Sugar mastic is a very fashionable and popular way to decorate cakes. This business has its own subtleties. In order for the layer of mastic to lie well on the cake, you must first cover it with cream.
Not every cream is suitable for mastic. Mastic is powdered sugar. It easily absorbs moisture and melts.
Cake preparation
It should be remembered that light and airy cakes made of jelly or soufflé have a very delicate structure and are not very suitable for covering with mastic. If you really want to, you can first decorate them with a biscuit wall to keep their shape. However, even in this case, there remains the risk of damaging the apex.
If the mastic won't melt from the cream that you used to spread the cake layers, you can safely use it as a base. Otherwise, a new cream should be prepared.
In addition, you need to very carefully level the surface of the cake. Make sure that there are no torn edges, humps or dimples.
Cream for mastic
Whipped cream and sour cream is not suitable for mastic, but butter cream is ideal. There are several recipes for making such a cream.
Cream with butter and condensed milk
Knock down 200 g of butter until lightening. Then add 200 g of room temperature condensed milk and mix. If you add condensed milk straight from the refrigerator, the butter can curdle from the cold. This cream cures well and is suitable for placing figurines on it. However, many people feel the taste of oil in it.
Butter cream on proteins
Knock down 8 proteins with 450 g of sugar. Then heat over low heat or water bath, adding a pinch of salt. Stir all the time to avoid sticking. Once the sugar has melted, remove from heat and cool. Bring down 600 g of quality butter until creamy. Then knock the squirrels down to "sharp peaks." Add butter gradually while whisking. The mass should increase by 1, 5 - 2 times. Beat until the cream starts to shine. This cream tolerates any kind of dyes well. Skillful housewives even make flowers for a cake out of it, which they then freeze.
Ganache cream
Bring 200 g of cream to a boil. Add 200 g finely chopped milk chocolate. After the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and whisk. Refrigerate, preferably overnight. Remove 2-3 hours early before use.
To prepare a cake well for mastic, you need to smear the cake once, cover large recesses on it. Then put in the refrigerator for an hour. Smear and smooth out minor irregularities a second time, put in the refrigerator. Align with a hot knife again, after which it is ready to be coated with mastic.
