wild artichoke

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WHEN DECORATING A CAKE with a large focal point, such as this dramatic artichoke, keep the rest of the cake soft and simple so the sugar sculpture can shine on its own. To make the antique-looking ivory icing, add a few drops of dark espresso to the Madagascar Vanilla Bean Icing on page 66. I used a spoon to create a casual swirled texture.

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WHEN SCULPTING LARGE FORMS, use an oversized Styrofoam ball attached with royal icing to a hooked wire as the base to reduce the weight of the final product. Begin by cutting out small, narrow purple sugar paste leaves and adhering them with a mixture of equal parts water and corn syrup to the Styrofoam ball. Continue to apply the leaves in layers, letting them dry overnight after every few layers. To resemble a realistic artichoke, make the sugar leaves toward the center a deep purple. Then, as you make your way towards the outer layers of the bulb, switch to a deep green sugar paste and continue layering, using a larger leaf cutter for the outer leaves. Because it is such a large sculpture, allow it to dry for 1 to 2 weeks. While the artichoke is drying, create deep green sugar paste leaves on wires following the instructions on page 152, and apply them to the bottom of the artichoke bulb with green floral tape for an incredibly realistic feel. Once the artichoke is done, dry-dust the leaves using a paintbrush and deep purple and green powder dyes, mixing the colors where the purple and green leaves meet to enhance the transition between colors.