This instructional video will walk you through the process of creating realistic oak leaves for cake decorations. The guide will cover the creation of oak leaves, discussing different colour variations, and how to assemble them.

When creating the oak leaves, start with either a cream-coloured paste or a green-coloured paste. Cream is a good base colour as it provides a solid foundation when building autumnal colours on top of the leaves.

Condition the paste with vegetable fat / shortening and roll into a sausage shape two-thirds the length of the oak leaf mould. Dust with cornflour / cornstarch and press into the mould. Dip a 26 gauge wire into egg white and insert two-thirds of the way into the leaf whilst still in the mould. Flex the mould to remove. Wrap half width brown floral tape from the base of the leaf 25mm down the wire. You can use moss green tape if using green paste.

Once the leaves are formed, they should be left to dry for about 2 to 3 hours, depending on humidity and the type of paste used. In addition to the oak leaves, acorns will also need to be made using the nuts and berries mould.

The next step is colouring. Start with a base colour of lemon yellow, then add an autumn gold colour, followed by orange, ruby, chocolate, and finally a touch of green. This builds up a beautiful autumnal colour on the leaves.

Once the leaves are coloured, pass them through a steamer to set the powder. This also gives the leaves a natural lustre. However, during the autumn, leaves start to lose their natural lustre, so it's not necessary to lacquer or glaze them.

To assemble the leaves and acorns into a spray, start with a 22-gauge wire and add two leaves and an acorn. Continue adding leaves and acorns, building up the spray. Use floral tape to secure the leaves and acorns to the wire, creating a natural bark effect.

When assembled, this spray can be used in a variety of ways, such as in a cake or as part of a larger floral arrangement. The final result is a beautiful, realistic spray of autumnal oak leaves and acorns.