Best Cake Decorating Books for Sugar Flowers

Being able to make exquisite sugar flowers for decorating cakes is a real skill, and one that takes a lot of practice. To help you along there are some very good cake decorating books on the market which specialise in the art of sugar flowers.

As with many cake decorating techniques there are different methods available to achieve the same effect. Some simpler than others and some more suited to the experienced decorator and some to the beginner., but whatever you level there is a book containing a wealth of information and instruction to enable you to create the most beautiful works of floral art from sugar.

Sugar flowers are generally made from a substance called gum paste or flower paste which is a very hard setting icing which can be rolled very fine, making it ideal for sugar work. Another product which has more recently come on the market and is beginning to filter through to some books is artista soft. This is a non edible non toxic material which can be rolled as fine as gum paste but dries to a hard but slightly flexible finish, making is virtually unbreakable if dropped.

Starting out in sugar flower making can be a daunting task so it can be best to start with a book aimed at beginners. One thing to be aware of if you are just starting out is that most sugar flowers require specialist petal cutters to make the shapes required. If you just want to do this on an ad hoc basis, or just want to learn how to make a couple of simple flowers to start then you should have a look at these instructions on how to make sugar paste calla lilies and how to make sugar paste carnations.

Sugar Flowers For Beginners: written by Paddi Clark, a highly respected sugarcraft artist, this book is aimed at the beginner and is well illustrated throughout.

The International School of Sugarcraft - Book 1: This is more of a beginner level general cake decorating book than purely about sugar flowers but does contain some very good information on piped flowers as well as a whole myriad of other techniques. If you are looking for a general starter book this could easily be the one for you.

Sometimes all you need to take the next step is a bit of confidence in your own abilities. Some of the flowers in these books may look a little daunting at first but with a little time and patience all are achievable.

Simplifying Sugar Flowers: This book does quite a good job of simplifying sugar flowers and takes a very step by step approach with good instruction and illustration.

Sugar Roses for Cakes: Definitely one for the rose enthusiast, this book is co-authored by the highly respected sugar flower artist Alan Dunn. The books covers a wide variety of roses plus examples of cake designs to give you ideas.

Sugar Flowers for Cake Decorating: Another Alan Dunn book this one moves past single flowers and also covers arrangements and sprays.

Lesley Herbert's Complete Book of Sugar Flowers: One for the real enthusiast, this beautiful book contains many different types of flowers to enable you to really expand your repertoire.

 Whether you are new to sugar flowers or an old hand at it, there is always room for more sugarcraft equipment