Want to take your cake to the next level for that upcoming party or holiday get together? Here are some simple cake decorating tips that will make your cake look like it’s come straight out of a bakery box with a professional finish!
There is a plethora of great decorations you can do with little experience right from your own home. There are certain tools such as an angled icing spatula or wire cake cutter that will aid in creating perfect layers and smooth frosting.
First, you will need a store-bought cake that is as simple and versatile as possible. You will not want to invest much in it, since the real pièce de résistance will be the decoration. All you have to do at this point is decide on the flavour and the number of servings you need. For an in-depth list of cakes prices and providers, make sure to visit CakesPrices.com.
Flawless Frosting
When it comes to getting a perfectly smooth layer of icing, a dough scraper is your best friend. Apply your icing as normal with a spatula or knife and be sure to apply enough icing for full coverage. A crumb coat can help to ensure your final coat looks beautifully smooth. Simply add a thin layer of icing to your cake and place in freezer for a just a few minutes. Next, apply your final layer of icing. Finish by using your dough cutter to lightly apply smoothing pressure to the sides and top of your cake, leaving you with flawless, full coverage.Your cake will look like one of those masterpieces that come from some of the most famous bakeries in town.
Homemade Pastry Bags
Cake decorating requires some supplies but for those just starting out making their own pastry bag is just as effective as buying one. A homemade bag is disposable and is great for simple piping and borders. It can be a great help if you are using multiple colors for decorating and do not want to continuously clean your bag. A quart or gallon storage bag works perfectly fine depending on how much icing you are using to decorate. For a homemade bag, you will cut off one of the bottom corners and squeeze the icing to that corner. A homemade bag is also compatible with metal cake decorating tips. Check out this tutorial for a DIY pastry bag.
Easy Decorations
The easiest decoration is simple piping. Cutting more or less off the corner of your bag changes the width of your piping line. Piping can be used for straight border, a swirl border, or a zigzag border. A piping tip is great for writing, creating vines, shape outlines, and perfect dots.
The basket weave is a simple design that can make the sides and top of your cake look unique and professional. Just about any tip including the ordinary piping tip will work, however, Wilton tip #47 will give your design a more rustic, basket look. Create a vertical line and add short horizontal lines over top. Keep your vertical lines spaced evenly apart, and keep your horizontal lines alternating over and under each vertical line.
Adding Color
Fondant makes a tasty, smooth cover for your entire cake. It can take your cake from decorated to boutique and can be colored to brighten your cake. Laying fondant perfectly is not always an easy task and fondant cut outs can be another great way to take your cake to the next level. You can buy fondant premade or make very delicious fondant from marshmallows and powdered sugar. Marshmallow fondant can even be made in the microwave by melting a bag of marshmallows and adding powdered sugar and water until you have a dough formed.
Gel food coloring is your best bet for coloring icing. It can be added to your icing by dipping a toothpick in the gel and then mixing it into your frosting. Continue to do this to darken the color of your icing or mix colors together for the desired color. Create streaks of color on your cake with an angled icing spatula or create an ombré design by layering a color in various hues.
The Shell and Rope Border
For making shell and rope borders it does require a Wilton 21 tip. The shell is the simplest type of border. To start a shell line, hold your bag at a 45-degree angle slightly above your surface. Apply pressure as the icing fans out and draw it slightly to you while decreasing pressure as you press the tip downward towards the surface. Continue to do this creating touching vertical shells.
For the rope border use a 21 tip and hold your bag at a 45-degree angle slightly touching your surface. For a rope border you will want to apply steady pressure to your bag in the shape of a “S”. Start in the bottom curve of your first “S” and apply steady pressure to your bag again in the shape of an “S.” Continue this process to create a lovely rope border.
After reading these tips carefully you will realise that turning an ordinary cake into a work of art might not be just as hard as you thought. Take into account one of the possibilities you think it suits you better and will soon have the best cake you would ever think of.