The essential reference to modern cake decorating with buttercream icing, this remarkable book demonstrates more than 50 innovative techniques in beautiful step-by-step photographic sequences. With over 40 stunning cake designs to create at home, from simple cupcakes to three-tiered wonders, you will discover the sheer accessibility of buttercream, which needs very little specialist equipment or skill to get started. Start by perfecting a stable buttercream recipe that also tastes delicious then learn how to pipe simple textures and patterns, buttercream roses and an array of other flowers. From there you will learn how to create a myriad of creative effects in buttercream using diverse techniques such as stamping, stencilling, palette knife painting, buttercream transfers, lace and crochet effects, brushed embroidery, marbling, blending, writing, embellishing and more! If you're a beginner, you will learn new techniques that you can put into practice straight away on easy, single-tier projects and cupcakes; while more experienced cake decorators will enjoy mastering some of the more intricate and advanced buttercream piping techniques and create stunning three-tier cake designs. This is the only complete guide to creating buttercream cakes, bringing a traditional cake-decorating method bang up to date for the modern baker! AUTHORS: 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