The Australian Method

The Australian cake decorating method originated in Australia during the time of English colonization. When the colonists from England settled in Australia, they brought all their own customs and cooking methods from home and one of them was the Lambeth Method of cake decorating. 

Once they were settled in Australia, the settlers began experimenting with more ornate cake decorating techniques and the Australian method was born. The Australian method is similar in style to the Lambeth Method because it also involves the use of overpiping on fondant covered cakes. The Australian Method uses the same style as the Lambeth Method but incorporated the use of much more ornate scrollwork and lots of curtaining.

To get the effect of a beautiful beaded curtain cake, decorators using the Australian method often use seed beads, pearls, or little candies in their decorations.  It is very difficult to create frosting curtains but cake decorators who practice can achieve stunning results using the Australian Method of cake decorating.

The Australian Museum of Cake Decorating and Sugarcraft has some of the most stunning examples of the Australian Method of cake decorating ever seen. It’s hard to believe that they are edible when you look at the picture perfect decorations and most people would never dream of spoiling such artistic work by cutting into it. 

While eating the cake is usually the best part of making a cake, for cake decorators, it’s the time spent decorating and coaxing the cake into the final finished artistic form that is the most fun.

Just like the Lambeth Method, there are classes in cake decorating using the Australian Method taught around the world, everywhere from fine culinary institutes to craft shop classes.

Since the Australian Method of cake decorating is an offshoot of the Lambeth Method of cake decorating, most classes require students to have taken a class in the Lambeth Method or be experienced with the Lambeth Method before they can take a class that teaches the Australian Method of cake decorating.