Once you have baked a
cake and let it cool, you then need to look into decorating the
cake. This can be very fun and enjoyable, but skill and patience is
required. These tips should allow you to have more fun and not to
make as many mistakes as other first-time cake decorators
do.
It is always best to
begin with the basics. There are some tips which are essential for
you to know before you begin anything. It is important that
you have a workplace which has enough room for you to bake and
decorate; you do not want to be in any way cramped. It is also
important that you are away from any disturbances and that you are
not getting in other people’s way as you need peace and quiet to
decorate. Before you start to decorate any cake, it is
essential that the cake has been allowed to completely
cool.
Next, you must make
sure that you have all of the right equipment and tools together
for decorating your cake. Some items that you will need are a
piping bag, some tips and the coupler to attach the tips to the
piping bag. You will need preparation time so that you know exactly
what you will be doing.
The first thing to do
is cover the cake in frosting. You can use royal icing, butter
cream icing, or fondant icing. Make sure that you put a thin layer
on first so that the crumbs are held in place. Wait for this to
cool and add the next layer. It is very important to make
sure the icing is the right thickness. If it is too thin it will
not set properly and if it is too thick you will not be able to
spread it evenly. If it is too thin, you can carefully add more
icing sugar whereas if it is too thick, add more water. Add each a
little bit at a time to make sure you get it
right.
You will need different consistencies
for different cake design ideas. For example, when you make
flowers with upright petals, you will need stiff icing whereas
when you make stars or shell borders, you will need a medium
consistency. Thin icing is used for writing and designs such
as leaves of vines – intricate work. Adding approximately two
teaspoons of light corn syrup will make your icing flow
better.
Once you have iced the
cake, it is time for the fun part – decorating it. It is important
to understand how to hold an icing bag as this will greatly
influence how your designs come out. The first position is to hold
the piping bag at a 90° angle from the surface of the cake. This is
the best approach for simple designs. For example, stars and dots.
There is another position which involves holding the piping bag at
a 45° angle from the cake. It is in this position that you will
have more flexibility.
Now that you are aware
of the basics, it is time for some tips on the actual
decoration.
Basket
Weave – This will make your cake look like a basket. It is
a good idea to practice on wax paper first. Use a basket weave tip
on your piping bag and medium thick icing. Apply a vertical stripe,
followed by a horizontal stripe across the vertical. Repeat this
action many times and you will soon begin to see the basket
appearance coming through.
Bows
– you can make your cake looked like a wrapped gift by adding bows.
You need a flat tip and medium icing. Hold your bag at a 45° angle
and sweep your bag left to make half of the bow. Make the same
movement to the right, so that you end up with a figure of 8.
Next, hold the bag and sweep downwards and out from the center of
the bow on each side so that you end up with two
streamers.
Lacework – this is perfect for wedding
cakes but does require some practice. Using thin white icing,
you need to hold the bag at a 90° angle and very close to the top
of the cake. Make a border so you will need to decide how big you
want the border to be. Move the tip up, down and across so that
similar shapes appear. Make sure you don’t cross other
designs. You can repeat this as many times as you want and
make the border thicker if you so wish.
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LET THEM EAT CAKE Pittsburg Morning Sun, KS - Nov 27, 2008 The ?cake? is actually a Styrofoam base, covered in white frosting and lavish decorations. ?If you?re doing a basic shape, you are allowed to use a plastic ...
You will need different consistencies
for different cake design ideas. For example, when you make
flowers with upright petals, you will need stiff icing whereas
when you make stars or shell borders, you will need a medium
consistency. Thin icing is used for writing and designs such
as leaves of vines – intricate work. Adding approximately two
teaspoons of light corn syrup will make your icing flow
better.
