You know those gorgeous marbled tops and spiderwebs on
cakes, tarts, and cheesecakes? They're really easy and don't
require any fancy equipment, says Alice Medrich (via indexed blog
Food52).
In addition to the classic marbling technique like the one used
on Medrich's Marble cheesecake pictured left, she offers
tutorials on how to make a spiderweb design, the chevron often
found on Napoleons, and a string of hearts pattern. Medrich notes
that you need nothing fancier than a lazy Susan and toothpick or
bamboo skewer to achieve spectacular results.
She also provides tips to make sure your designs are stunning.
Since the glaze must be fluid for the patterns to work, Medrich
notes that "it's best if a cake is at room temperature
rather than cold. For both the base layer and the design
on top, a fluid, pourable glaze works better than a thick
frosting." You should also have all of your tools at the ready
before you start so your glaze doesn't set up while you are still
digging around to find a skewer. See more tips plus illustrative
photographs over at Food52.