The Decorator’s Motif Bible by Sheila Lampkin

The Cake Decorator’s Motif Bible (Sheila Lampkin, Quarto, 2007, ISBN: 9781554072811) is nothing but the goods, with all the illustrations you need to complete any flat fondant project. Kuo Kan Chen is the illustrator, and without the easy-to-follow guides, the book wouldn’t be as useful.

The book comes spiral bound which makes it easy to flatten the book to any page you are working on. The color photos and examples of finished alphabets at the back of the book make it also a pretty good pastry reference book.

The Cake Decorator’s Motif Bible Chapters and Overview

The book is separated into two main categories: Materials; and Design Directory. The Materials at the beginning of the book contain information on different decorating ingredients (gumpaste, cake recipes, fondant, and different icings) and the materials for creating the cakes (how to make and use templates, piping icing, ideas, and tools). The Design Directory is where all the colored design pictures are, and here is where the Motif selector is, and all the designs are kept: Animals; Flowers, fruits and leaves; Seasonal; Celebrations; Novelty ideas; Surfaces and textures; Cupcakes; and Alphabets.

There is a quick conversions chart, as well as a glossary of terms used, in the back of the book housed with the index.

The actual design pages have a chart showing the elements: Template (a graph with the illustrated line drawing of the design); Color Photograph (showing an example of the work); Order of work (step-by-step instructions); Degree of difficulty (easy to complex); Use for – flat, low relief, linework, or 3-D (ways to use the motif, such as cake tops, borders, or side designs); Icing colors you’ll need; and the tools used.

For anyone needing just a quick guide or idea book for fondant images, this book covers all the major holidays and family events. I wish there were more 3-D items, but for what the book is designed for, it is a handy book to have on the pastry bookshelf.

Book Information:

• The Cake Decorator’s Motif Bible: 150 Fabulous Fondant Designs with Easy-to-Follow Charts and Photographs; by Sheila Lampkin, Illustrated by Kuo Kan Chen and Photographed by Karl Adamson
• Quarto Publishing, 2007
• ISBN13: 9781554072811
• Spiral binding, hardcover, 256 pages, full color

The Cake Decorator’s Motif Bible: 150 Fabulous Fondant Designs with Easy-to-Follow Charts and Photographs is available through Amazon.

Disclosure: This book was purchased with the author’s own funds, and any opinions are the author’s own.