This guide is a a very simple run through on how to decorate your most beautiful baked creation. Cakes are one of the most sinful sweet sensations human ever made. Follow all the tips included here on how to decorate a cake and soon you’ll be too attracted to your own cake to even eat it.The first step of decorating a cake is making the cake itself (of course!). One must have the proper knowledge of baking to make the most scrumptious cake ever. If you already know how to bake, that’s great! You can proceed to the next paragraph.Is it now time to decorate the cake? No, not yet. A freshly baked cake has to cool down first, let it settle. If the cake is too warm, it’ll melt any icing applied on it. Wait for an hour for the cake to cool down. You can also freeze it to keep its moisture and prevent crumbling and breaking. Don’t be too excited.
If the cake already cooled down, it’s time to trim or torte the cake, if your cake is layered. Add filling every in between layers, the choice of filling is yours – there are no limitations.
Here comes the fun part – it’s time to frost, and decorate a cake.
HOLD IT! Before laying hands on your bare cake, you must have the right tools to decorate a cake. Did you think that the professionals decorate cakes by hand?
Tools Used to Decorate a Cake
Frosting spatula – this spatula is particularly used for mixing and spreading frosting over the cake. It’s readily available in any kitchen store.
Piping bag – the essential tool for applying the icing on the cake. This is like an ordinary plastic bag but a little hole is cut on an edge for the icing to go through. What some professionals do is take a zip bag, fill it with icing, then snip a small hole on one edge. Or you can just buy one at any kitchen store.
You can use any tool you feel you need to decorate your cake – knife, toothpicks, icing tips, etc. – cake decorating is all about creativity and ingenuity.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Before you start frosting the cake, you better have a plan. Professional decorators do not go to war empty handed. You of course, must have an already planned design.
Decide on what kind of frosting or icing you want on your cake.
Popular Frosting and Icing
Buttercream – basically made from butter or margarine. It’s the easiest to work with because of it’s melted butter-like consistency. It can easily be colored and flavored too. It’s the classic cake frosting.
Fluffy frosting – it’s the fluffier version of buttercream. It’s beaten with an electric mixer until it gets its marshmallow-like consistency.
Fondant – the common choice for professional cake decorators. It’s composed of sugar and water, so it’s very easy to mold. Fondant consistency is like an unbaked dough, but more crusty. It can be used to cover the cake entirely with one fondant roll. Unlike buttercream and fluffy frosting, fondant doesn’t melt with heat.
Dusted Icing Sugar – the simplest decoration can also be the best. It’s the best choice for already rich kinds of cake.
Besides the sugar or butter based frosting, you can also add your own toppings for the cake. The choices are almost endless – fruit, candies, flowers, cream, melted chocolate, chocolate shavings, nuts jam, etc. – the choice is yours.
Practice your decorating prowess first on a small piece of cake. Practice is always the key to any undergoing. Soon enough you’ll be decorating cakes like Buddy Vallastro.
