Cake Decorating Ideas

Saturday, 27th March, 2010       Posted in Articles |No Comments »

You can start cake decorating only after the cake has been cooled. Cake decorating is an enjoyable and interesting process. However, cake decorating will also require much knowledge and you must not be impatient when decorating a cake. Here are tips for that may be useful for you:

1. Keep in mind to cool the cake before starting on decorations. A warm cake might pose problems for you.
2. Start by gathering items you need for cake decoration. You will need certain sizes of piping bags and coupler to fasten the piping bag to the tips. Planning ahead by preparing a design for your cake decoration will be good so that the items needed are ready.
3. Use frost or ice it first with fondant, butter or royal icing when decorating the cake. To avoid the falling off of crumbs, do crumb coating. If you decorate your cake properly, your cake will look good. You can use confectioners’ sugar if the frosting on your cake is thin. However, remember not to add it all at the same time, as that will make your cake stiff.
4. Different types of icing are used for different decorations. Stiff icing will be needed for making upright petals on a flower. Different icing is required to make petals appear droop or flat. Delicate designs like writing, leaves and vines will need thin icing. Use light corn syrup so that the flow of icing is smoother.
5. After icing the cake, you can start with your cake decorations. Angles and directions when holding the piping bag is important so that the shapes and patterns you make will turn out good. For simple movements, hold it at an angle of 90 degrees. Hold it at angle of 45 degrees for sweeping styles and shapes. This will also be perfect when making flower petals or writings.

With the basic knowledge at your fingertips, you can and come up with many other creative ideas.

Basket Weave
This method will make the sides of your cake look like a basket. Start by practicing on a waxed paper first until you feel confident doing it on a real cake. You can use a basket weave tip and medium icing consistency to make horizontal lines across the vertical lines.

Bows
Bows are a great as it makes the cake appear as a wrapped gift. You will require a medium icing type and flat tips. Angle the piping bag at 45 degrees and sweep the bag to the left for the half bow. Using the same technique, move it to the right to complete a figure 8. Sweep down on both sides to make the streamers.

Lacework
This method is perfect for baby showers or wedding cakes. However, you need to know how to control the icing bag properly. Angle the icing bag at 90 degrees and ensure that the tips are very close to the cake.

Lacework can create beautiful borders on your cake. When you maximize the area of your cake available for decorations, you will definitely be amazed at your end product.