Tips and Tutorials

Heated Jel-it-in mixture will begin to set as soon as it starts to cool down. To prevent unpleasant clumping and if possible, warm the other ingredients it is to be mixed with, then gradually add the ingredients to the hot Jel-it-in mixture. If lumpy, try blending with a stick blender or food processor.

Queen Jel-it-in vegetarian gelling power is a gelatine alternative, but not an exact replacement. Keep in mind you might need to adjust your recipe to use it. Jel-it-in works best in recipes such as jellies, panna cotta and ‘set’ desserts. It is not suitable for making marshmallows or jam and requires additional steps for preparation in cheesecakes. It is less effective in acidic liquids, like fruit juices such as orange or lemon. For best results use two sachets. Jel-it-in will set very firm in high fat recipes, try replacing some of the ingredients in your recipes with low fat alternatives.

Fading: Coloured fondant may fade with exposure to sunlight. Store unused fondant in cool, dry conditions away from heat and sunlight, and store decorated cakes, cupcakes and cookies in a dark, cool, dry area immediately after decorating. Storage: If you have leftover fondant, wrap it in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 4 weeks. Never refrigerate fondant as it will sweat. Instead, store finished cakes, cupcakes and biscuits in cool, dry conditions such as the pantry.

Very cold weather will make your fondant hard, while humid weather makes it very sticky. Keep this in mind when making a special occasion cake without much time to spare. Try to prepare fondant in air conditioning, cool/warmer conditions or run your hands under cold/hot water and dry thoroughly before preparing.

Allow cakes to come to room temperature before applying fondant. Do not decorate cakes that have come straight from the fridge or freezer. Planning to decorate further after covering with a fondant base layer? Be patient and allow the fondant to firm up a little. This will prevent nail marks, dents and tears occurring.

To help your cakes stay fresh, brush them with sugar syrup or buttercream icing before covering with fondant. This helps seal in moisture and allows a little more time between baking and decorating.

Use a toothpick to dot a few drops of your favourite Queen Flavouring Extract onto the fondant and knead gently to combine. If a little sticky, add some icing sugar and knead until smooth.

Use Queen Food Colour liquids or gels to tint fondant to your desired colour, or mix pre-coloured fondant by gently kneading them together until you achieve the shade you’re after. To make dark colours, use gel food colours. You will need a lot of colour, which will make the fondant sticky. Start a day ahead and allow it to rest overnight to firm up again. When ready to use, spray fondant with a little vegetable cooking spray instead of icing sugar so that the colour doesn’t fade and the fondant isn’t sticky.

Store cakes and cupcakes iced with Queen Buttercream Icing at room temperature in cool, dry, dark conditions for 1-3 days. Icing will be dry to touch but soft underneath.

To crumb coat cakes with Queen Buttercream Icing, simply prepare the mixture according to pack instructions then add a tablespoon of Queen Glucose Syrup. This will slightly thin the mixture to ensure it spreads smoothly and doesn’t tear the cake.

Queen Buttercream Icing can be used for a range of applications by simply adjusting the consistency of it. It's perfect for crumb coating cakes, spreading on cakes, piping on cupcakes and piping buttercream flowers. THIN: for piped decorations such as fine lines and letters. Simply add 1-2 teaspoons of Queen Glucose Syrup to give your piped decorations a smooth finish and sharp edges. MEDIUM: for piping flat flowers, textured borders and hearts, your icing must be smooth enough to flow, but firm enough to give texture and detail. Adjust the consistency with icing sugar or milk, adding a teaspoon at a time until the desired thickness is achieved. FIRM: perfect for creating piped flowers with petals that stand up. If icing isn’t firm enough, your flower petals will gradually droop and crack.

Oil and Royal icing don’t mix. Be sure to prepare and store Royal icing away from any oily surfaces or bowls as this will prevent the icing from setting hard.