshooting
Stencilling
Stamping

TEXTILE EFFECTS
Brushed Embroidery
Lace, Irregular Lace, Fishnet Lace
Crochet, Patchwork Crochet

WRITING
Direct Piping
Painting
Pattern Transfer
Embossing
Stencilling
Using Writing Creatively

BEYOND BUTTERCREAM
Embellishment Choices
Rice Paper
Sprinkles
Candies
Fruit Loops

Templates
Suppliers, About the Authors, Acknowledgments
Index

About the Author

Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong left the Philippines in 2008 to work in the UK in the medical field. After learning how to make cupcake bouquets in 2011 they launched their business Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes and have since won several top awards for their buttercream designs. Now they are internationally renowned and teach classes in Europe, Asia and the US. www.queenofheartscouturecakes.com

Reviews

"The Contemporary Buttercream Bible is an absolute game changer in the industry of cake art. I've never seen techniques and talent presented in such a way as to be concurrently hugely aspirational yet completely approachable. I look forward to learning all the skills that I, as an artist in rolled fondant, have only the most rudimentary grasp of. Not since Cakewalk by Margaret Braun have I been this excited about a cake book. Bravo!" – Chef Duff Goldman, Ace of Cakes

"If you love buttercream you'll adore this book. Lots of fascinating techniques to try and lovely ideas to develop. Thank you Valeri and Christina for generously sharing your buttercream secrets." – Lindy Smith, author of The Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible

"There are numerous new and fresh techniques in the book ... but the main take-away for me was that buttercream designs are limited only by one’s imagination. The authors’ examples are inspirational and a demonstration of what is possible if you 'put your whole heart into it.' Overall, Valeriano and Ong have created a book full of inspiration and encouragement that re-energizes the use of buttercream in modern cake design." Sonya Hong, American Cake Decorating magazine