The Contemporary Buttercream Bible: The Complete Practical Guide to Cake Decorating with Buttercream Icing

Buttercream icing is the most delicious cake decorating medium, is very accessible and needs very little specialist equipment.

This essential guide demonstrates more than 50 innovative techniques via easy to follow step-by-step photographic tutorials and includes over 40 stunning cake designs to create at home, from simple cupcakes to three-tiered wonders.

Valeri & Christina start by showing you how to perfect a basic buttercream recipe and then how to pipe simple textures and patterns, and an array of flowers. They then demonstrate how to create a myriad of creative effects using diverse techniques such as stamping, stencilling, palette knife painting and much more.

Chef Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes has reviewed the book: "The Contemporary Buttercream Bible is an absolute game changer in the industry of cake art. I've never seen techniques and talent presented in such a way as to be concurrently hugely aspirational yet completely approachable. I look forward to learning all the skills that I, as an artist in rolled fondant, have only the most rudimentary grasp of. Not since Cakewalk by Margaret Braun have I been this excited about a cake book. Bravo!"

Sonya Hong - Americancakedecorating.com has also reviewed the book and her main take-away was that buttercream designs are limited only by one's imagination. "The authors' examples are inspirational and a demonstration of what is possible if you 'put your whole heart into it.' Overall, Valeriano and Ong have created a book full of inspiration and encouragement that re-energizes the use of buttercream in modern cake design."

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